For ZTI deployments using Configuration Manager 2012 or Configuration Manager 2007 R3, the Deployment Workbench uses a template version of the CustomSettings.ini file (stored in installation_folder\Templates, where installation_folder is the folder in which MDT is installed) as a basis for a customized version of CustomSettings.ini. The template version of the CustomSettings.ini file is illustrated in Listing 7. The template version in Listing 7 does not contain sufficient settings to successfully deploy Windows 7 to a target computer. However, the file will be further customized using the Deployment Workbench.

Listing 7. Unmodified CustomSettings.ini File in the Templates Folder

[Settings]

Priority=Default

Properties=MyCustomProperty

 

[Default]

OSInstall=Y

ScanStateArgs=/v:5 /o /c

LoadStateArgs=/v:5 /c /lac

The New Deployment Share Wizard in the Deployment Workbench modifies this template version of the CustomSettings.ini file based on the responses provided. Listing 8 shows the customized version of the CustomSettings.ini file after completing the New Deployment Share Wizard.

Listing 8. Customized CustomSettings.ini File Modified by the Deployment Workbench

[Settings]

Priority=Default

Properties=MyCustomProperty

 

[Default]

OSInstall=Y

ScanStateArgs=/v:5 /o /c

LoadStateArgs=/v:5 /c /lac

UserDataLocation=NONE

The CustomSettings.ini file shown in Listing 8 contains the property values for all of the target computers to be deployed using this version of the file. This version of the file contains no values that are unique to a specific target computer.

For ZTI using Configuration Manager 2012 or Configuration Manager 2007 R3, the Create MDT Task Sequence Wizard copies an unmodified version of the CustomSettings.ini template with no modifications to the file. Modify the version of the template in the package source folder that you specified in Package source to be created on the MDT Package wizard page in the Create MDT Task Sequence Wizard as described in:

·     Create ZTI Task Sequences Using the Create MDT Task Sequence Wizard in Configuration Manager 2012

·     Create ZTI Task Sequences Using the Create MDT Task Sequence Wizard in Configuration Manager 2007 R3

Modify this version of the CustomSettings.ini file to include the target computer–specific configuration values. After modifying the file, update the distribution points for the Microsoft Deployment Files package so that the changes are available to the task sequences. Listing 9 shows a modified version of the CustomSettings.ini file, which includes target computer–specific settings.

Listing 9. Customized CustomSettings.ini File with Target Computer Settings

[Settings]

Priority=Default, MACAddress

Properties=MyCustomProperty

 

[Default]

OSInstall=Y

ScanStateArgs=/v:5 /o /c

LoadStateArgs=/v:5 /c /lac

UserDataLocation=NONE

 

[00:0F:20:35:DE:AC]

MyCustomProperty=TRUE

 

[00:03:FF:FE:FF:FF]

MyCustomProperty=FALSE

Table 154 explains the properties and corresponding values used in Listing 9.

Table 154. Explanation of CustomSettings.ini Properties in Listing 6

Line in CustomSettings.ini

Purpose

[Settings]

Indicates the start of the [Settings] section.

Priority=Default, MACAddress

Establishes the sequence in which the process parses subsections to locate values for the variables. In this example, the [Default] section is parsed first, and then the section that corresponds to the MAC address of the target computer (MACAddress) is parsed.

The sections for the target computers ([00:0F:20:35:DE:AC] and [00:03:FF:FE:FF:FF]) contain computer-specific settings.

Properties=MyCustomProperty

Indicates any additional properties to locate. The properties listed here are in addition to the properties listed in ZTIGather.xml. ZTIGather.wsf parses ZTIGather.xml to obtain a list of the properties.

[Default]

Indicates the start of the [Default] section.

OSInstall=Y

Indicates whether the target computer is authorized to have the operating system installed.

ScanStateArgs=/v:5 /o /c

Parameters passed to the Scanstate.exe tool in the USMT. These parameters are passed to Scanstate.exe during the State Capture Phase.

LoadStateArgs=/v:5 /c /lac

Parameters passed to the Loadstate.exe tool in the USMT. These parameters are passed to Loadstate.exe during state restore.

UserDataLocation=NONE

Indicates where the user state migration data should be saved. The value NONE indicates that the user state migration data should not be saved.

[00:0F:20:35:DE:AC]

Section that contains all the properties and settings specific to the target computer with the matching MAC address. In this sample, the target computer has a MAC address of [00:0F:20:35:DE:AC].

[00:03:FF:FE:FF:FF]

Section that contains all the properties and settings specific to the target computer with the matching MAC address. In this sample, the target computer has a MAC address of [00:03:FF:FE:FF:FF].

 

For more information on the individual properties, see the corresponding reference section in the MDT document Toolkit Reference.

Related Topics

Customizing MDT Configuration Files