I wanted to post this guide here. I was just tasked with creating a test network where a computer can boot to the network via PXE and load up the WinPE. Hopefully this guide will help someone! NOTE: this is just an example of how to set this up, but after many attempts I found it to be the easiest.
What you need to begin
2 Servers running some form of Server 2003 SP1 or better
Microsoft Windows AIK
Windows 2003 Server disc 1
MSXML6 installer (newest... the one on the AIK iso doesn't always work)
1. Setting up the WDS Server
To begin, I took an existing Server 2003 Standard PC to use as the Domain Controller.
- set a static IP address that resides outside your projected scope; ie: static 192.168.0.5, projected 192.168.0.10-192.168.0.199.
- Follow the instructions on KB 324753 (DC promo)
- Create an new user account and assign it to the Domain Users group.
- Manage Your Server and add the DHCP role.
- Install WDS with Add/Remove Windows components.
- run the WDS update from the AIK DVD.
- Install MSXML6.
- Install .NET Framework 2.0 from the AIK DVD.
- follow the instructions to create WinPE boot media.
- Open WDS and verify or add your server (itself aka UncleSocks) to the list.
- Choose to add a new Boot Image, and select the winpe.wim file from c:\winpe_x86 or wherever you put it.
-- Look at the properties of your server and set the following:
- On the PXE Response Settings tab: Respond to all (known and unknown) client computers (alternatively you can add known computers to the domain with the AD Users and Computers tool and select the Respond only to known client computers option).
- on the Boot tab, change 'x64 architecture' option in the 'Default boot program' section to read 'boot\x86\pxeboot.com'
- on the Boot tab, change 'x64 architecture' and 'x86 architecture' options in the 'Default boot image' section to 'boot\x86\images\winpe.wim'.
- on the DHCP tab, select 'configure DHCP option 60 to PXEClient'
- on the Advanced tab, select 'No, do not authorize the Windows Deployment Services server in DHCP'.
2. Setting up the DHCP Server
- set a static IP outside the projected scope ie 192.168.0.6.
- join the computer to the Domain using the account you created on the WDS and restart, but log back in as administrator (local).
- From Computer Management, go into the groups and add Domain\Domain Users to the COMPUTER\Administrators group.
- Log off Administrator (local) and log into the domain.
- Manage Your Server and add the DHCP role.
- Create a DHCP Scope for the range you want, such as 192.168.0.10-192.168.0.199.
- Set the DHCP lease time to 3 hours (the default is 8 days)
- make sure your scope is activated.
3. Authorizing the DHCP Server
- on the WDS Server, in the DHCP cpl, choose Action->Manage Authorized Servers.
- click Authorize and type in the IP address of the DHCP Server.
- connect another computer to the network and verify that it can get an IP.
4. Setting up PXE on the DHCP Server
- in the DHCP cpl, expand your scope and right Click on Scope Options and select Configure Options.
- select option 66 and type in the computer name of the WDS (ie: unclesocks)
- select option 67 and type in '\boot\x86\wdsnbp.com'
- select option 6 (DNS Servers) and type in the IP for the WDS server.
- select option 3 (Router) and type in the IP for the WDS server.
With this example you should be able to boot from the network and load up the WinPE from the server. Also this presumes you are going to use Native Mode for WDS. And I realise some security measures weren't taken but this is just a guide. You can set your security up anyway you like really. You can also use whatever WIM you want. For my test I chose the one that the AIK makes. You could very well use a default Vista one or whatever other one you made. I also left out instructions to install the AIK since it isn't supposed to be on the WDS. I installed it on the WDS because I didn't feel like copying it from my workstation, besides I wanted to run through the commands again.
That should just about do it. Its kinda annoying because the documentation for this is all over the place. If I left something out, let me know. I just ran this list down from memory o_O Anyways there are a lot of little options dealing with parts of Server that aren't in the WDS that you run into.
