Cliff Hobbs at myITforum.com

[ConfigMgr 2007] Failed to Run Task Sequence - An error occurred while starting the task sequence (0x80070032)

I’m trying to build a Windows XP machine under ConfigMgr 2007. I boot off my boot USB stick and it runs the Task Sequence Wizard. I choose the Task Sequence I want to run but almost immediately I get the following error screen:

“Failed to Run Task Sequence

An error occurred while starting the task sequence (0x80070032). For more information, please contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator”

ANSWER:

The issue in this case was that the Task Sequence was unable to stage WinPE on the machine as the C: drive had an unsupported file system (in this case the machine had previously been built and the C: drive encrypted using SafeBoot making it “unsupported” and therefore unavailable to WinPE).

To resolve this:

1. Navigate to the “X:\WINDOWS\TEMP\SMSTSLog” directory.

2. Copy smsts.log to the USB key.

3. Open smsts.log in SMS Trace on another machine.

4. Scroll to the end of the file where you’ll see lines similar to the following:

The active system partition on a MBR system must be NTFS

Failed to prepare the system partition for staging. The request is not supported. (Error: 80070032; Source: Windows)

Failed to stage WinPE. Code(0x80070032)

ThreadToResolveAndExecuteTaskSequence failed. Code(0x80070032)

5. If you now do a search up the file for “C:\” it will then show the following line:

Volume C:\ has unsupported file system

6. Press F8 on the machine that failed to build to open a Command Prompt.

7. Type diskpart

8. Type select disk 0

9. Type clean

10. Type exit to close the Command Prompt

11. Click Finish on the Task Sequence Wizard screen to reboot the machine and build it as normal.

[MDT] How do I get MDT/ ConfigMgr to detect a machine as a tablet?

I’ve got a Tablet PC that MDT/ ConfigMgr detects as a Laptop. How do I get MDT/ ConfigMgr to detect the machine as a tablet?

ANSWER:

First look at this blog post by The Deployment Guys:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/deploymentguys/archive/2008/08/03/implementing-the-windows-xp-tablet-pc-edition-2005-single-image-deployment-supplemental-guide-process-in-mdt-2008-full-update.aspx

 Do a search of the post for “Edit CustomSettings.ini”. This will take you to the section that explains how to add to the “[IsTabletCheck]” section to your customsettings.ini

In this case I had a Lenovo XP220 Tablet that MDT 2010/ ConfigMgr was detecting as a Laptop. Using the information in the blog post we performed the following:

1. Loaded Device Manager on a XP built machine.

2. Navigated to the “Human Interface Devices” section.

3. Right-clicked on “ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard and Buttons” and selected “Properties”.

4. Clicked the “Details” tab.

5. With “Device Instance Id” selected in the dropdown (the default) the bottom window showed “ACPI\LEN0070\4&188A3847&0”. This converts to a Device ID of “ACPI\LEN0070”.

6. Edited CustomSettings.ini (the version in “\\<server_name> \drive\Deployment\Windows XP Settings” which may differ in your environment).

7. Added “ACPI\LEN0070” to the” TabletPnpIds” to the “[IsTabletCheck]” section so it reads as follows:

[IsTabletCheck]

TabletPnpIds=ACPI\LEN0070

8. Rebuilt the machine and now it detects correctly.

[SMS 2003] Is there an easy way to copy the log files from the C: drive to my USB stick to help me troubleshoot failed OSD builds?

I’ve booted from a memory stick and my build has failed.  Is there an easy way to copy the log files from the C: drive to my USB stick to help me troubleshoot the issue?

ANSWER:

Yes.  Simply create a file called “failed.cmd” that contains the following lines:

rd x:\failed /s /q

md X:\failed

cd X:\failed

xcopy /e c:\minint x:\failed

NOTE: In this example “X” is the drive letter of the USB drive.

Copy this to the “\minint\system32” subdirectory on the USB key you are booting from.

If a build fails just run “failed.cmd” and the snapshot will be created in the “\failed” directory in the root of the USB key.

[Intune] vNext Planning Contest Winner

Well this was a rather nice unexpected email I received in my Inbox:

"Congratulations, Cliff Hobbs you have been selected as a winner in the vNext Planning Contest (announcement).  Once we’ve confirmed that you meet the eligibility set forth in the official rules*, you will be awarded an Amazon Gift Card, valued at $75."

To be honest I hadn't even noticed when I was answering a number of Surveys the Intune Product Group sent me about their plans for the next version that there was a prize involved.

Intune is shaping up to be a great product and I can certainly see the demand for it increasing.

So thanks to the Intune Product Group for the Amazon Gift Card which I shall be spending the next time I'm Stateside (HOPEFULLY at next year's MVP Summit and/ or MMS).

[ConfigMgr 2007] Secrets of System Center Configuration Manager Webcast Series: Finding Hidden Treasures in ConfigMgr Log Files - TODAY

Just a quick "heads up" on this webinar TODAY between 13:00 - 14:00 CDT.

