SmartDeploySupport

SmartDeploy fully supports SecureBoot, and changing it won't effect if the internal storage shows up or not.

You'll need to create your boot media with the platform pack for this model selected in the Media Wizard. That will add the storage driver into the boot environment and allow the internal storage to show up. This is because Dell ships their machines with RAID on. If the machine has a single NVMe drive, then the other option it to turn it to just AHCI in the BIOS, then the native NVMe controller will be used and not require an additional driver

Hello, We will need the following from the SmartDeploy host: C:\SmartDeploy\Logs\Console.log C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs\Application.evtx From the endpoint we will need the following log: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\SmartDeploy\ClientService.Console.log Please zip those logs and send them to support@smartdeploy.com and refer to this thread and we can take a look. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Sezell, We have seen this occur. Please refer to this article. https://support.smartdeploy.com/support/solutions/articles/48001064039-error-sysprep-was-not-able-to-validate-your-windows-installation- If you still have issues, send a deployment log set to support@smartdeploy.com and you can refer to this thread. https://support.smartdeploy.com/support/solutions/articles/48000984846-collect-logs Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Steve, I'll reach out to you via email about the script. Just to answer your question for the room: only one console hostname or IP can be specified for the client - it is not possible to specify both. Glenn SmartDeploy Support

Hi Dayne, Sorry you're still encountering capture issues. Try the following as I've seen it help capture issues such as the mounting and access issues you are receiving. Start the virtual reference machine and run disk cleanup, including system files. Once completed, restart the virtual reference machine gracefully via the start menu. Once back at the desktop, open an administrative command prompt and type: shutdown.exe /s /t 0 Be sure any anti-virus is disabled and recapture and let us know your results. If you still have issues, please send us your C:\SmartDeploy\Logs\Capture.log from the SmartDeploy host to support@SmartDeploy.com and reference this thread. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hello, The process you've laid out is certainly one way to do it - and if you want to reimage your endpoints each month, there's no reason why it wouldn't work for that purpose. You'll just want to make sure that you do not install any feature updates/in-place upgrades onto your reference VM. The Windows 10 Release Information page will give you the current servicing dates for each release of Windows 10 - the general rule (for Enterprise and Education SKUs) has been that the release in the first half of the year (such as 2004 and 21H1) will be serviced for 18 months, and the release in the second half (such as 1909 and 20H2) will be serviced for 30 months. This means that a particular version of Windows 10 can be kept completely up-to-date and security-patched even as several more versions are released in the interim. If you want to manage Windows Updates without reimaging your endpoints, you'll want to look at setting up a WSUS server, as this will allow you to control Windows Update installation behavior and compliance on domain-joined endpoints without reimaging them. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to support@smartdeploy.com. Glenn SmartDeploy Support

Hi Dozer, Thanks for reaching out. Language selection is one of the standard options in Deploy Wizard which can be configured with a SmartDeploy Answer File - your language selection should be passed through to Windows without any part of the OOBE wizard appearing. So this is unexpected behavior. We'll want to take a look at a logset from this deployment and see what went on here - please expect an email from us shortly. Glenn SmartDeploy Support

Hi Tim, If you're running an answer file Task during the "First Boot as System" (FIRSTBOOT) phase, or sending it as an application pack, the result is the same permission level: It is executed by a Windows service running under the authority of the LOCALSYSTEM account. However, if you run an answer file task during the "First Logon as User" phase, then log in with the desired user, it will run under that specific user account's permissions. And finally, if you enable autologon, that set of login credentials will be stored in the answer file, and you won't have to put hands on each endpoint to complete the operation. So that is probably your best bet. You'll just want to be sure to test the command line you plan to use - open an administrative command prompt (not a PowerShell command prompt, but cmd.exe), and try running the command. If it's a PowerShell (.ps1) file, then you'll need to run it using powershell.exe (see this KB article for an example). If you have any questions or issues, feel free to reach out to support@smartdeploy.com. Glenn SmartDeploy Support

