Network Deploy to local drive

[Steve_Bennett]

I want to create a network deployment of an adsk 2006 product to a local drive. It's a removable USB drive. I've changed the letter designation to K & made the root of the drive as shared. For the life of me, I don't know why the wizard will not allow me to select this drive to install to.

[jguest82179]

I've talked a number of people who have tried to do this or similar with no success in the past.

Aside from all of the obvious stuff, like 'Is the USB Drive big enough?' etc. I think that even if you do get the install to happen you will run into some severe issues when you try to run the application on another machine. Which, I assume, is why you are doing this in the first place.

When you install any software (well, almost any bar the simplest of apps.) the installer makes a number of entries into the system registry, and also adds many other files such as DLL's and the likes to various locations throughout the HDD. Unless you can find a way to migrate all of these additional files plus the registry entries in a reliable fashion then I have some grave doubts as to whether you will be able to achieve your goal.

If, on the other hand, you have simply run out of space on your local HDD and you are trying to install to the external HDD because this is the only space left on your system then you may have a slightly better chance of getting it to work - unfortunately I don't know how though.

[Steve_Bennett]

I've talked a number of people who have tried to do this or similar with no success in the past.

Aside from all of the obvious stuff, like 'Is the USB Drive big enough?' etc. I think that even if you do get the install to happen you will run into some severe issues when you try to run the application on another machine. Which, I assume, is why you are doing this in the first place.

When you install any software (well, almost any bar the simplest of apps.) the installer makes a number of entries into the system registry, and also adds many other files such as DLL's and the likes to various locations throughout the HDD. Unless you can find a way to migrate all of these additional files plus the registry entries in a reliable fashion then I have some grave doubts as to whether you will be able to achieve your goal.

If, on the other hand, you have simply run out of space on your local HDD and you are trying to install to the external HDD because this is the only space left on your system then you may have a slightly better chance of getting it to work - unfortunately I don't know how though.Thanks for your thoughts. I have a 2gb usb stick which is plenty big to hold an installation file of ADT.

However, I'm not trying to install the software onto the USB stick as if it were another drive on my local system, I'm trying to create a network deployment which is basically another *.msi file that lets you install the software from the new *.msi file on the drive to another computer(s).

[jguest82179]

Ah, sorry. My misunderstanding.

I think I may have a possible solution for you then. :-)

Have you tried mapping it through your network? (i.e. bouncing the data off your hub/switch.)

That way when you try to create the network install image you can specify the drive by using a UNC path, rather than trying to use a drive letter.

I seem to remember reading somewhere in the documentation that the Network Deployment Wizard does not like you to create the image on a mapped drive but prefers the full UNC path to install to. So, using this logic, if you can give it the UNC path to your USB Drive then it may solve the problem.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,...Jon.

[Steve_Bennett]

Ah, sorry. My misunderstanding.

I think I may have a possible solution for you then. :-)

Have you tried mapping it through your network? (i.e. bouncing the data off your hub/switch.)

That way when you try to create the network install image you can specify the drive by using a UNC path, rather than trying to use a drive letter.

I seem to remember reading somewhere in the documentation that the Network Deployment Wizard does not like you to create the image on a mapped drive but prefers the full UNC path to install to. So, using this logic, if you can give it the UNC path to your USB Drive then it may solve the problem.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,...Jon.Actually, it won't let you use anything but a UNC path. Tried that too. I even mapped the USB stick as a new drive letter & made it sharable.

[jguest82179]

OK, this may seem like a silly suggestion, but have you tried plugging the USB drive into another machine, sharing it from there, and then mapping to it?

[Steve_Bennett]

OK, this may seem like a silly suggestion, but have you tried plugging the USB drive into another machine, sharing it from there, and then mapping to it?Great idea, unfortunately, the way the network is setup here, that just wouldn't work. :banghead: Otherwise, I would create the deploy image on the network itself.

[jguest82179]

Great idea, unfortunately, the way the network is setup here, that just wouldn't work. :banghead: Otherwise, I would create the deploy image on the network itself.

Um, OK. Well, how is your network set up then?

Are you one of us poor unfortunates who have our computing lives ruled by an all seeing, all knowing, corporate IT department?

[Steve_Bennett]

Unfortunately, it's the opposite. The company is pretty small & they insist on us connecting to the server via Remote Desktop (that should pretty much say it all). At this point, I'd rather have an IT department as we would have a normal network. But then I probably wouldn't get to use the widescreen laptop of my choice. Win some, lose some.


I suppose there is a way I could map a network drive to my local machine, but it seems like asking questions about that stuff is forbidden somehow. I have one other option that I have yet to try & I'll post what it is & if it worked or not.

[jguest82179]

So, are you saying that they insist that you connect to their server via Remote Desktop even when you are actually in the office? Or do you do most of your work from home? Either way, what hardware do you use for the connection?

I always thought that the Remote Desktop (Formerly known as Terminal Services) was mainly intended for server administrative access by the SYSOP and other tasks such as trouble shooting, not for general access.

