Specify the Device Driver Application in CustomSettings.ini

When an LTI or ZTI deployment begins, one of the first actions to be completed is the processing of the BootStrap.ini and CustomSettings.ini control files. Both of these files contain rules that can be used to dynamically customize the deployment.

Because of the way MDT processes the CustomSettings.ini file, you can use it to add applications based on specific conditions. This logic will be used to add device driver–specific applications during deployment based on specific hardware types. Applications are referenced in CustomSettings.ini by the application’s GUID, located in the Applications.xml file in the deployment share.

To locate an imported application’s GUID

1. In the deployment share of the deployment server, open the Control folder—for example, D:\Production Deployment Share\Control.

2. Locate and open the Applications.xml file.

3. Locate the required application.

4. Locate the application GUID by locating the line enclosed in the application <guid> tags; for example, <application guid={c303fa6e-3a4d-425e-8102-77db9310e4d0}>.

As part of the initialization process, both the LTI and ZTI process gather information about the computer on which it is running. As part of this process, WMI queries are performed and the values from the Win32_ComputerSystem class for make and manufacturer are populated as variables %Make% and %Model%, respectively.

These values can be used during processing the CustomSettings.ini file to dynamically read sections of the file depending on the make and model detected. Listing 21 shows an example of the CustomSettings.ini file.

Listing 21. Sample CustomSettings.ini Configured for a Hardware-Specific Application Installation

[Settings]

Priority=Make, Default

Properties=MyCustomProperty

[Default]

OSInstall=Y

[Dell Computer Corporation]

Subsection=Dell-%Model%

[Dell-Latitude D620]

MandatoryApplications001={1D7DF331-47B7-472C-87B3-442597EC2F7D}

[Dell-Latitude D610]

MandatoryApplications001={c303fa6e-3a4d-425e-8102-77db9310e4d0}

Use the following properties to specify applications in CustomSettings.ini:

· Applications. This property can be used when deployment administrators do not want to present an application wizard as part of the deployment process by specifying SkipApplications=YES in CustomSettings.ini.

· MandatoryApplications. This property can be used if deployment administrators want to present the application wizard during the deployment to allow deployment engineers to select additional applications to be installed during the deployment.

If the application wizard is used without the MandatoryApplications property (for example, SkipApplications=NO), it will overwrite applications specified by the Applications property.

Listing 21 shows how to use the %Make% and %Model% variable values to dynamically manipulate how the applications list is built. The values for the make and model of each type of hardware can be located using one of the following methods:

· The System Information tool. Use the System Summary node in this tool to identify the System Manufacturer (make) and System Model (model).

· Windows PowerShell®. Use the Get-WMIObject –class Win32_ComputerSystem cmdlet to determine the make and model of the computer.

· Windows Management Instrumentation Command Line. Use CSProduct Get Name, Vendor to return the name (model) and vendor (make) of the computer.

To modify CustomSettings.ini to add hardware-specific logic

1. Click Start, and then point to All Programs. Point to Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and then click Deployment Workbench.

2. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, go to Deployment Workbench/Deployment Shares/deployment_share (where deployment_share is the name of the deployment share to configure).

3. In the Actions pane, click Properties.

4. Click the Rules tab.

5. Information typed on this tab is stored in the CustomSettings.ini file. Modify the CustomSettings.ini file entries to add logic for each hardware model that has a device driver–specific application, as described in Specify the Device Driver Application as Part of a Task Sequence.

6. Click OK to submit the changes.

7. In the details pane, click deployment_share (where deployment_share is the name of the deployment share to configure).

8. In the Actions pane, click Update Deployment Share.

The Update Deployment Share Wizard starts.

9. On the Options page, select the desired options for updating the deployment share, and then click Next.

10. On the Summary page, verify the details are correct, and then click Next.

11. On the Confirmation page, click Finish.

By default, all available applications are displayed in the Windows Deployment Wizard during an LTI deployment. Because device driver–specific applications are applicable only to specific hardware types, you might not want them displayed all the time. By specifying the device driver–specific application package in CustomSettings.ini, the application can be hidden using the Hide the application in the Deployment Wizard option in the application configuration.

To hide an application in the Deployment Wizard

1. Click Start, and then point to All Programs. Point to Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and then click Deployment Workbench.

2. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, go to Deployment Workbench/Deployment Shares/deployment_share/Applications (where deployment_share is the name of the deployment share to configure).

3. In the details pane, click device_driver_application (where device_driver_application is the application to be hidden from the Deployment Wizard).

4. In the Actions pane, click Properties.

5. On the General tab, select the Hide the application in the Deployment Wizard check box.

6. Click Apply, and then close the Properties dialog box.