Deployment Solution

Have been running DS6.9SP6 for over 6 months with no problems using WinPE4.0. Sometime last week with no changes to server, WinPE4 has vanished from the list of Automation Preboot environments in Capture/Deploy.

First indication of problem was that machines would not boot to automation and connect to server properly for imaging. I reinstalled the DS6.9SP6 and reinstalled the preboot environments at that time. It now appears to work again for deploying images but still doesn't list WinPE4 in the drop down list of preboot environments.

I have just imaged a machine, in the process of making some changes then will try to recapture it. If that all works I should be good to go again.

Question is why did the preboot environment vanish from list even though it is installed on server?

Well, trying to recapture this image still didn't work. Gives error "Unable to boot to automation" while the client connects and updates then reboots without connecting or capturing the image.

What is going on?

I suspect one of the ini files in the PXE folder is corrupted. Do you have a recent backup you can retrieve them from?
 

Support can generally help rebuild the INI files.  The backup would have to predate the issue of course if you're going to go that route.

You might also be able to remove PXE from the server (s) clear out the PXE files, then re-add it, which would force the recreation of those INI files, unless they're corrupt at the source.  You might also try adding another PXE server just to see what it does.

OH.  OR you could build a lab with the same installation, and then CHECK the INI files in that lab against what you have.  There should be a KB about the INI files that DS 6.9 uses to list the PXE preboot options.

I'm assuming you can rebuild your PXE preboot options, yes?  If you've never built one, even if they're in BootWiz as an option, then they wont show up on the list.  Try building a new one, one for Linux, one for PE x86, one for PE x64 - see if any/all of them show up on the PXE boot list and be sure to name them uniquely so you'll know when they show up.

Hi Mike,

Do you need any more assistance here?

As Mike has abandoned this one, am marking Thomas' answer here as the most useful.