Driver Packs For WDS 2008 R2
Adding Drivers to Boot and Discover Images
Windows Server 2008 R2 WDS supports adding drivers to Windows Server 2008 R2 and Window 7 boot images from within the WDS console. This also includes any Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 discover and capture images that are loaded as boot images on a WDS system. For all other boot, discover images, and capture images, drivers will need to be injected manually to the WIM file using the tools in the Windows Automated Installation Kit. To add drivers into a Windows Server 2008 R2 WDS infrastructure into a Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 boot image, perform the steps detailed in the following sections.
Adding Drivers to the WDS Server Console
When drivers need to be added to Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 boot images, they can be installed using the WDS console by performing the following steps:
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Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system that has the WDS role installed with an account with local administrator and domain administrator rights. |
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Download the appropriate drivers and save the drivers to a folder on WDS server or a network location. Expand the drivers download to reveal the folder that contains the necessary INF, SYS, and other files that are required for the particular driver and note the exact location. |
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On the WDS server, click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Deployment Services. |
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When the Windows Deployment Services console opens, in the tree pane, select and expand the WDS server. |
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Right-click the Drivers node and select Add Driver Package. |
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On the Driver Package Location page, select the Select Driver from an .inf File option button. |
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In the Location Form field, click the Browse button and browse to the folder that contains the drivers INF, SYS, and other files. Once back on the Driver Package Location page, click Next to continue. |
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On the Available Driver Packages page, check or uncheck the desired drivers that will be added to the WDS server and click Next to continue. Many drivers are packaged together and the driver file may include many different drivers. As a best practice, limit the drivers added to the WDS server and the boot images to only the necessary drivers and no more to avoid unnecessary driver conflicts or file size bloat. |
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Review the selections on the Summary page and click Next to continue. |
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On the Task Progress page, once the driver(s) are added, click Next to continue. |
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On the Drivers Group page, if a driver group exists, the driver can be added to the group; otherwise, a new driver group can be created or the driver can be added to the root without creating a group. Select the desired option button, enter or select the driver group, and/or click Next to continue. |
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On the Task Completed page, click Finish to complete the driver addition. |
Adding Drivers to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Boot Images Using the WDS Console
If drivers need to be added to existing Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 boot images on a Windows Server 2008 R2 WDS server, they can be added using the WDS console. The drivers will need to be added to the WDS server as detailed in the previous section before performing the following steps. To add drivers from the WDS server to existing Windows 7 and/or Windows Server 2008 R2 boot images, perform the following steps:
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Log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system that has the WDS role installed with an account with local administrator and domain administrator rights. |
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On the WDS server, click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Windows Deployment Services. |
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When the Windows Deployment Services console opens, in the tree pane, select and expand the WDS server. |
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Select and expand the Boot Images node and in the tasks pane select the desired boot image. |
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If you do not have a copy of the existing boot image, it is a good idea to back it up by right-clicking on the boot image, selecting Export Image, and following the steps to make a copy/export of the boot image before any drivers are added to the image. |
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Once a backup of the boot image is copied, right-click the desired boot image and select Add Driver Packages to Image. |
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Click Next on the Before You Begin page if you have a good backup of the boot image; otherwise, click Cancel. |
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On the Select Driver Packages page, click the Search for Packages button to list all compatible packages for this boot image. Check any desired drivers listed in the Search Results section, uncheck any drivers that should not be added to the boot image, and click Next to continue. |
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On the Selected Driver Packages page, review the list of drivers that will be added to the boot image, and click Next to continue. |
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On the Operation Complete page, review the results and click Finish to complete the driver addition to the boot image. |
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Repeat this process for any other Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 boot images that need drivers added, close the WDS console, and log off the server when completed. |
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Now boot up a WDS client using this boot image and verify that the driver is working correctly. |
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