Unfortunately, this is one of the drawbacks of using a SmartDeploy virtual host. We have seen some brand USBs work with Media Wizard being virtualized and some not. If you want to create USB boot media you will need to install SmartDeploy on a physical host. We have had some users create an ISO via the Media Wizard and use Rufus to create USB boot media with that ISO as well and they have said that worked. That being said, if you run into issues the only supported way would be to install SmartDeploy on a physical host and create USB media that way. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Jake, Sorry to hear you're experiencing download issues with Platform Packs. In your firewall settings, please be sure the following URLS are whitelisted: *.smartdeploy.com smartdeploy.azureedge.net Also, we have seen anti-virus on the SmartDeploy host interfere with Platform Pack downloads, so if you haven't already, try fully disabling any anti-virus and attempt to download. If you still have issues, send us your C:\SmartDeploy\Logs\Console.log and C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs\Application.evtx (zipped) to support@smartdeploy.com. Please refer to this thread. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Aaron, There's really not much of a difference from a SmartDeploy standpoint. If you're running a large number of clients (we're talking 500+ at least), then a server might be a better fit for network capacity reasons, or you might wish to run the Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server role on the same host as SmartDeploy. A PC may be more accessible for creating USB media, but there's no specific reason why this has to be the case (you can just as easily plug a USB stick into a server as a PC). With respect to the software itself, either environment is supported, and there is no specific advantage or disadvantage for either one. Using an external USB 3 drive for your SmartDeploy directory may cause problems, however. SmartDeploy doesn't really have a problem with it, and neither do any of the components under the hood, but we have seen media creation issues if the source files are on an external drive. This has been sporadic, and has only affected a handful of users (and may be related to security policy within those environments rather than the specific hardware involved), but I figured I'd mention it. So if storage capacity is the limiting factor here, the server may be the safer option. The nice thing about SmartDeploy licensing is that you don't have to pick one or the other. You can install the SmartDeploy console onto both environments and use each one for the purposes they are best suited for. At present, a SmartDeploy Client can only talk to one server or the other (not both), but there are several exciting new features in this area coming in v3, so stay tuned for that (and we do have a webcast recording from January that we can send you if you're curious). If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to support@smartdeploy.com. And of course, anyone reading this can feel free to chime in below or vote in the poll if they have an opinion on this - we're definitely interested! Glenn SmartDeploy Support

Hi Aaron, So the issue came back? Please send us your latest C:\SmartDeploy\Logs\Media.log from the SmartDeploy host to support@smartdeploy.com and reference this thread and I can take a look. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Worked with Aaron to get this resolved. If anyone in the future has this issue, please try the following: In file explorer, browse to %temp%. Delete all files/folders out of that directory and reattempt to create your boot media. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Aaron, I was able to create media with your answer file, which leads me to believe it's not related to the answer file. I assume this happens with every answer file you create? Can you post your C:\SmartDeploy\Logs\Console.log from the SmartDeploy host? Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Aaron, Please send us your C:\SmartDeploy\Logs\Media.log from the SmartDeploy host and we can see what is causing the error. Support@smartdeploy.com. You can refer to this thread. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

I have reached out regarding your ticket to resolve this quicker. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Aaron, If you haven't seen, we have a built in way to create Office Application Packs https://www.smartdeploy.com/pages/deploy-office365-in-two-ways/ If you still want to troubleshoot your pack, email support@smartdeploy.com and reference this thread. I'll create a share for you to upload your pack and I can test locally. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi Robert, I replied to your ticket you sent to support. Once I can take a look at the logs we can see what is causing that error along with the sysprep issues. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hello, Do other Application Packs deploy successfully or are you only having issues with this specific pack? On the endpoint, browse to C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs\Application.evtx. That should tell you if the Application Pack is getting extracted and perhaps why it's not installing. If you still have issues, send us your C:\Windows\SysWoW64\SmartDeploy\Clientservice.console.log from the endpoint to support@smartdeploy.com and we can take a look at what is causing the Application Pack to fail. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Hi cblack, Client upgrade should occur without any intervention required on your part, so I would just say give it a bit longer and see if those endpoints upgrade and report in on their own. If they do not, then there may be some underlying connectivity issue on your network that we'll need to troubleshoot further. We'll reach out via email to open a support ticket. Glenn SmartDeploy Support

Hi David, We've reached out via email to investigate this issue further. -Chris M. SmartDeploy Support

Hi Jay, This may be a timing issue between when the machine is establishing a network connection and when it's attempting to join the domain. Try changing the task to First Logon and then logon with an administrator account with TPM enabled. If you still have issues, send us an email at support@smartdeploy.com and we can request some logs and take a look. Thanks, Devon SmartDeploy Support

Could you please submit your c:\smartdeploy\logs\media.log from the machine where you ran the Media Wizard to us in a new ticket then? https://support.smartdeploy.com/support/tickets/new

You'll just need to create your boot or deployment media with the Media Wizard, and have only this platform pack selected. That will add the storage driver into the boot environment, and should allow the drive to show up as Disk 0 when booted. The reason it has to be only this pack is because the new style driver doesn't work if the old style driver is also present.