It appears we have found a possible bug in the Deploy from Template Command in ESX 3.5. When you create a Windows Server based template and then try to deploy directly into an Active Directory with customization, the new system will get an error that a service failed to start when the machine is launched. This is because the VMWare BootRun service is not removing itself properly after deployment. This does not happen with deployments into a workgroup.
If you aren’t familiar with the BootRun service, this service will make all of the customizations after the sysprep work is complete during the deployment. You usually never see it because it runs on the first boot, makes the changes, and then removes itself from the machine.
In this case, the files are removed but the service entry is still there, hence the error that it can’t start up. VMWare has confirmed this to be a problem and they are investigating.
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I have a customer with the exact same issue. He runs the latest and greatest version so it doesn’t seem to be resolved yet. Did they inform you with a workaround or… ?!?
Good Morning Duncan - I don’t think it was resolved. I owe them a phone call so I’ll ask when I speak to them today. I’ll let you know here after I speak to them. Thanks!
See the solution at:
http://sbcfreak.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/vmware-esx-35-template-deployment-bug/