WDS intermittently fails to format and create partitions using answer files - need help

i have been looking @ past few days , life of me can't find causing problem.

i trying automate install of windows 2008 r2 fails when gets formatting of disk sometimes. strange thing works , other times doesn't. virtual machine through hyper v don't know whether has it. beginning think bug because can't find on net either.

the unattend.xml working correctly because processes other parts of file ok. example selects keyboard layout me , provides login details correctly connect wds server. selects correct image want deploy. next screen after asked want install image , create paritions.

my answer file @ point wipes on hd using "willwipedisk" option. creates 2 paritions , formats them.

what strange seems randomly fail , can't pinpoint reason why. when works let install start know partitions have been created. stop vm, open vhd in host os , can see paritions have been created. delete partitions blank disk. restart vm , try repeat process. @ point nothing else has changed, haven't touched unattended file or wds config. point need format drive , sits there , waits unparitioned, strange. restart on again , time has created them. has experienced before??? or can shed light on what happening?

one thing note if read file in aik "willwipedisk" option says fail if of these conditions met:

windows setup files running on disk in question.

the running os booted disk in question

there active page file on disk in question.

 

of course if vm met of conditions above give symptons experiencing , on odd time page file may have been active previous install none of applicable if have deleted every parition on disk... help!!

here the part disk config of unattend.xml file

 

<? xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

- < unattend xmlns =" urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend " >

- < settings pass =" windowspe " >

- < component name =" microsoft-windows-setup " processorarchitecture =" amd64 " publickeytoken =" 31bf3856ad364e35 " language =" neutral " versionscope =" nonsxs " xmlns:wcm =" http://schemas.microsoft.com/wmiconfig/2002/state " xmlns:xsi =" http://www.w3.org/2001/xmlschema-instance " >

- < diskconfiguration >

- < disk wcm:action =" add " >

  < willwipedisk > true </ willwipedisk >

  < diskid > 0 </ diskid >

- < createpartitions >

- < createpartition wcm:action =" add " >

  < type > primary </ type >

  < size > 500 </ size >

  < order > 1 </ order >

  </ createpartition >

- < createpartition wcm:action =" add " >

  < extend > false </ extend >

  < order > 2 </ order >

  < type > primary </ type >

  < size > 50000 </ size >

  </ createpartition >

  </ createpartitions >

- < modifypartitions >

- < modifypartition wcm:action =" add " >

  < active > true </ active >

  < format > ntfs </ format >

  < label > system </ label >

  < order > 1 </ order >

  < partitionid > 1 </ partitionid >

  </ modifypartition >

- < modifypartition wcm:action =" add " >

  < format > ntfs </ format >

  < label > os </ label >

  < order > 2 </ order >

  < partitionid > 2 </ partitionid >

  </ modifypartition >

  </ modifypartitions >

  </ disk >

hi,

 

the answer file seems ok.

 

how did delete partitions? did boot vm delete partitions or delete them hyper-v host?

 

i assuming caused mass storage controller or mass storage driver. after delete partitions, mass storage driver missing or corrupted, can’t select hard disk or format it. restarting whole vm, downloads mass storage driver wds server again , recognizes hard disk, able format , create partitions.

 

reference:

 

you cannot select or format hard disk partition when try install windows vista, windows 7 or windows server 2008 r2

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927520

 

best regards

dale

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