Staging area details – Lenovo ThinkVantage ImageUltra Builder Version 5.0 User Manual

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required by the Windows setup. Although you can use the User Information tab in
the base maps to provide some of this information, it does not provide all of the
fields required for this type of installation.

For information about creating or modifying UNATTEND.XML files, use the
following resource:

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The Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com.
Search for the string UNATTEND.XML

Staging area details

The new operating system module type for Windows Vista is the Vista base
operating-system module. The new operating system module type for Windows 7
is the Windows 7 base operating-system module. The I386 base operating-system
module is the module type for Windows XP.

A staging area is a workspace used during deployment and installation. It is where
certain modules defined by a map are unpacked, where ImageUltra Builder
installation files are stored, and where installation logs are created. The ImageUltra
Builder program can use two types of staging areas:

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Service partition:

The service partition is a hidden primary partition that is

protected against normal, end-user read and write operations. This partition is a
standard Lenovo factory-installed feature on many Lenovo ThinkPad, NetVista,
and ThinkCentre computers. As shipped from the factory, the service partition
provides built-in recovery and diagnostic capabilities. When a pre-existing
service partition is used in conjunction with the ImageUltra Builder program, the
deployment phase deletes the factory-installed recovery modules except Driver
Modules and replaces them with appropriate modules and maps for the image
being deployed. If a service partition does not already exist, the ImageUltra
Builder program creates one, if needed, as part of the deployment process. After
the deployment is complete, the person controlling the installation process (end
user or IT professional) can initiate the installation process from the service
partition immediately after deployment or at any point in the future without any
dependencies on a network connection.
Service partition locations
ImageUltra Builder 5.0 supports two locations for the Service Partition:
– Back of the hard disk drive.
– Front of the hard disk drive.
The Service Partition at the back of the hard disk drive is a FAT32 partition with
the volume label SERVICEV001. This partition works with the Windows XP
version of ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery. The Service Partition at the front
of the hard disk drive is an NTFS partition. The NTFS partition works with the
Windows Vista version of ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery with the volume
label SERVICEV002 or the Windows 7 version of ThinkVantage Rescue and
Recovery with the volume label SERVICEV003.
The service partition at the front of the hard disk drive (volume label
SERVICEV002) is a hidden partition on the hard disk that typically contains
operating-system modules, application modules, device-driver modules and a set
of recovery tools. It also provides its own operating environment, which has no
dependency on the Windows operating system being functional or present on
any active partition. Because the service partition is protected from common
read and write operations, as well as most viruses, it is a practical place to store
recovery, backup, and installation files and tools.

Chapter 10. Using ImageUltra Builder on Windows Vista and Windows 7

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