Windows Deployment Services

Has anyone tried using this yet? I am relatively disappointed in it so far...I CAN"T GET THE %*$(% thing to work

I am running Windows Server 2003 SP2. The WDS Legacy app runs fine (this is more like RIS). However, when I use the new WDS snap-in, it gives me an error message when I am on the "Remote Installation Folder Location" screen. The error message is a 'Configuration Server Error' and says "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect"

I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling WDS as well as searched the Internet and Microsoft for a solution...I got nothin'.

Anyone on here have a good ideas? I know this is realtively new, but no real luck. Some of the command line switches using the WDSUTIL tool echo back errors too.

Thanks,

Jimmy

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Comments

Mishra

I actually just created a topic for WDS because I am just now working with it. Please refer over to that topic so we keep the information in one source.

saromir

Have you found a solution to this problem. I'm stucked in the same situation.
wdsutil /verbose /progress /initialize-server /reminst:"E:\RemoteInstall"

Error code: 0x7B
Error description: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect"

Thankful for any kind of help
Saromir

jbayne3 wrote:

Has anyone tried using this yet? I am relatively disappointed in it so far...I CAN"T GET THE %*$(% thing to work

I am running Windows Server 2003 SP2. The WDS Legacy app runs fine (this is more like RIS). However, when I use the new WDS snap-in, it gives me an error message when I am on the "Remote Installation Folder Location" screen. The error message is a 'Configuration Server Error' and says "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect"

I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling WDS as well as searched the Internet and Microsoft for a solution...I got nothin'.

Anyone on here have a good ideas? I know this is realtively new, but no real luck. Some of the command line switches using the WDSUTIL tool echo back errors too.

Thanks,

Jimmy

Mishra

I don't think you can install WDS on the same local drive as the operating system. It is quite sad but we had to re partition our server in order to install it. But it prompted us to change it.

BTW: Arg for not using my topic! lol

saromir

In which way did you repartitioned your server? I have 2 partitions:
C: OS
E: RemoteInstall Folder

Regards
Saromir

Mishra wrote:

I don't think you can install WDS on the same local drive as the operating system. It is quite sad but we had to re partition our server in order to install it. But it prompted us to change it.

BTW: Arg for not using my topic! lol

Mishra

saromir wrote:

In which way did you repartitioned your server? I have 2 partitions:
C: OS
E: RemoteInstall Folder

Regards
Saromir

Mishra wrote:

I don't think you can install WDS on the same local drive as the operating system. It is quite sad but we had to re partition our server in order to install it. But it prompted us to change it.

BTW: Arg for not using my topic! lol

That looks like exactly how I re partitioned my server. When I was installing WDS I pointed the install directory to E:

saromir

Mishra wrote:

saromir wrote:

In which way did you repartitioned your server? I have 2 partitions:
C: OS
E: RemoteInstall Folder

Regards
Saromir

Mishra wrote:

I don't think you can install WDS on the same local drive as the operating system. It is quite sad but we had to re partition our server in order to install it. But it prompted us to change it.

BTW: Arg for not using my topic! lol

That looks like exactly how I re partitioned my server. When I was installing WDS I pointed the install directory to E:

Which configuration do you use: Mixed or native mode?

Regards
saromir

saromir

I've found a solution that works in my case.
During the installation its crutial to have enabled the default drive share(c$) for the drive where the RemoteInstall folder is located.

No more error: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect"

scrubby

I was getting this same error and got it resolved, hopefully someone else can benefit from my experience.

I have the same setup, system drive is C:, remoteinstall is on E:. I also have two NICs. On one NIC I have Windows client and TCP/IP, on the other I have simply TCP/IP. I noticed that the connection order of the NICs in Network Properties -> Advanced -> Advanced Settings -> Adapters and Bindings did NOT have the NIC with the Windows client on top (First). I swapped the order so that the Windows client was on top and WDS - to quote dubya - configurated just fine.

Best Regards.
Scrub

rtk2005

saromir wrote: »

I've found a solution that works in my case.
During the installation its crutial to have enabled the default drive share(c$) for the drive where the RemoteInstall folder is located.

No more error: "The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect"

It works! Thanks!

higherho

Mishra wrote: »

I don't think you can install WDS on the same local drive as the operating system. It is quite sad but we had to re partition our server in order to install it. But it prompted us to change it.

BTW: Arg for not using my topic! lol

You can, at least thats how I have mine (I just did it for a test and to keep a spare STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide) image up just incase something happens to my master SYS PREP drive. I would have put it on the D drive but I just wanted to test to see if it would work on the C partition.

WDS is nice but my issue was with PXE boot not obtaining an IP from the DHCP server. However, I'm not going to use WDS once I get SCCM up and running in our new environment. WDS is nice if you do not have SCCM and worth it if you need a backup image or do installs over the network, etc.