That seems to be a somewhat confused approach to things. They are obviously not too concerned about security on their server if they are allowing you to do this from home on a regular basis. All it would take is a keystroke logger app snuck into your laptop and a hacker could have access to their server via your login. I wouldn't be too comfortable using this approach myself, but I guess if they're fine with it....

Anyway, on with some useful (?) suggestions. You mentioned that you have a laptop that you use for work, yes? Is there any reason that you cannot use a crossover cable and connect this machine directly to another machine, plug the USB drive into this other machine, share the root of it there and then map to it from your machine?

That way you would be using the very basic "M'soft File and Print Sharing" within a workgroup, rather than having to stuff around with the Remote Desktop approach.

I'd be fairly confident that this approach should work if you have the necessary rights on your laptop, which you obviously have if you can install software.

I'd test it for you myself, but for the fact that my home office is a shambles at the moment having moved only recently and not yet having found the time to reconstruct it.

[Steve_Bennett]

So, are you saying that they insist that you connect to their server via Remote Desktop even when you are actually in the office?Yes. :banghead:

I always thought that the Remote Desktop (Formerly known as Terminal Services) was mainly intended for server administrative access by the SYSOP and other tasks such as trouble shooting, not for general access.So did I. :banghead:

That seems to be a somewhat confused approach to things. They are obviously not too concerned about security on their server if they are allowing you to do this from home on a regular basis. All it would take is a keystroke logger app snuck into your laptop and a hacker could have access to their server via your login. I wouldn't be too comfortable using this approach myself, but I guess if they're fine with it.... I'm not commenting on this. :banghead: Yet another reason to have a firewall.

Anyway, on with some useful (?) suggestions. You mentioned that you have a laptop that you use for work, yes? Is there any reason that you cannot use a crossover cable and connect this machine directly to another machine, plug the USB drive into this other machine, share the root of it there and then map to it from your machine?hmmm... Interesting thought. Haven't tried, but will provided we have such a cable lying around. What about 2 computers that have 802.11 wireless? Couldn't we do it via that method? I've tried to share files with a co-worker using this method & had nothing but problems trying to access each others files.

That way you would be using the very basic "M'soft File and Print Sharing" within a workgroup, rather than having to stuff around with the Remote Desktop approach.
I'd be fairly confident that this approach should work if you have the necessary rights on your laptop, which you obviously have if you can install software.
I'd test it for you myself, but for the fact that my home office is a shambles at the moment having moved only recently and not yet having found the time to reconstruct it.Do you have any links you could recommend for Networking via wireless between users? I have some knowledge of how networks run, but I kinda hit a wall when it comes to anything too advanced.

Thanks for all the help you've given thus far! That's one thing I'll give a happy face to!
:beer:

[jguest82179]

What about 2 computers that have 802.11 wireless? Couldn't we do it via that method? I've tried to share files with a co-worker using this method & had nothing but problems trying to access each others files.
Do you have any links you could recommend for Networking via wireless between users? I have some knowledge of how networks run, but I kinda hit a wall when it comes to anything too advanced.

Well, the theory sounds good enough on this one so I don't see why it shouldn't work. Of course you would still have to make sure all of the basics are OK such as workgroup names, protocols, permissions on the share etc.

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with wireless networking as yet (my budget doesn't allow it at this point), so I may not be of much help there. However I have learned a reasonable amount over the years - mainly through trial and error - about traditional copper networking so I'll give whatever help I can there.


Thanks for all the help you've given thus far! That's one thing I'll give a happy face to!
:beer:

No worries! :-) I'm by no means a guru, being almost entirely self taught on most of these issues, but I have made PLENTY of mistakes and they're what make us learn. You can do something a different way a thousand times without success and still not have failed - you have just learned a thousand ways how NOT to do that task. ;-)

I will give you one tip that will hopefully save you a lot of hours though: Don't even bother wasting your time trying to network XP and any other OS with simple file sharing - it's not worth going bald over!

XP<==>XP is fine; 2K<==>2K is fine; even 98<==>98 is fine; but XP<==>2K/98 is fraught with frustrations. Well, at least it always has been in my case. If anyone else has a simple way of doing it (without a DNS) please let me know.

[jguest82179]

I know this one's going back a long while, but did you have any luck with getting this install image created Steve?

It would be nice to have a solution in case the question gets asked again. (Don't know what the odds are on that one, but anyway.)

[jonathan.landeros]

I know this one's going back a long while, but did you have any luck with getting this install image created Steve?

It would be nice to have a solution in case the question gets asked again. (Don't know what the odds are on that one, but anyway.)There's actually a class at AU 2005 that talked about being able to copy an image to another device. Steve could create the image anywhere, then copy it to his USB stick to move the image around. I don't have the doc right with me, but here are the basics.

Each image creates an *.ini file that hard codes the UNC paths the image location for certain log files, etc that the image uses. This is why the image is grumpy about being moved. I also suspect this is why it won't accept anything but UNC pathing.

Basically, you edit the image in such a way that it will always write to the local machine instead of trying to go to the server. This allows the user to put the image on any media they choose, and run the image from there.

I can dig up the doc (I only have a paper copy), although I may be able to find it off the AU website.