Note
The information in this topic applies only to Configuration Manager 2007 R3.

Prestaged media for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3 operating system deployment contains bootable media and image files that are copied to the hard disk drive of a computer. Prestaged media works together with your existing task sequences to provide a complete operating system deployment. The media can be accessed locally by a task sequence to install a new operating system instead of downloading images across the network. This allows operating system deployment where the computer cannot otherwise be provisioned completely. It can also reduce network traffic.

Prestaged media is copied to the hard disk drive of a new computer as a part of the computer manufacturing process or at an enterprise staging center before the computer is sent to the end user. The prestaged media consists of a .wim file that can be prestaged on a "bare metal" computer. When the computer starts for the first time after the prestaged media has been loaded, the computer will start Windows PE and connect to the site management point to check for available task sequences.

When you create prestaged media, make sure that the boot image that you are using has the appropriate network and mass storage drivers necessary for the system to complete the provisioning process.

Prestaged media is designed to work with existing task sequences. If you are using the default task sequence you created by selecting the Install from existing image package from the New Task Sequence wizard, you must include additional conditions to prevent the files prestaged on the drive from being removed. To do this you can add the following Task Sequence Variable condition for the Partition Disk action and the Apply Operating System Image action: _SMSTSMediaType not equals OEMmedia.

Prestaged media on creation will set _SMSTSMediaType = OEMmedia. This can be used as a condition throughout the task sequence. This value is also used when the Apply Operating System action is invoked. If _SMSTSMediaType is set to OEMmedia, the task sequence action will not erase the disk or download the .wim file.

Use the following procedure to create task sequence prestaged media.

To create task sequence prestaged media

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System Center Configuration Manager / Site Database / Computer Management / Operating System Deployment / Task Sequences.

  2. To start the Task Sequence Media wizard, select the Actions menu, and then select Create Task Sequence Media. Alternatively, you can click Create Task Sequence Media in the Actions pane.

  3. On the Select Media Type page, select Prestaged Media, and then click Next.

  4. On the Media Properties page, specify the Created by, Version and Comment settings that you want to associate with the .wim file. This information is used to identify the publisher of the prestaged media file.

  5. Specify the name of the media file that you create on the Media file line. Configuration Manager 2007 saves the .wim file to the media file.

  6. On the Security page, specify a password to protect the media or require that the media request a self-signed certificate. To import an existing certificate, select Import Certificate, and then click Browse to locate the certificate to use. Always assign a password or request a certificate to protect the bootable media and your Configuration Manager 2007 site.

  7. Specify the boot image that will run from the boot media on the Images page. The media that you specify will be used to start the new computer. Therefore, the boot image that you specify must be of the appropriate architecture (x86, x64) and include the appropriate device drivers for the destination computer. To view distribution points from child sites, select the Show distribution points from child sites check box option.

  8. Specify the operating system image that you want to deploy on the Images page. To view distribution points from child sites, select the Show distribution points from child sites check box option.

  9. View the summary on the Confirmation page, and then click Finish to complete the wizard.

See Also