I’ve completely revamped how images are deployed, managed, and created using Deployment. After reading a technical article addressing driver management from The Deployment Guys, I realized that there had to be a better way than creating a bootable LiteTouch image ISO for each hardware configuration.

The most current problem is figuring out how to use AHCI on Dell’s most recent hardware. Most of their PCs now come with it enabled and rather than modify BIOS to use legacy SATA mode, I would much like to figure out how to inject the driver without having the OS install fail. So far I’ve been wildly unsuccessful. I’ve attempted so many different methods that I’ve forgotten what has worked and what hasn’t. I’ve added both XP and Vista pre-os drivers to Out-of-Box drivers and the models directory of created as a driver path in many iterations. I’ve even modified the .INF and oemtxt files for the AHCI driver (Intel Matrix Storage) in the same interations without any luck. I succeed in reaching the “Operating System Not Found” error, the STOP 0×7b error, or an error indicating that the proper inf for the hardware cannot be found during the OS installation. I’m Deploying XP, too, which I think tends to complicate things. But seeing as how we are only using Vista for Engineering/CAD applications (which is an entirely different can of worms), XP is the default Deployment path. I think I’ll create a matrix and get this solved once and for all tomorrow.

In other news, I’m heading to the Apple WWDC in a week so I’m making a list of everything I need to bring including my D70, a couple lenses, a tripod, and of course a new Crumpler bag to carry it all with .