To register goto:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/670775250

Here's a synopsis:

"With System Center Configuration Manager, there are many logs to sift through -- on the servers and on the clients -- in your quest for information that will help you manage your systems better.  Many administrators find the use of logs to be tedious and secondary in importance to other management data.  

Attend this free educational webcast hosted by EminentWare and presented by Microsoft Configuration Manager MVP, Matthew Hudson, to discover some “hidden treasures” in your System Center Configuration Manager log files that you didn’t know about or may have forgotten.  

During this live webcast we’ll cover:
* Where the System Center Configuration Manager logs are located
* Which logs are the most important on both the server and the client
* What key information is contained in the log files, how to find it and use it"

[Misc] How do I get BGInfo to display the machine's architecture?

I LOVE BGInfo as when you're working with several VMs/ remote machines it can provide a wealth of information right there on the desktop so I can see at a glance a) that I'm on the right machine and b) key machine configuration information without having to go delving for it.

But one thing in this ever changing world of 32-bit and 64-bit, being able to display the architecture of the machine right there in BGInfo. "Out-of-the-box" BGInfo doesn't include this but all is not lost as you can add this as follows:

1. Load BGInfo.
2. Click "Custom..."
3. Click "New..." on the "User Defined Fields" screen.
4. On the "Define New Field" screen type the name you want to know this field by in the "Identifier:" field (for example "Architecture").
5. Click the "WMI Query" radio button under the "Replace identifer with:" section.
6. Enter the following WMI Query in the "Path:" field: select AddressWidth select AddressWidth from Win32_Processor where DeviceID="CPU0"
7. Click "OK" on the "Define New Field" screen.
8. Back on the "BGInfo - Default configuration" screen scroll through the list of "Fields" until you find the new field added in Step 4.
9. Click "<- Add" to add the field to the list of those you wish to display on the desktop.
10. Click "OK" to close BGInfo.
11. Now you will see the Architecture displayed as either "32" or "64".

[ConfigMgr 2007] “Failed to Run Task Sequence - This Task Sequence cannot be run because the program files for <package_ID> cannot be located on a distribution point.”

I’m trying to build a machine.  The “Task Sequence Wizard” runs and I choose the Task Sequence I want to run but it fails almost immediately with the error:

“Failed to Run Task Sequence

This Task Sequence cannot be run because the program files for <package_ID> cannot be located on a distribution point. For more information, please contact your system administrator or helpdesk operator.”

I’ve checked the Package in question is on the DP and distributed okay and it is.

ANSWER: 

Try running a different Task Sequence and see if you get the same error (although for a different Package ID).  If you do then chances are the machine is on a subnet that is not defined as a boundary in ConfigMgr.  Moving the machine to a subnet that was defined as a boundary in ConfigMgr resolved this issue.

[ConfigMgr 2007] Why do I see the "bootmgr.efi" file and "EFI" directory on some Boot Media but not others?

I have built two Bootable Media USB keys but the contents are different. On one I see a file called "bootmgr.efi" and a directory called "EFI" yet on the other one these are not present and I'm wondering why?

ANSWER:

It's all down to the architecture of the Boot Image selected during the Boot Media creation process (when you run the "Task Sequence Media Wizard"):

• If the Architecture of the Boot Image is "x64" then you will see the "bootmgr.efi" file and the "EFI" directory.
• If the Architecture of the Boot Image is "X86" then you won't see the "bootmgr.efi" file and the "EFI" directory.

[ConfigMgr 2007] Do I have to run through the “Task Sequence Media Wizard” each time I need to create Bootable Media on a USB key?

No. Once you have created one build key using the “Task Sequence Media Wizard” you can then “clone” it.

First you’ll need to use DISKPART in order to make the key bootable using the following procedure (the following was performed on a Windows 7 machine):

1. Insert the target USB key.
   
2. Start a Command Prompt.
   
3. Run DISKPART
   
4. Click “Yes” if prompted by User Access Control “Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?”
   
   A new Command window titled “C:\Windows\system32\diskpart.exe” will then open and display the “DISKPART>” prompt.
   
5. Type “List Disk” at the “DISKPART>” prompt which will display a list of the disks connected to the machine.
   
6. Make a note of the Disk Number that corresponds to the USB key (look at the “Size” column to help you).
   
7. Type “Select disk <disk_number>” where “<disk_number>” corresponds to the USB key. DISKPART will reply “Disk <disk_number> is now the selected disk.”
   
   IMPORTANT: Double-check you’ve selected the correct disk as you’re about to blow the disk and it’s contents away.
   
8. Type “Clean” at the “DISKPART>” prompt. DISKPART will reply “Diskpart succeeded in cleaning the disk.”
   
9. Type “List Partition” at the “DISKPART>” prompt. DISKPART should reply “There are no partitions on this disk to show.”
   
10. Type “Create Partition Primary” at the “DISKPART>” prompt. DISKPART will reply “DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.”
    
