Ghost Solution Suite

Hello all,

I've been successfully running a ghost cast server for about 2 years now without a hicup. I use the following setup:

PXE to Ghostcast session via WinPE.  I don't use the console. I have an .wim to Restore_Image and another one to Create_Image.

We use all HP machines (dc710, dc7600, dc7700, dc7800, dc7900, 8000e, nc6120, nc6320, 6710b, 6730b + workstations etcc..)  I just got a new laptop model demo in (6550b probook) which uses the dreaded 82577LM/82577LC NIC drivers that I've seen here in the forum for the last couple days.  I followed the below guide in the hopes that I could quickly get back up and running but I've run into some problems.

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/docid/2008050916132860

I used the Vista 32 bit drivers as indicated on the forum.  I updated to v11.5.1.2266 etc...

Now, not only can I not create or restore and image to the 6550b laptop, I boot to a black screen with a curser when I try to image anything else. If I replace the .wim's in the TFTPBOOT boot folder with the .wim file from the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Ghost\common\template\restore_Image\sources folder I can at least kinda boot into WinPE, but I don't get further than that.  I do remember having to do this to make the ghost cast server work the first time, but I don't see that step mentioned in the guide above.  So in a nutshell, this what I do.

1. Open the Ghost boot wizzard and edit winPE
2. Copy the winPE-512 give it a name (restore_Image) and add all my drivers..ok  (I've also tried updating an existing WinPE that I created without success)
3. Refresh
4. hit next, add the line -ja=download -sure -rb in the provided space. Browse to the FTTPBOOT root, give it a name and finish.
5. Go to C:\TFTPBOOT and copy the bootmanager.exe from the boot folder up a level into the TFTPBOOT folder.
6. At this point I try to restore an image and fail at a black screen with a blinking curser just before it boots into winPE...I think.
7. I move the restore_Image.wim file from c:\TFTBOOT\boot to the desktop
8.  I copy the boot.wim file from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Ghost\common\template\restore_Image\sources folder to C:\TFTBOOT\boot and rename it Restore_Image.wim.  Prior to updating to the newest version of GSS and adding those Intel drivers I could then carry on connecting to ghost cast sessions as I normally would.
9. attempt a ghost cast session...FAIL

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I'm getting to the point where I keep trying to same things over and over again and hope for a different outcome...I think there is a saying about that.

Thanks in advance,

Mark

Hi Mark,

Seems like you have got it almost right till the end. Just one question. After step 5, did you make any changes to the BOOTPTAB editor and change the file, so that you have edited it to add the client machines to connect to the server. I think you have have just missed out on that. In any case I will post some links that would detail us on this particulat issue and how to overcome it. Please have a go at it and reply back so that we could help you further in resolving the issue.

How to use the 3Com Boot Services with Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 using WinPE
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/docid/2008050613274260

How to use the 3Com Boot Services (and SolarWinds TFTP) with Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 using WinPE
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/docid/2009060307534660

How to use the TFTPD32 TFTP Server with Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 to distribute Windows PE packages via PXE.
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/docid/2008092410084360 

Basically the second and the third links describe the use of third party softwares that could be in conjunction with the 3Com boot services. This is used because of the limitation of the 3Com TFTP server in terms of it not being able to support more that one client simultaneously.

Hope this helps !

Thanks Venkatanathan for the quick reply.

I did have the the BOOTPTAB configured, although I failed to mention it.  I also tried the Solarwinds TFTP a couple days ago in hopes that it would fix the problem but it didn't.  I have just reinstalled it again, so I will be using it from this point on.

When everything was working perfectly I made a backup of the TFTPBOOT and common folders.  I just moved the backed up Restore_Image.wim file into the c:\TFTPBOOT\boot folder and successfully restored an image to an older laptop.  I then tried the newly created .wim files (1 created through the boot wizzard and 1 from the sources folder) and they both failed as expected.  This tells me that PXE and TFTP are both working fine so there must be a problem with the .wim images...right?

I should also note that I reinstalled GSS 2.5 yesturday just in case the original winPE or winPE-512 files got corrupted.  I'm created my .wim files from the winPE-512.

Are other people having to replace the .wim file created by the boot wizzard in c:\TFTBOOT\boot with the .wim file from the ...\sources folder?   I've never seen it in any of the guides but it worked for me in the past so I never questioned it.

looking forward to getting this resolved..

I created a restore_Image.wim file without adding any drivers at all.  When I boot up it stalls right after loading winPE with a black screen and a mouse curser sitting in the middle of the screen.


Any ideas folks? 

Hi Mark,

When creating a new WINPE boot package.
In the last step in boot wizard you will get a Review page.
Click on Start editing tab -> Delete the two lines below cd \ghost
Then click on Stop editing.
Proceed in creating a new WINPE boot image.
Update us on the same

Thanks
Sockkalingam

Thanks for replying Sockkalingam,

I still just get the black screen with a curser in the middle. 

Would that new patch that everyone is asking for help me in anyway?  Are there any log files that I could look at to help get a clue as to what is failing? 

Really need some help here folks...thanks,

Mark

Hello mark,

This could be a problem with the storage driver too. Please try downloading and adding the network and storage drivers again to your WinPE and create another wim file in TFTPBOOT. Hope this solves your issue.

Please follow thw link below to download drivers from HP
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=4173772&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=4173845&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=2096#11395

So it looks like my GSS 2.5 install was corrupted (or it was creating corrupted .wim files) and that's why I was booting to a black screen.  Even after I uninstalled and reinstalled GSS (product improvement point here).

Because I don't want to reinstall/recreate my ghostcast server I installed a Vmware VM and installed GSS on that.  I've gotten to the point now that it freezes when it tries to connect to the ghostcast session.  If I go back to the command prompt at this point and type ipconfig I get an IP address (YAY!!) but it's still freezes.  So I'm guessing that it's looking for the SATA drivers now.  I've added the SATA drivers from the above link for the 6550b and they're not working.  When I add the drivers I choose the winall folder (that's the only way they're listed) and check only the VISTA box, give it a friendly name and then complete the process.  

A few questions.
1. Am I right in assuming that ghost is looking for the Sata drivers at the point where I'm freezing up?
2. What is the actual sequence that winPE/ghost goes through leading up to this point?
3. Can having similar drivers cause probelms?  ie. similar versions of the same driver or multiples of the same driver.
4.  Any SATA driver recommendations other than the HP provided driver list above for the HP6550b laptop?

thanks,

Mark


I gotta say that I love GSS when its working but it's absolute hell getting it there and dealing with this driver nonsense is beyond frustrating.

Would love some more ideas on this problem or someone to answer the above questions.

Thanks,

Mark

HI,

Rather than adding the SATA drivers from the HP website do the following,

1. Go to Run and type in msinfo32.exe
2. Expand Components --> Storage --> IDE
3. Find the SATA driver and download it from the vendor's website (e.g intel)
4. Add it to the boot package

Hope this helps

Regards,

Prasanna Rajagopalan

Hi Mark,

As far as your questions go, there is a possibility that Ghost might be looking for the SATA drivers. Also, having multiple drivers could lead to an issue for Ghost not being able to pick up the right driver as there would be multiple choices available. Make sure to uncheck one driver when you are trying to add an alternate driver for the one that is in existence.

If we want to know the exact reason of the issue, you could create a One Click Virtual Partition, that would create the WinPE PreOS as an executable file and you could run the shortcut file on the client machine. Once you have that running, we would know whether missing drivers is the actual cause of this issue.

Hope you get to try it and update us on the same.

Hope this helps !