Converting a multi-partition Windows XP Ghost image to WIM images and deploying using MDT

January 4, 2012 — kantzy

One my colleagues asked me if we could convert a Ghost image to a WIM image which can be deployed using MDT. So I did a bit of research and was able to achieve it.

Some back ground about the Ghost image I used:
Our Ghost XP image has 3 partitions with C:, D: and E:. We allocate the below sizes for these partitions when using Ghost to deploy the image.
C: drive – 50% (OS), D: drive – 40% (DATA) and E: drive 10% (MISC)
C: drive has the Operating System, D: drive has user profiles and other data, E: drive has miscellaneous data.

Below is how I converted these to WIM images and later deployed using MDT.

I am using MDT 2012 beta 2 and this method should ideally work with MDT 2010 though I have never tried.

We would be using two deployment shares. The first deployment share (XP_Ghost) is used to capture the XP partitions to WIM files. The second deployment share (XP_Deploy) is where you import the captured WIM files which are then deployed on target machines.

Here we go…

Creation and configuration of the first Deployment Share – XP_Ghost

Create Deployment share (XP_Ghost)

Provide the Deployment share path
Specify the share name to be used
Provide the description
Select the below and click Next
Click Next

Import Operating System (Windows XP OEM source)

Select “Full set of source files” and click Next
Provide the path of XP OEM source files
Accept the defaults and click Next
Click Next
Click Finish

Create Task Sequence (XP_Ghost_TS)

Provide the below info and click Next
Select “Sysprep and Capture” and click Next
Select the below and click Next
Select the below and click Next
Provide below info and click Next
Provide Administrator password and click Next
Click Next
Click Finish
The task sequence XP_Ghost can capture only C: drive hence we need to modify the task sequence to capture D and E drives. Add the below command line after “Create WIM” task in the task sequence.
Add “Run Command Line” to the task sequence to capture D: with the following command line
"%DeployRoot%\Tools\X86\imagex" /capture D: "%ComputerBackupLocation%\XP_D_Drive.wim" "D Drive"
Add “Run Command Line” to the task sequence to capture E: with the following command line
"%DeployRoot%\Tools\X86\imagex" /capture E: "%ComputerBackupLocation%\XP_E_Drive.wim" "E Drive"
The command line is to capture the D/E drives and place it under DeploymentShare\Captures folder by default. This location can be changed during the initial Task sequence wizard on the reference machine which is stored in “ComputerBackupLocation” variable.

Out of box drivers

Import the required WinPE drivers in the XP_Ghost deployment share for the reference machine to connect to the MDT/WDS server

Reference machine

Once the Deployment Share is created and configured do the below

Deploy Windows XP ghost image on the reference machine using GhostCast server or using Ghost bootable CD/DVD/USB.
Login to XP on the reference machine.
Connect to the XP_Ghost$ share located on the MDT server and run Scripts\litetouch.vbs (Make sure that the required network card drivers are installed on the reference machine to connect to the Deployment Share)
Select XP_Ghost_TS task sequence
Provide the below info. File name is : XP_C_Drive.Wim
Click Finish

Now sysprep will be executed and the machine is rebooted. After reboot the reference machine will boot using WinPE and C,D and E drives are captured to WIM files. These files are placed under DeploymentShare\Captures folder on the MDT server

These WIM files can now be deployed on Target machines. Below is how you can do it.

Creation and configuration of the second Deployment Share – XP_Deploy

Create Deployment Share(XP_Deploy)

Provide the Deployment Share path
Specify the share name to be used
Provide the description
Click Next
Click Next
Click Finish

Import Operating System

Now we need to import the WIM files which were created previously. Though we can import all the WIM files (C,D & E), only the WIM file with the operating system will be visible under Operating Systems node in MDT. WIM files without an operating system (D and E drives) can be deployed by copying the WIM files to a location in the deployment share and by adding command line tasks to the task sequence which applies these images on the target machines.

Select “Custom image file”
Provide the path XP_C_Drive (Only this file has the operating system)
Accept the defaults and click Next
Click Next
Click Next
Click Finish

Create Task Sequence (XP_Deploy_TS)

Provide the below info and click Next
Select “Standard Client Task Sequence” and click Next
Select the available Operating System and click Next
Select “Do not specify a product key at this time” and click Next
Provide the below info and click Next
Specify the Administrator password and click Next
Click Next
Click Finish
Create XP_D_Drive and XP_E_Drive under DeploymentShare\Operating Systems and copy the WIM files to the folders
Edit “Format and Partition Disk” of XP_Deploy_TS with the information as in the screenshots. Make sure the variable names for the partitions are CDrive,DDrive and EDrive. These variables are used later in the task sequence.
Add the below command line after “Install Operating System” task in the task sequence.
1. Add “Run Command Line” to the task sequence to capture D: with the following command line
  "%DeployRoot%\Tools\X86\imagex" /apply "%DeployRoot%\Operating Systems\XP_D_Drive\XP_D_Drive.wim" 1 %DDrive%
2. Add “Run Command Line” to the task sequence to capture E: with the following command line
  "%DeployRoot%\Tools\X86\imagex" /apply "%DeployRoot%\Operating Systems\XP_E_Drive\XP_E_Drive.wim" 1 %EDrive%
  These commands apply the WIM files to partitions created in the previous steps.