We deploy Windows XP using Ghostcast Server 8.3.0.1331. We had been using Bart PE disks for each client to contact the multicast session, but with the deployment of newer computer platforms, it has become increasingly difficult to add updated SATA/NIC drivers to the PE boot disk.

We switched over to a PE boot disk created with the Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit because, by default, it has all the drivers we need for our newer machines. While the disk works fine for single session downloads and for multicasting 3-5 machines, we find that the multicast session will not begin file transfer when it comes to imaging a lab (say, 24 machines).

All clients connect to the session, but when you hit <send>, nothing happens... this occurs if we are using a cdrom PE boot or a jumpdrive boot disk.

Any ideas?

we are creating the boot disk as follows...

::
::
:: install of windows 7 aik is assumed
::
:: if exist, delete c:\pebuild folder
::
:: create c:\petemp folder
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:: start > all programs > microsoft windows aik > deployment tools command prompt
::
::

set temp=c:\petemp
set tmp=c:\petemp

copype x86 c:\pebuild
imagex /mountrw winpe.wim 1 mount

::
::
:: copy startup script, ghost32.exe, etc to c:\pebuild\mount\windows
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:: edit c:\pebuild\mount\windows\system32\startnet.cmd
:: and add startup.bat under the wpeinit command
::
:: search entire pebuild folder for bootfix.bin and delete all instances (three)
:: this will stop the "press any key to boot from cd" message from showing up
::

imagex /unmount mount /commit

::
::
:: copy c:\pebuild\winpe.wim c:\pebuild\iso\sources\boot.wim
::
::

oscdimg -n -b"c:\program files\windows aik\tools\petools\x86\boot\etfsboot.com" c:\pebuild\iso c:\pebuild\somename.iso

::
::
:: somename.iso is now ready to be burned to a cd
::

::
::
:: if a jumpdrive is desired, do the following on a windows 7 system...
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:: install jumpdrive
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:: open command prompt
::
::

diskpart
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS
assign
exit

::
::
:: copy the contents of c:\pebuild\ISO\ to jumpdrive
::
:: jumpdrive is now bootable and contains the files needed to image a computer
::
::