Optiplex 755 Issue
I've tried looking through the forums and did not see anyone else having this problem... hope someone can help me.
I'm using the Altiris Deployment Solution version 6.9 sp2. We have three or four different labs with Dell Optiplex 755s, an assortment of 50-60 computers. When installing the embedded automation partition (specifically in this case the WinPE), the computers may last a week (if I'm lucky) before they become unusable. The computer will go through its booting stages and, when finished, displays a black screen with grey text that states, "Booting to Production Partition," and stops. I've tried rebooting, cold booting, and imaging on top, but only wiping the MBR, completely reformatting, and then imaging (I usually use a disc) works. Imaging with a disc never creates these issues, but it can become annoying to use a disc each time.
We also have the same issue with the Optiplex 745, but not as frequently.
Any suggestions?
Comments
are you doing anything
are you doing anything special inside of your deployment job? we run a lot of 745s and 755s here and no issues at all. We do the same thing you are.
Make sure...
Make sure that before you deploy the embbed bootimage you run a defrag on the hard drive. Also check for the correct Mass Storage Drivers in your WinPE image. Don't use the Dell drivers. Look at the Intel site for them and of course for WinPE you have to use the Vista drivers.
Rob Hilberding Sr. Consultant ExpressAbility www.expressability.com
Use netbooting instead?
Use netbooting instead?
AHCI in the BIOS
We have had problems with booting when we do not set the SATA settings to RAID Autodetect / ATA in the BIOS. When you boot into the BIOS is is under Drives > SATA Operations. Hope this helps you or you find the correct solution.
I thought this was set up to
I thought this was set up to email me when a reply was posted, but I guess not. I'm also having problems with a new set of Optiplex 740s now, too.
Rdutch12- I always defrag before imaging, so I don't think that is it. I'll check for the correct drivers, but I'm using Windows XP, not Vista.
tamahome- What would be involved with netbooting? Are you referring to PXE?
Andy - I thought it could be the hard drive setting, because I've run into that before when replacing a hard drive that you have to switch it from AHCI. I'll look into it.
Thanks, everyone.
When Rdutch12 was talking
When Rdutch12 was talking about using Vista drivers, he was refering to the drivers for the WinPE portion. WinPE needs the Vista drivers because all the current versions of the WinPE Automation enviroment are based on Vista.
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I'm having nearly the same
I'm having nearly the same problem on nearly the same hardware. We have 3 computer labs and all are Dell 760 machines. We're also using DS 6.9 SP2 and WinPE. After a week or so, a random group of computers will get stuck on the "Booting to Production Partition" notice. It seems to be completely random - half of the computers in one lab, a handful in another lab, none in the third lab. The following week or two, or less - the timing is random too - it's different computers in different labs. We've had success pushing a new image from the console, but this is becoming a problem. On more than one occassion, it has negatively impacted classes held in the lab.
We didn't have this problem with the previous Dell GX270s that were replaced with the 760s.
I will try (or double check) some of the suggestions above.
Looks like I've resolved the
Looks like I've resolved the problem on my site. The problem appears to be a BIOS issue with the SATA controller. When I changed Drives -> Sata Operation setting in the BIOS from "AHCI" to "Legacy," the computers stuck at "Booting to Production Partition" rebooted into Windows.
We are also using the automation partition based on WinPE instead of PXE.
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