Distribute Disk Image Hangs at Configuring Computer

[Elvis Rowe]

Utilizing GSS RU12 with WinPE 10.1.25398.1 while trying to deploy a Windows 11 23H2 image.

The process for the parent image is to install Windows, join a domain, install all necessary software, leave the domain, and then capture the image.

When deploying the image to a target device, the task hangs at Configuring Computer.  Upon inspection of the device, the machine is stuck in a boot loop.  The workstation starts, displays the login dialog, and then immediately restarts.  Starting the machine with recovery media and deleting the *.CFG files in the root of C: resolves the issue; however, the machine is not domain joined.  Additionally, the DHCP service is set to 'Disabled' and must be manually adjusted.

I experienced a similar issue way back in RU3.  At that time, I was told by support that the issue was caused by the source workstation being domain before capture.  To alleviate that issue we disjoin all workstations before capture.  It seems that this previous bug, which was slated to be resolved with RU4, may have cropped back up.

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have a potential resolution?

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Elvis Rowe
Computer Facilities Supervisor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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[Elvis Rowe]

Looping back to share the cause and resolution.

Working on one of the impacted workstations, I noticed a toast notification indicating a restart was required to disable UAC.  This stood out to me because there are local policies in place to force UAC.

I checked the source machine and UAC was enabled and attempting to disable it, via UserAccountControlSettings.exe, and restarting made no change to UAC's status as expected.

I reconfigured local policies to disable UAC and performed a capture and deploy and it appears to have fixed the issue.  The target workstation was renamed and joined to the domain successfully.

I suspect after an image is deployed, the agent determines if UAC is enabled and if so disables it, restarts, and proceeds with the configuration task (workstation rename and domain join).  With the local UAC policy in place, UAC is always enabled on restart and hence the boot loop.

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Elvis Rowe
Computer Facilities Supervisor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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[Elvis Rowe]

I take that back, I'm now at a complete and total loss as to the behavior of RU12 when attempting to deploy Windows 11 23H2.  I created an entirely new image with no UAC modifications.  Upon deployment to two identical workstations, Dell OptiPlex 7070s, one imaged perfectly while the other is stuck in a boot loop.

I can fix the one in a boot loop if I cancel the imaging job, which is hung at "Configuring computer...", boot to a Windows 11 USB, enter recovery, and delete the aclient.cfg file.  After restarting the machine will load into Windows perfectly, but will have the original captured workstations name and not be domain joined.  I can push a domain join/configuration task from Ghost and it will join the domain and rename perfectly.

Modifying my deployment task to not configure the workstation post imaging is not an ideal solution to this.  Additionally, we're striving to go with Win11 23H2 so, unless I'm mistaken, going back to a previous version of GSS is out of the picture.

Looking for any suggestions.

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Elvis Rowe
Computer Facilities Supervisor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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