E6520 WinPE boot fail (Network Driver)

Question

We just got in the new Latitude E6520 (pretty machine btw) and I had already downloaded the cabs for the model added it to the Windows Deployment Service through the deployment workbench. Imported the cabs to the out of the box for our windows 7 deployment, downloaded the new PE drivers from dell and imported those into the WDS server as well through the workbench. When I am booting we are getting an error after ti connects to the deployment server and downloaded the wim image. Boots to the Deployment screen, but then when we run the deployment wizard it crashes out with this error. 'A connection to the deployment share (deploymentshare\path) could not be made. The following networking device did not have a driver installed. PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1502&SUBSYS_04941028&REV_04' I don't understand what could be wrong... I even imported in the INTEL drivers directly from INTEL and this still isn't working. I have updated the deployment share, and had the PE images rebuilt. What am I missing

DELL-Warren B · Answer

I would start by checking that you have the correct architecture of NIC driver and that the PNPID you listed is included in the .inf. Are you PXE booting the system?

tstech-dan · Answer

I have the Inetl Net E1C62x64.inf 11.8.81.0 which includes

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1502&SUBSYS_04941028

Just not &REV_04

I looked through the drivers installed for the Out-Of-Box Drivers for my windows 7 image, and they have the same drivers no REV_04 in them as well. I'm assuming that this is important. Where can I get this required driver?

tstech-dan · Answer

But this is the WinPE boot image that isn't starting... Not the Win 7 x64 image.... This error comes up right when you click start of the deployment wizard.

DELL-Warren B · Answer

The Rev is usually not referenced in Driver installations, so if the correct Vendor (VEN), Device (DEV), and Subsystem (SUBSYS) are included in the driver .inf, it should install.

Also, I haven't had any issues with installing the 11.8.81.0 driver on x64 Win 7.

tstech-dan · Answer

We build both through WDS, and neither work.

DELL-Warren B · Answer

Are you using a 32-bit or 64-bit WinPE?

DELL-Warren B · Answer

I'm assuming that WDS uses 32-bit WinPE. If that's the case, then you only need to add the 32-bit NIC driver for the 6520. I see that you have added all of the WINPE cab drivers. I would remove them all and only add the 32-bit NIC driver (R291627) to WINPE for testing.

tstech-dan · Answer

is there a place while in WinPE that I can check that the driver is there in the image? on the X drive?

tstech-dan · Answer

Ok so I have gone into the X drive in the WinPE image... in X:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository and all the drivers that I have added for the Out-Of-Box Drivers for my x86 PE boot... Aren't there. NONE of them. Why would it not load those drivers?

tstech-dan · Answer

WinPE has a 32-bit and 64-bit deployment. I have tried both. I just blew away, my 32 and 64 bit old WinPE's, re-imported the drivers as well as for the Win7 deployment of the E6520 and completely rebuilt the MDT Deployment share, and it's still failing.

tstech-dan · Answer

Figured out my issue. While I was updating the WinPE. For whatever reason the wim wasn't copying over to the RemoteInstall\Boot\x86\Images folder. I copied the new WIM that I had created over to that directory, and driver is working.

There was much rejoicing.

Enterprise Client

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