Modern Driver Management – Task Sequence
Problem
I wanted to update my drivers only once and have it update all my task sequences that use drivers. Usually each of my task sequences for operating system deployments or operating system upgrades had their own driver sets in the sequences.
Solution
I created was a new task sequence that would hold all the drivers for all our known hardware models. This TS would be called from our deployment or upgrade task sequences. This sequence will utilize a TS variable to identify if the hardware model is known or not and Download Package Content tasks. You will need a separate Driver Package or Package with the driver files for each hardware model. You will also need an “empty” Driver Package or Package so the OS Deployment and OS Upgrade sequences can work correctly. In your empty package you will need to place something in it as it will not want to replicate unless it has something in it. Either a small text file if you made a package or a small driver if it is a Driver Package. Keep reading to see how this works.
Inspiration
The below link seemed like it made this a lot harder to implement. I did not try it so I cannot speak to the difficulty, but it was a lot of info. https://deploymentresearch.com/configmgr-driver-management-in-just-four-steps-by-matthew-teegarden/
Process
Create the new driver task sequence
1. Create two task sequence variable tasks called OSDKnownModels
a. The first TS variable should have a value of NO
b. The second TS variable should have a value of YES and Options tab should have WMI queries
2. The Known PC Model Upgrades group should have a condition of TS Variable OSDKnownModels = YES
3. Each Driver model needs to be setup as a Download Package Content task along with a wmi condition for the driver model under the Known PC Model Group. It also needs to have the following options selected
a. Place into the following location: Task sequence working directory
b. Check – Save path as a variable: Driver Pack
4. Unknown PC Models group needs to have a TS Variable condition of OSDKnownModels = NO
5. Place your Unknown Model driver package or package in the Unknown PC Models group. This package does not need to have any conditions. It also needs to have the following options selected
a. Place into the following location: Task sequence working directory
b. Check – Save path as a variable: Driver Pack
Operating System Upgrade Task Sequence
1. Your OS Upgrade Task needs to have two tasks to work successfully.
2. Create a new Run Task Sequence task and browse to your Model Drivers Task Sequence
3. Create a new Upgrade Operating System task
a. Select your Upgrade Package and Edition
b. Check – Provide the following driver content to Windows Setup during upgrade
i. Select Staged content: type %DriverPack01%
1. DriverPack is the variable from the driver TS but 01 is because the driver was the 1st package in the Download Package Content task.
Operating System Deployment Task Sequence
1. After the Apply Operating System Task and while still in Windows PE add a new task
2. Create a Run Task Sequence task and browse to the Drivers Task Sequence you created above
3. Create a Run Command Line task to inject the drivers into the Windows Install
a. Command line should be: DISM.exe /Image:%OSDISK%\ /Add-Driver /Driver:%DriverPack01%\ /Recurse
b. %OSDISK% is the variable we use in our Format tasks as well as Apply Operating System tasks
c. %DriverPack01% is the variable that is created from the Driver Task Sequence
Conclusion
Please ask if there are any questions. I will try to answer as time permits.
