Hi, I was hoping someone could help me out either (a) that has used Deep Freeze together with Task Sequences successfully; or (b) knows where the Task Sequence controls are all written and can see an omission in what I’ve got below ... Setup: Our machines are running Deep Freeze with a thawspace set up on drive T: Our machines are running 24x7 so we ideally don’t want scheduled maintenance periods, but rather the ability to use SCCM / scripting to control updates I have a task sequence that effectively performs the following: Set machines to reboot into “thawed” (unprotected) mode on the next reboot Perform reboot via SCCM Perform updates & set to reboot into “frozen” (protected) mode on the next reboot Perform reboot via SCCM This task sequence runs successfully if it is started whilst Deep Freeze is thawed (i.e. Machine unprotected) and finishes up in frozen state as expected. If the task sequence is started whilst Deep Freeze is frozen then the task sequence hangs after the first reboot and never continues. I have the following setup to try and account for settings / files / keys etc that need to be persistent throughout the task sequence: c:\windows\system32\ccm directory is redirected to the thawspace WMI repository (c:\windows\system32\wbem\repository\) is redirected to the thawspace c:\windows\temp directory is redirected to the thawspace Redirections performed using junction.exe I then also tried redirecting a number of registry keys using Data Igloo by Faronics, as I understand a number of registry keys get written by SCCM. Testing with adding keys / changing values showed redirection working ok. Reg key redirections included HKLM/Software/Microsoft/CCM HKLM/Software/Microsoft/SMS Whilst values such as my “last run” persisted, the task sequence still hangs after the first reboot. I tried running a diff between the registry before a successful run (i.e. DF thawed) and after a successful run. This resulted in a large number of key adds/deletes/changes. I tried to add the majority that seemed sccm related or potentially related, including HKLM/System/<control sets>/Enum/Root (to cover legacy task manager keys) and HKLM/System/<control sets>/Services/smstsmgr Smstsmgr has a dependency on /services/winmgmt so I redirected this also ... This still didn’t result in a successful run through of the task sequence! Eventually I tried to redirect all the keys but this effectively crashed the box I also tried to redirect the system32/config/ folder (where registry stored) and this crashed the box also! Some error messages that I’m seeing at the points where the unsuccessful runs stop include: Execmgr.log <![LOG[CExecutionRequestManager::OnResume - paused cookie A does not match expected cookie B.]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.218+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="execmgr" context="" type="3" thread="1456" file="execreqmgr.cpp:8490"> Smsts.log <![LOG[Error - could not get pause cookie for System Health Agent. code 80070002]LOG]!> And <![LOG[Successfully submitted event to the Status Agent.]LOG]!><time="16:47:35.984+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="0" thread="1400" file="event.cpp:543"> <![LOG[End TS policy evaluation]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.000+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="policyutil.cpp:8018"> <![LOG[Policy evaluation initiated]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.000+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:3261"> <![LOG[Error executing Task Sequence Manager service. Code 0x80004005]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.000+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="3" thread="1400" file="tsmanager.cpp:452"> <![LOG[Sending error status message]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.000+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="tsmanager.cpp:456"> <![LOG[Formatted header:]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.125+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="libsmsmessaging.cpp:1500"> <![LOG[<Msg SchemaVersion="1.1" ReplyCompression="zlib"><ID/><SourceID>GUID:XX</SourceID><SourceHost/><TargetAddress>mp:[http]MP_StatusManager</TargetAddress><ReplyTo>direct:OSD</ReplyTo><Priority>3</Priority><Timeout>3600</Timeout><SentTime>2011-04-28T07:17:36Z</SentTime><Protocol>http</Protocol><Body Type="ByteRange" Offset="0" Length="1170"/><Hooks/><Payload Type="inline"/><TargetHost/><TargetEndpoint>StatusReceiver</TargetEndpoint><ReplyMode>Sync</ReplyMode><CorrelationID/></Msg> ]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.125+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="libsmsmessaging.cpp:1501"> <![LOG[Successfully finalized logs to SMS client log directory from C:\WINDOWS\system32\CCM\Logs]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.203+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="tslogging.cpp:1536"> <![LOG[Resuming SMS Components]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.203+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="tsmanager.cpp:1026"> <![LOG[Waiting for CcmExec service to be fully operational]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.203+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:4129"> <![LOG[CcmExec service is up and fully operational]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.203+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:4134"> <![LOG[Resume for CCM component SoftwareDistribution requested]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.203+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:4029"> <![LOG[Failed to resume Software SoftwareDistribution (0x80004005)]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.218+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="3" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:4045"> <![LOG[Attempting to release request using {ABC}]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.218+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="swdupdatescontroller.cpp:300"> <![LOG[ReleaseRequest failed with error code 0x80004005]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.234+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="3" thread="1400" file="swdupdatescontroller.cpp:318"> <![LOG[Task Sequence Manager could not release active TS request. code 80004005]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.234+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="2" thread="1400" file="swdupdatescontroller.cpp:326"> <![LOG[Failed to delete registry value HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\Task Sequence\SoftwareUpdates. Error code 0x80070002]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.234+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="2" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:2782"> <![LOG[Failed to delete registry value HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\Task Sequence\System Health Agent. Error code 0x80070002]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.234+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="2" thread="1400" file="utils.cpp:2782"> <![LOG[Stopping Task Sequence Manager service]LOG]!><time="16:47:36.328+-570" date="04-28-2011" component="TSManager" context="" type="1" thread="1400" file="tsmanager.cpp:487"> Does anyone have any suggestions either: A) How to get Deep Freeze and Task Sequences playing nicely B) Any folders / keys / etc I may have missed above that SCCM Task Sequences rely upon remaining persistent. Thanks in advance!!

Have you already had a look at the threads that deal with that topic: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Search/en-US?query=%22deep%20freeze%22&rn=All System Center Configuration Manager Forums&rq=meta:Search.MSForums.GroupID(2a118fc8-6e85-4637-821e-4231d2eef7c9) site:microsoft.com&beta=0&ac=8Torsten Meringer | http://www.mssccmfaq.de

Hi Torsten, Apologies for the delay (and any double-posting - it appears my previous reply has vanished!) Yes, i have looked through quite a number of threads on both this forum and various others to do with both Deep Freeze and Task Sequences. They have been very useful in getting SCCM / Deep Freeze working together from the perspective of a "normal" advertisement. Whilst everything works fine for a normal advertisement, if i substitute for advertising a task sequence then i can't get SCCM and Deep Freeze working together where a reboot is involved. If DF is thawed, then the TS runs successfully, so this suggests the TS is set up correctly. If DF is frozen, then the TS hangs after the first reboot, which suggests the TS is writing a file / value / etc somewhere that it needs to be persistent across a reboot to resume the TS. Problem is i can't find it ... i've thawed: c:\windows\temp; WMI repository; ccm directory; a number of different registry keys (see original email). I've run various combinations of thawed / frozen portions, registry diffs, etc and trawled through quite a lot of forums but can't seem to find the answer. When the TS fails there is always an error message relating to mismatched pause cookies, so i would suggest it is something to do with this. The pause cookie in the registry is thawed (via redirection to the thawspace) and i have run manual tests to show this value remains persistent across reboots. The WMI repository is also being redirected / thawed. Is there anywhere else that these cookies are written that would need to remain persistent? Any other ideas / suggestions as to where a TS (as opposed to a normal advertisement) writes values / keys / etc? Thanks.