SCCM OSD Task Sequence and Dell Utility Partition

Question

I've come across two other postings on here with no answers, but I hope that someone new might see this one and provide some information. I'm currently prepping for installing Windows 7 using SCCM OSD Task Sequence on our new Dell computers coming in. In the past I have just wiped the drive and used all of it for the OS, destroying the diagnostic partition. The last few days I have been trying to change this to where the partition is left alone and I can install the OS on the rest of the disk. I have been unsuccessful so far. I have tried running a diskpart script that wipes partition 2 and 3 (Windows 7), then creates another primary partition using the rest of the disk space, formats it, and assigns it the drive letter C. I then have SCCM apply the OS to the drive letter C. I've also tried having it apply to partition 2. None of these work, usually erroring out with 0x80070057 or 0x80004005. Has anyone been able to do this? We'd like to leave the diagnostic partition on there as we have remote users that we sometimes through running the diags before bringing their computers in. We'd like not to rely on disks. Thanks.

DELL-Warren B · Answer

I haven't heard of anyone leaving the diagnostics partition. You can create multiple partition installs with OSD, but you would most likely have to create the diagnostics partition as a part of the OSD process. More info on multi-partition installs can be found here - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrosd/thread/75023b4a-29ec-4cc1-b43a-111f88206fd2

jeffwbrown · Answer

That forum posting is some great information. Unfortunately I don't think it will help me.

I know I can create multiple partitions, but how I can recreate the dell utility partition? I've looked at the information on goodell.net but I don't think I can automate all of it within the task sequence. I wish SCCM had a little more flexibility to delete certain partitions and leave other ones alone. I've tried the diskpart script but it only works some of the time, and even if it goes through all of, the task sequence usually fails applying the OS.

Anyone else?

jeffwbrown · Answer

Some success today! I'm posting in case anyone wants to try it themselves.

The first step in my task sequence is a "Run Command Line". I select the package that contains a text file called delpartitions.txt. This is my diskpart script. In the command line box I have:

diskpart /s delpartitions.txt

with the continue on error checkbox selected. Here is my delpartitions.txt file contents:

select disk 0
select partition 2
delete partition
select partition 3
delete partition
create partition primary
select partition 2
format FS=NTFS quick
assign letter=C
active

It wasn't until I added the fs=NTFS and active commands did it start working reliably. After this runs then I apply the Windows Image to Drive C:. So far in a few tests it has worked, which is better than before. What I'm going to do next is finish my vbscript that counts the number of partitions on the disk and make appropriate changes (if no partitions on the disk, then I don't need to run diskpart and can use the partition and format built into the task sequence). I think I may also use the link posted above and try to create partitions for bitlocker as well (in case we decided to use it later).

Ask any questions, I'll be sure to answer!

nebuchadnezzar0 · Answer

Thank you for posting this; I am in a similar situation and need to run diskpart to format partition before I can image certain machines. This posting has been helpful in that previous attempts to run the diskpart utility have failed. Now this post resolves that issue but creates a new issue with the disk being in use. Probably because the Task Sequence is referencing files there?
Have you run into this and what'd you do to resolve it?

The task sequence execution engine failed executing the action (Apple - format partition 3) in the group (Install Operating System) with the error code 2147755027 Action output: t completed
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Process completed with exit code 21477550270 percent completed
Virtual Disk Service error:
The device is in use.
The selected volume or partition is in use. To continue with the operation use the OVERRIDE parameter. Command line returned 2147755027 Entering ReleaseSource() for C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C reference count 1 for the source C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C before releasing Delete source directory C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C Released the resolved source C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C.

timurzh · Answer

'Thank you for posting this; I am in a similar situation and need to run diskpart to format partition before I can image certain machines. This posting has been helpful in that previous attempts to run the diskpart utility have failed. Now this post resolves that issue but creates a new issue with the disk being in use. Probably because the Task Sequence is referencing files there? Have you run into this and what'd you do to resolve it? Virtual Disk Service error: The device is in use. The selected volume or partition is in use. To continue with the operation use the OVERRIDE parameter. Command line returned 2147755027 Entering ReleaseSource() for C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C reference count 1 for the source C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C before releasing Delete source directory C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C Released the resolved source C:\_SMSTaskSequence\Packages\UCC0018C. ' Hello, you can use override and noerr parameter. 'By default, Diskpart can quit command processing and return an error code if there is a problem in the script. To continue to run a script in this scenario, include the noerr parameter on the command.' link to microsoft site: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300415/en-us for my example: select disk 0 select partition 2 delete partition noerr override create partition primary select partition 2 format FS=NTFS quick override assign letter=C noerr active exit working perfectly..

Sulabh1 · Answer

Has anyone found a way to clear all partitions and volumes via the SCCM TS so that the OS does not install on the D Drive. Note that we are using BitLocker. This seems to be an issue only the first time you image a workstation out of the box. The second go around all is well.

I have tried the steps above and have not had luck.

Satish Singh · Answer

Hi, I looked around for some information to help you and found this post on the Technet forum that may be useful.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/systemcenter/en-US/61b0c994-efaa-4d23-a77e-f6a688eb8377/enable-bitlocker-in-ts?forum=configmgrosd#a58eead9-f3c7-4baf-bda7-a073dd603b51

Thanks

__Joe · Answer

Sulabh1: There is a known issue in regards to your issue (SCCM ConfigMgr 2012). You will need to use the OSDPreserveDriveLetter=False variable in your Format & Partition Disk task. This will ensure your image is applied to the first available driver letter (usually C:\) and let BitLocker take D:\.

More information on using OSDPreserveDriverLetter variable:

Enterprise Client

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