    NOTE: If DISKPART returns an error that it can’t create the partition then you won’t be able to use this particular USB key as a ConfigMgr Boot Key.
    
11. Type “Select partition 1” at the “DISKPART>” prompt. DISKPART> will reply “Partition 1 is now the selected partition”.
    
12. Type “Format FS=FAT32 QUICK” to perform a quick format on the USB key and format it as FAT32. DISKPART> will format the drive showing the percentage completed and then reply with “DiskPart successfully formatted the volume.”
    
13. Type “Active” to mark the Partition as Active (i.e. bootable). DiskPart will reply “DiskPart marked the current partition as active.”
    
14. Type “Assign” at the “DISKPART>” prompt which will assign a drive letter to the USB key and mount the drive. DISKPART> will reply “DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point”. You may see an “AutoPlay” window appear on the desktop which you can close.
    
15. Type “Exit” at the “DISKPART>” prompt to return to the original Command Prompt.
    
16. Type “Exit” to close the original Command Prompt window.
    
17. Copy all of the files and directories from the source key to the destination. If you don’t have a newly created key the copy the following files and directories:
    
    Files:
    bootmgr
    bootmgr.efi <—64-bit only
    AUTORUN.INF
    
    Directories:
    boot
    EFI <—64-bit only
    SMS
    sources
    
    NOTE: You might want to change the label on the target USB key to “SCCM” so it matches the label of the source key.

The following shows the output of running the above procedure in DiskPart. In this example “Disk 1” is my USB key.

Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7601

Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

On computer: CLIFFW7

DISKPART> List Disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt

-------- ------------- ------- ------- --- ---

Disk 0 Online 111 GB 0 B

Disk 1 Online 1907 MB 0 B

DISKPART> Select disk 1

Disk 1 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> Clean

DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk.

DISKPART> List Partition

There are no partitions on this disk to show.

DISKPART> Create Partition Primary

DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.

DISKPART> Select partition 1

Partition 1 is now the selected partition.

DISKPART> Format FS=FAT32 QUICK

100 percent completed

DiskPart successfully formatted the volume.

DISKPART> Active

DiskPart marked the current partition as active.

DISKPART> Assign

DiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.

DISKPART>

[ConfigMg 2007] Task Sequence hangs when installing a Program

My Task Sequence keeps hanging when trying to install a specific software Package.  It runs the “Install Software” task but hangs when it’s installing a Package.  I’ve tried rebuilding the machine but it keeps hanging at the same place. 

ANSWER

Open the execmgr.log and do a search for the name of the problem Program.  You’ll probably see a line similar to the following:

Program <program_name> waiting for user logon

To fix this:

1. Open the Package in the ConfigMgr Console.
2. Right-click the Program and select “Properties”.
3. Click on the “Environment” tab.
4. Verify that the “Program can run:” dropdown is set to “Whether or not a user is logged on” and not “Only when a user is logged on” as it was in this case.
5. Rebuild the machine.

[ConfigMgr 2007][SMS 2003] KB 947686 Updated

Microsoft have just updated the following KB and I've updated the List of ConfigMgr KB Articles on FAQShop accordingly:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947686/en-us?sd=rss&spid=12769

How to enable console usage and CAL reports in System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and in Systems Management Server 2003

[ConfigMgr 2007][SMS 2003] KB 925282 Updated

Microsoft have just updated the following KB and I've updated the List of ConfigMgr KB Articles on FAQShop accordingly:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925282/en-us?sd=rss&spid=12769

How to troubleshoot Advanced Client Push Installation issues in Systems Management Server 2003 and System Center Configuration Manager 2007

[ConfigMgr 2007] KB 977384 Updated – 9/9/11

Microsoft have just updated the following KB and I've updated the List of ConfigMgr KB Articles on FAQShop accordingly:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/977384/en-us?sd=rss&spid=12769

Description of the prerequisite hotfix for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3

[Events] A Day of ConfigMgr 2012 with Wally Mead - Filling up FAST so register NOW if you want to come

We've been blown away by the response to this and have had to increase the capacity. We now have 160 people registered so we're running out of space FAST. Spaces are limited so if you want to come I'd strongly suggest you do it sooner rather than later as trust me you'll kick yourself if you miss out on this one.

Full details at:

http://wmug.co.uk/groups/wmug_event_content/pages/wmug-event-4th-november-2011-wmug-presents-a-day-of-system-center-configuration-manager-2012-with-wally-mead.aspx

Hope to see you there...!!!

[ConfigMgr 2007] Is there a log file anywhere that tells me which Applications and Updates were installed by my Task Sequence?

Not by default. However if you install the ZTIAppVerify.wsf script written by Keith Garner it does exactly this. Full details including a link to download the script can be found at:

http://deployment.xtremeconsulting.com/2010/11/08/new-tool-ztiappverify-wsf-logs-the-status-of-all-installed-applications/