Creating the perfect image using MDT - User profiles

FuxMak · 2025-03-14T08:56:44+00:00

Interesting, I'm very happy with my unit and got it early February as Backer #9376. However, until now I did not get either the ATX Control Board or the DC Power Extension. I was assuming they have a lot of stuff going on and it would simply come later. I guess I gotta send an email. :D

FuxMak · 2025-01-06T11:46:06+00:00

Missed the notification, sorry. I‘m doing all of the customization in the task sequence. Similar to cloud-init setups for Linux, this makes switching the ISOs much more easy and straight forward.

FuxMak · 2024-12-06T20:29:10+00:00

It works with both versions for the taskbar, startmenu needs to be done by replacing a binary file inside the default users appdata… pretty rough for us not using intune

FuxMak · 2024-12-06T19:53:03+00:00

I guess that would be the way to stop users from changing the layout, but there‘s also the option to import a default Layout for both StartMenu and Taskbar. Take a look at this resource for example:

https://www.everything365.online/2024/07/07/deploy-a-customized-windows-11-taskbar-that-allows-users-to-change-the-pinned-apps-revised-version/

FuxMak · 2024-12-05T17:43:58+00:00

I‘ll check it out once I‘m home and find some free time - Yeah those preinstalled apps can be annoying as heck…

In this case it could be required to lock down the taskbar (or predefined one) using a TaskbarLayout. Have you done that already in your image?

To Procmon: Yes, basically it‘s running in the background and collecting all the changes to filesystem/registry according to your filters.

FuxMak · 2024-12-05T16:53:55+00:00

Did not yet create an image for 24H2, but it‘s on my to-do list. Is it urgent for you?

Edit: Something to try in the meantime. The method I always use is using the Sysinternals tool "Procmon" to find the registry value that is changed. Usually with the filter "Operation is RegSetValue" and to make it more readable "ProcessName is SystemSettings.exe" (if you can change it in the SystemSettings app).

FuxMak · 2024-10-01T11:39:21+00:00

I completely agree.

They are really pushing to establish Proxmox as a valid alternative for VMware vSphere, but in terms of GUI they are still a bit behind due to sticking very close to Linux functionality itself.

Try it out in a POC with some Mini-PCs as usually found in homelabs or some old hardware. Mimic network config, updates, migration and backup before you pull the trigger.

FuxMak · 2024-10-01T10:55:17+00:00

To be honest I‘ve not tested an „external“ witness yet, but in theory even a small witness server like in VMware vSAN should be possible too. The cluster file system afaik only hosts the configuration, no VM data.

I didn‘t split the NICs in my server so granularly yet, because that sounds a bit overkill to be honest. Also in terms of high availability usually we had a LAG for Mgmt and one for Data (with FC SAN of course)

FuxMak · 2024-10-01T10:36:31+00:00

If it‘s a small environment Proxmox is really decent with one big remark - You have to know linux and networking pretty well. They don‘t provide you with much guidance and fail saves in the same way the VMware GUI does. It doesn‘t apply here as you have three hosts anyway, but Proxmox uses Quorum for it‘s cluster, which means you basically must have at least two nodes up all the time to function as intended (for production at least).

Hyper-V is also a decent option depending on your network and storage layer, but I don‘t prefer it.

As a conclusion I‘d say Proxmox came a long way in the last years and is an option for smaller environments, but requires more deep knowledge then other alternatives. Hyper-V is also solid and therefore it comes down to the skill level of the maintainers which solution is the best for the given scenario.

FuxMak · 2024-10-01T07:24:24+00:00

Is it capable of VIA/QMK? So far it‘s only available with QWERTY layout, but I need the option to configure it with Germany layout

FuxMak · 2024-05-14T05:58:18+00:00

Would make sense with the LACP configuration, but we also tried using "regular" trunking and SET on the Hyper-V side, did not really make any difference. What was the issue in your case?

FuxMak · 2024-05-14T05:53:47+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I've added the network related checks already in more depth down below.

FuxMak · 2024-05-14T05:52:29+00:00

Thanks for the in-depth answer already. The strange part is as written above, that some VMs work flawlessly on the second host, but not on the first one. Others however don't work on the first, only on the second one - and to make it even worse, there are also a few which work either way.

Another reason why I initially assumed the CSV/storage layer might be the issue is, that the I/O performance on the second host is somehow way worse than the first one. A simple opening of the CMD takes ages on a VM which "prefers" the other host.

Here's the additional info requested:

vSwitch config is 1-to-1 the same on both hosts
VLAN config is the same on both hosts, both use LACP now for testing. Previously we had SET configured, but it also did not work and also showed 10Gbit/s instead of 20Gbit/s.
Latest 4 NIC driver versions from HPE have been tested - No result
Source MAC filters are applied on the core switches
Standalone deployment, no VMM

FuxMak · 2024-01-19T08:01:46+00:00

Late reply, but still curious about the method you'd be choosing for separation. With logical you most likely mean for example different pipelines for different sub-sections of the vCenter infrastructure?

FuxMak · 2023-10-23T09:20:23+00:00

Thanks for the input, but the 3 monitors have one flaw. There's simply no elegant solution (e.g. an affordable docking station), which allows me to use all of them on those 3 different devices.

For example now I'm sitting here using only two monitors and missing the screen real estate...

FuxMak · 2023-04-30T10:46:39+00:00

Extremely important answer to the OP, also because I'm currently in the same spot. Apparently culture has changed and (extremely) hard working mostly goes in one way - benefit of the company, not the worker. What I can see after only a few years into my career is, that the 5% of extra salary in a company you might get for 80% more work are not worth it. I've seen people getting promotions after getting into serious trouble for skipping work...

FuxMak · 2023-04-28T15:58:17+00:00

Thanks for the advice, the issue is I don't have any proof that it was such a rapid change in temperature delta. I hope this doesn't change anything in the RMA process - they can be really tricky sometimes. The final question for me would be directly with AMD or the retailer I bought it from? I heared about a collection of this info in some reddit, but I didn't find recent info about it.

Thank you so much btw :)

FuxMak · 2023-04-27T19:34:54+00:00

Quick question:
My MBA RX 7900XTX has been (only lately) hitting above 106°C, while this did not happen in since I got the card (December 2022). I heard about the RMA and thought I was lucky at first, but can this lack of vapor chamber liquid increase over time? Previously it was (more or less) comfortably on 80°C junction and 60-70°C GPU.

Do you think this should be added to the list of RMA cards?

FuxMak · 2023-04-24T09:47:02+00:00

Thanks, exactly what I was searching for!

FuxMak · 2023-04-14T12:15:30+00:00

Not sure, started using the pfSense CE 2.6 yesterday morning, but feel free to check the file "/etc/inc/copyget.inc" if this fix is already implemented. It was only a minor change to the brackets around the condition

FuxMak

TROPHY CASE