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Diskless Windows 10 PC Setup Procedure


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scan, im trying to setup something similar to your except instead of using a win server, i use a linux server + scst (as iscsi target) + lvm block device.

 

instead of using disk2vhd, i use macrium to clone to the block device. upon initial boot up to the iscsi san, it gives me

"preparing automatic repair"

 

ive no idea whats going on. i dont think its bcd because i can enter windows 10 recovery, load command prompt and see the disks connected (system reserved @ drive c) and root disk @ drive d

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Are you doing a clean install of Windows to the ISCSI volume?

 

 

I've found it impossible to do a clean install of windows directly onto the iscsi volume. i get a different error, i forgot what it was and then read somewhere ... well iPXE problems with iSCSI Boot and Windows that win 10 iscsi direct installs dont work. If this is actually possible i'd be pleased.

 

While I've not recently tried win7 installs, the last time I did it (similar process), it worked correctly.

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In the end the only way I could find to get a clean install of win 10 was to use a locally attached drive, do the clean install through activation from that disk, and then do a bit copy of the disk to the ISCSI virtual drive. I used paragon migrate for the latter, macrium may work in your case.

 

Once done, remove the local drive.

 

For licencing reasons, I had to install win 7 first, activate it, install the updates, and then take the free upgrade to win 10 on the local device.

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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  • 3 weeks later...

Trying to boot another computer did not work. This is my iscsi.ipxe script:

 

#!ipxe

 

 

 

 

echo iscsi.ipxe script running...

ifopen net0

dhcp

set net0/gateway 0.0.0.0

set initiator-iqn 00-02-c9-56-28-5e

echo IP: ${net0/ip}, Gateway: ${net0/gateway}

set keep-san 1

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10-target

echo keep-san: ${keep-san} ||

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10hqpc-target

echo keep-san: ${keep-san}

sanboot ${root-path}

boot

 

 

This is screen shot of pxe server:

 

HQPC Boot.png

 

Let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks.

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Trying to boot another computer did not work. This is my iscsi.ipxe script:

 

#!ipxe

 

 

 

 

echo iscsi.ipxe script running...

ifopen net0

dhcp

set net0/gateway 0.0.0.0

set initiator-iqn 00-02-c9-56-28-5e

echo IP: ${net0/ip}, Gateway: ${net0/gateway}

set keep-san 1

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10-target

echo keep-san: ${keep-san} ||

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10hqpc-target

echo keep-san: ${keep-san}

sanboot ${root-path}

boot

 

 

This is screen shot of pxe server:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25103[/ATTACH]

 

Let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks.

 

Going by scan80269's example on the previous page yours should work like this:

 

It looks like you might have the double | | in the wrong place?

 

 

 

#!ipxe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

echo iscsi.ipxe script running...

ifopen net0

dhcp

set net0/gateway 0.0.0.0

set initiator-iqn 00-02-c9-56-28-5e

echo IP: ${net0/ip}, Gateway: ${net0/gateway}

set keep-san 1

echo keep-san: ${keep-san}

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10-target ||

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10hqpc-target

boot

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I booted one computer one time with this line in ipxe.iscsi

 

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10-target

echo keep-san: ${keep-san}

 

Changes the line to read this the second time and the second booted as well;

 

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.57::::iqn.1991-05.com.microsoft:bootserver-win10hqpc-target echo keep-san: ${keep-san}

 

I wonder if we can add two ipxe file names in pxe server; something like

 

iscsi.ipxe;iscsi1.ipxe

 

Basically one at a time and both are running diskless.

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Hi sig8, Possum is right in that you got the || on the wrong line. || should be at the end of the first sanboot line. || is used to instruct the iPXE script to not abort on error but move on to the next line. The first sanboot line is supposed to fail with your second client, but the second sanboot line is supposed to work. I've been doing this properly for a while.

 

Don't forget to customize each iSCSI target to enable only the selected client MAC address to access.

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Glad to hear this is working ;) Can you give us a better report on the difference between the Intel & Mellanox NICs? This approach should work with both.

 

jabbr; I spent little time listening with Intel (genuine) in HQPC, but I think noise floor was lower. My impression was same as what I had when I put in a genuine Intel in NAA. I quickly also incorporated diskless boot when I replaced Mellanox with Intel in HQPC.

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I have a question;

 

I have been struggling to setup a 2-pc Jplay (ControlPC and AudioPC) with a new audio player called Bug Head. Bug Head keeps on crashing, I struggled all weekend long.

 

My both pc's are diskless, and some people suspect that running them diskless could be causing this, any suggestions? Thanks.

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Good luck to those who value this type of esoterica. I, for one, can live with disks. :)

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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My question is; is it necessary to install Bug Head or any other program before creating the image?

No, the ISCSI drive is seen just like any other disk drive at the file system level so install away. However BugHeads may be operating on the physical level of the drive which is not emulated in ISCSI, so that may be your issue.

Pareto Audio aka nuckleheadaudio

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No, the ISCSI drive is seen just like any other disk drive at the file system level so install away. However BugHeads may be operating on the physical level of the drive which is not emulated in ISCSI, so that may be your issue.

 

Thanks, lmitch. I will try to put the SSD back and then try Bug Head on that and see what happens. That will be too bad, will need to pick one. I think Bug Head wins, it's SQ is something.

 

Does anyone knows about JPlay if that works diskless, because I am running that on AudioPC (and ContrlPC as well) which is also diskless.

 

HQPlayer works fine diskless. Oh well...

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  • 1 month later...

I am running Win 10 diskless for a while, and every time I had to restart the computer, I had to do a hard reset by pressing and holding the power button. This was with my Dell Precision Desktop.

 

I have a new build with a Gigabyte motherboard and having difficulty restarting. If I just do a normal shut down through start button it restarts and does not really shut down, so you have to hold the power button, but then it sort of crashes and does not want to restart. Procedure is same, but Dell did restart after a hard reset, whereas this new Gigabyte is having difficulty restarting after a hard shut down. Any suggestions? Thanks.

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  • 1 month later...

anyone know how to change device shutdown order?

my diskless client boot fine but when I go to shut it down it locks up the iscsi connection on my server & I have to reset the server

each time.

I think what is happening is the network card is shutting down before it disconnects from iscsi target.

anyone having this problem?

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  • 1 month later...
In the end the only way I could find to get a clean install of win 10 was to use a locally attached drive, do the clean install through activation from that disk, and then do a bit copy of the disk to the ISCSI virtual drive. I used paragon migrate for the latter, macrium may work in your case.

 

Once done, remove the local drive.

 

For licencing reasons, I had to install win 7 first, activate it, install the updates, and then take the free upgrade to win 10 on the local device.

 

I may have finally figured out how to install Win10 directly into an iSCSI target. This means no need to make temporary use of physical hard disk, and no need for any disk cloning.

 

My solution involves creating two iSCSI targets for the diskless client to connect to. One iSCSI target is the usual one dedicated to the client booting OS diskless. The other one is a small 10GB drive that carries the OS installation files. I created a custom WinPE with optional components to allow the Microsoft iscsicpl control panel to work. After iPXE booting this custom WinPE on the diskless client, I connect to the prepared OS boot iSCSI target, then launch into Win10 OS installation. So far, this has worked 2 times out of 2. I got past the Windows installer complaining that OS cannot be installed into the iSCSI disk ("iSCSI deployment is disabled since no NICs referenced in the iBFT can be resolved to actual NT-visible devices"). I also no longer get the dreaded "INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE" blue screen crash shortly after the initial reboot during OS installation.

 

If anyone is interested I can write up a procedure.

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