Deployment Solution

I installed the default automation folder (WinPE4 ~ Windows 8) on my windows 7 clients.

When booting into the automation folder it is stuck at "Windows is loading files..." (which is Windows 7 PE message).

The PXE boot to WinPE4 is working just fine.

 

This lead me to this article:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/4babb5f7-857e-41e7-955a-39ac3cc67b3e/mdt-2012-winpe-40-vmware-esxi-hangs-windows-is-loading-files-booting-into-pe?forum=mdt

"It is hanging just as the progress bar completes loading with the "Windows is loading files..." message still displayed and a full bar. Nothing else happens here.

What I believe is happening is it is booting to the 100 mb system reserved partition, which has the old win 7 boot loader...thus the "Windows is loading files..." instead of the win 8 style "Loading files..." message. If i replace on that small 100 mb partition the bootmgr and /boot/ with what is on the main partition which LTIApply set up, then it loads into the PE on the main drive just fine."

 

Is the PE4 automation folder working for anyone on Windows 7?

I have installed the automation folder just a couple of days ago on W7 and it was not a problem to boot into it.

Did you have the automation folder on the machine when running 7.1 and then upgraded to 7.5?

No, it was a clean client ... just pushed the agent and plugins right before.

 

Also I am not the only one having this issue:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/winpe-ds-75-hangs-when-booting-vmware

 

I just notice my client does not have this 100MB partition. Maybe this is the reason why ... is it needed?

It did work using the 7.1 automation folder on an identical client.

Maybe someone would be so nice to verify my boot configuration after the installation of the automation folder?

 

C:\Boot>bcdedit

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=C:
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {1cb3e5ac-8707-11e0-b0a1-000c29f2d14b}
displayorder            {current}
                        {e217309d-dead-beef-a315-001372be0d01}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 30

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
recoverysequence        {1cb3e5ae-8707-11e0-b0a1-000c29f2d14b}
recoveryenabled         Yes
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {1cb3e5ac-8707-11e0-b0a1-000c29f2d14b}
nx                      OptIn

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {e217309d-dead-beef-a315-001372be0d01}
device                  ramdisk=[boot]\boot\altiris\iso\sources\boot.wim,{e217309d-dead-beef-a315-001372be0d02}
path                    \windows\system32\boot\winload.exe
description             Symantec Deployment Solution Preboot Environment
osdevice                ramdisk=[boot]\boot\altiris\iso\sources\boot.wim,{e217309d-dead-beef-a315-001372be0d02}
systemroot              \windows
detecthal               Yes
winpe                   Yes
quietboot               Yes
bootlog                 Yes

I wonder if you have tried to rebuild the automation folder? Same issue as in 7.1 where it wont auto update but you could run the installer manually. OR maybe build an installer package manually in BootWiz and run it? Point is that maybe the install is bad? I have not personally heard of this. Sorry.

I did rebuild it.

I created a new one.

I even tried to replace the boot.wim with the 7.1 one.

 

No clue what to do ... seems like winload.exe doesnt like to load the wim file.

 

Using the PXE bootstrapper works like a charm.

 

@Edit: I am not the only one, having this issue - https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/winpe-ds-75-hangs-when-booting-vmware