Troubleshooting device driver issues
In many instances, you must import drivers into yourWinPE boot image for the OEM utilities to function. In some circumstances, the driver packages available from the OEM include an installation program to install the drivers, but do not include instructions about how to import the driver intoWinPE.
Configuration Manager imports drivers into WinPE using the standard driver injection process available in the WinPE tool set. This requires a driver INF file (or txtsetup.oem file) along with the driver and other necessary files. The INF file is used in the standard driver installation process to insert the driver into WinPE.
In addition, trying to automatically import the driver into the Configuration Manager Driver Catalog and then inserting the driver into the boot image might fail due to one or more of the following issues.
Renamed files
Some driver files are named differently depending on the operating system to which they apply: driver_w2k.sys, driver_w2k3.sys, and driver_w2k3_64.sys, for example, might apply to Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2003 64-bit.
The installation program might rename the files to base names before installing the driver, such as driver.sys. If the installation program renames files before installing them, the driver cannot be injected into theWinPE image because the correct file names are not present.
Modified boot image
During the installation of the Lenovo XClarity Integrator Deployment Pack, the installation program performs several modifications to aWinPE boot image to insert drivers and other changes that allow the Lenovo XClarity Integrator Deployment Pack utilities to function.
By default, the installation program makes a copy of the Configuration Manager default boot image (boot.wim), mounts the file, makes changes, and unmounts the file.
This modified boot.wim file contains the base set of changes needed by the Lenovo XClarity Integrator Deployment Pack. In addition, network and storage drivers are added for boot devices, such as array controllers, and network drivers to be able to communicate with the network in WinPE.
Drivers should be added through the driver catalog within the Operating System Deployment node of the Configuration Manager administrative console.
Configuration Manager stores two boot images for distributing to machines booting to PXE. The boot.wim file is the base boot image that contains no Configuration Manager specific files.
When you add drivers to a boot image and then update the boot image on a distribution point, Configuration Manager takes the base boot.wim file and adds the drivers from the driver catalog, along with other Configuration Manager files to create a new WIM file named boot.packageID.wim, for example,boot.SMS00001.wim.
The new WIM file is then distributed to the assignedPXE distribution points for your site.
Failing imported drivers
Often, several drivers are loaded together in a common directory and contain a TXTSETUP.OEM file. However, when you try to update the WinPE boot image after these drivers are injected, it might fail. This issue can also occur with only one driver in a directory. By default, Configuration Manager chooses the TXTSETUP.OEM file for its source of import information for the drivers. If this file exists, Configuration Manager does not display any associated INF files.
It is better to load drivers individually by using their respective INF files. To do this, rename any TXTSETUP.OEM files in the driver directory so that Configuration Manager prompts you to select the INF files and import the drivers individually.