Deployment Solution

We are running DS6.9 SP2.

Trying to deploy the Automation Partition into a Win7 machine.

WinPE is copied over to the C drive-no problem.
Then I was pushing the script:
CD C:\
Start C:\Winpe.exe

The script appears to run fine back in the DS console, but the machine never actually boots to the automation console, just appears to do a shutdown and sign right back into windows with no automation partition installed.

I have tried running the script in options for “Console user session” and various Admin accounts with no luck.

So how do you deploy/kickoff the WinPE automation partition(from DS) in Win7?

Thanks for any help in advance,
Sean
PS: This is all Win32 bit using the default automation setting. If I run WinPE once by hand then it installs, but obviously this wont work with hundreds of machines.

So is anyone running DS6.9 and able to get the WinPE automation partition to work with Win7 32bit?

We aren't using it in our environment, but wanted to point out that Altiris doesn't officially support Windows 7 until 6.9 sp3.

We are also having the same problem, sand with 300 new machines on the way I'm really hoping for a solution

I spoke with Altiris yesterday and they said to use the DAgent instead of the Aclient(They said they do not support the Aclient under Win7).

I have only played around with it for a few minutes so far but was able to deploy WinPE into a machine using the "Install Software Package" option in DS. It appears to work but I only had a few minutes to test so far.

Not sure how well the DAgent works with everything/anything else in DS. One strange thing I did notice is once both the DAgent and the Automation partition were installed on the test machine checking the properties of the PC back in DS displayed no automation partition installed, even though it was.

Sorry, I assumed you were using DAgent.  As for the client not reporting that it has the Automation partition, it may have to do with the fact that you are running SP2.  6.9SP3 is the first official support for Windows 7 that Altiris has.

If this is resolved, let me know and I'll be happy to mark your post above as the solution so that you get the points.

I will need some time to test, just got pulled off onto another project that will kill the rest of this week. :(

But things looked good yesterday.

One bonus I noticed with DAgent is that you can remote control Win7 once again, minus Ctrl-Alt-Delete if no one is signed on. With Aclient I had nothing.

Anyone have any issues with DAgent and DS6.9?

I think most of us on here use AClient on XP and older machines still, and DAgent on Vista and 7.  I think a lot of the complaints have been worked out in DS 6.9 SP4.

Thanks Bhawver

So is everyone building the DAgent right into the image or installing after the fact?

I have always installed after the fact with XP/Aclient....I already wrote short script to install Dagent after Unattend.xml finishes and it works fine.

PS: SP5 for DS6.9 was due out but held back because of some bugs. But Altiris said it will be out in short time.

Best practices is to install after the fact, but I'm sure you will find people doing it both ways.

Ok, continuing with the automation partition discussion:

I found that even with the Dagent as the client you can only get it to install if a user is sign on. I tried playing around with the “Specify user” option and setting it to the local admin account but no luck. Seems the option “Run package in user console session” has to be checked for it to complete. And that means a user has to be signed on.

Anyone’s thoughts on this?

I wonder if it would cause any problem to simply leave the automation partition installed in the base image?