Deployment Solution

Hi all

When I deploy Windows 7 from NS 7.1 my KMS host won’t accept the installation and the machine is not getting activated. If I manually install Windows 7 from DVD I have no problems at all. I think the problem is caused by the “Client Machine ID (CMID)” which isn’t unique when I deploy from the Notification Server. Can this be true? And if so, how do I fix it?

Kind regards

Nick Holm

Hi Nick,

Can you detail a bit more about how you have created your Windows 7 deployment job? For example, is it a scripted install? If you have created an image, can you let us know how you did it?

Kind Regards,
Ian./

Hi Ian and thank you for your reply.

The image is created in WMware Workstation and on the Notification Server I'm using the task "Create Image". This job is syspreping and ghosting the installation. My deploy job is also very basic. I'm using the task "Deploy Image" with DeployAnywhere and my custom configured answer file.

Hope this clarifies my installation process.

Kind regards,

Nick Holm

Hi Nick -thanks for the clear response.

Could you check that,

1) You are not over sysprepping? This will cause the image to fail to rearm. For example, I always script the install first, deploy the software and then sysprep. I never re-sysprep an image

2) Is  VMware tools installed on your VMWare workstation. I've seen a post a while ago about someone reporting this giving issues with the rearm (as a general rule anyway, vmware tools should be avoided on gold images!)

Hi Ian

1) I do not think I'm over syspreping because when changes are made to the image I always go back to a snapshot (WMware) which haven't been syspred yet.

2) WMware tool is actually in my image. I will try to uninstall it and see if it helps... I think you are right about the rearm process, It seams like it's not completed 100%

Kind regards,

Nick Holm

Problem solved!

I found out that the KMS product key was injected in the answer file. So I created a new answer file without any product key and now is the KMS host is willing to talk with my image. Simple as that.

Ian, thank you for bringing your input. Much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Nick Holm

You can also use the product keys listed here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793421.aspx