Thank you microsoft, for fucking up the tools I rely on.

Ok, so one of my responsibilities in my job is to setup new computers.  This is one of the things in my job I actually enjoy doing.  For the longest time now, we've been deploying computers with Windows XP on them.  Since everyone uses pretty much the same software, and we buy pretty much the same computers, I've relied heavily on Windows Automated Installation Kit to setup and deploy new workstations.

It has been a great tool, easy to use.  I have image files, ready to go, and I simply.

1.  Boot up to a windows PE disc
2.  Type in some commands
3.  Windows XP computer, with software installed.

Simple.  Easy.  Making my life much easier.



Well, it's getting to be time to start rolling out Windows 7, so in preparation for that, I've started working on figuring out the process for doing this with windows 7.  A while back, I downloaded the latest version of WAIK, and made a newer Windows PE disc.

Now, the first issue I take with this whole process, is that you don't just get a Windows PE disc.  You don't just pick one up, or just grab an image of one.  Noooooooooooo.....you have to jump through a series of hoops to find the right things to do, the right commands to run, to end up with what will hopefully be a Windows PE disc.  Why microsoft doesn't just give you a fucking .iso file ready to go, I don't know.  I mean, ok, maybe they want you to work for it.  But, I'M THE FUCKING CUSTOMER, WE BUY ALL THESE WINDOWS LICENSES FOR THESE INSTALLS, THEY LEAST THEY CAN DO IS HAND OVER THE FUCKING TOOL THAT WE NEED TO EASILY DEPLOY THEIR PRODUCT!!!!!

So, whatever, I have this windows pe disc.  Which, this newer one doesn't automatically assign letters to the partitions I create, so I had to figure that problem out and learn that command.  Ok, cool, new command under my belt.

So I setup a computer with windows 7, all the software I want, and I use windows pe to take an image of that install.  Great, I now have the image I need, all set for the next time I need to set one up.  So this morning I'm setting up another computer, and figure, ok, today is the day.  I grab my trusty Windows PE disc, boot up to it, and run through the process.

Now, for some reason, microsoft has decided, hey, lets waste even more diskspace than ever.  So, for some reason windows 7 requires setting up another partition that you'll never use.  Fucking great....come on, microsoft.  Really?  One partition is not enough for a fucking OS install?  But, whatever.  So, I create my partitions, assign my letters, deploy my image, and am all set.  I restart the computer, and....


BOOTMGR is missing


WHAT THE FUCKING HELL DOES THAT MEAN?  I INSTALLED THIS JUST FINE, LIKE I ALWAYS DID WITH FUCKING WINDOWS XP!!!!  ALL THE FILES ARE THERE ON THE C: DRIVE, JUST FUCKING BOOT UP TO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

But, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, they had to add an extra step to the process now, for no fucking good reason.

So, I go back, find instructions, and see that after deploying the image, I need to run a command called bcdboot.  Ok, simple enough, so I boot back in to Windows PE, and run the command.

ONLY IT WON'T RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!  THE INSTRUCTIONS SAY TO RUN THIS COMMAND!!!!!!!!!  THE PROCESS REQUIRES ME TO RUN THIS COMMAND!!!!!!!!!!!  BUT THE THING WON'T LET ME RUN IT?????????????  WHAT IN THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  IT GIVES ME SOME FUCKING BULLSHIT ABOUT THE VERSION BEING WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!   HEY, ASSHAT, I'M RUNNING THIS FUCKING FILE RIGHT OUT OF THE WINDOWS INSTALL THAT I'M TRYING TO RUN IT FOR, IF EVER THERE WAS A RIGHT VERSION OF THIS FILE, IT WOULD BE OUT OF THE INSTALL I'M TRYING TO RUN IT FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I have no idea what's going on.  I follow the instructions, and it doesn't work.  Which to me clearly means, some dipshits at microsoft didn't do their job right, either made programming mistakes, or improper instructions, which now has caused MY job to include fixing THEIR fucking mistakes because they didn't want to do their job properly.

Assholes!

So, I figure, it seems that this problem may have something to do with me trying to setup the 64 bit version of Windows 7, and I've googled and found things referencing 64 bit versions of windows pe.  Maybe it's the windows pe that doesn't like the version of the command I'm running, and I need a fucking 64 bit version of windows pe to run this extra step I shouldn't need to run this command that should just fucking work.

So, I find again the documentation on making a windows pe disc.

And, it includes steps that may or may not be optional, commands that don't fucking work, and results in me creating a windows pe disc that WON'T FUCKING BOOT!!!!!!!!!!

So, I'd just like to say to all the fine programmers at Microsoft

FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FUCK YOU FOR NOT DOING YOUR FUCKING JOBS RIGHT, MAKING THIS PROCESS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE LIFE EASIER AS FUCKING COMPLICATED AS POSSIBLE, AND FOR TRYING TO RUIN ME HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY DON'T YOU TRY, OH, I DUNNO, DOING YOUR FUCKING JOBS PROPERLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A PROCESS THAT'S MEANT TO MAKE OUR LIVES EASIER, WHY NOT TRYING TO ACTUALLY MAKE IT WORK RIGHT, AND NOT MAKE IT MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT NEEDS TO BE????????????



Oh, also, I bought a roku box today, which I don't need, can't use, and won't work how I want it to, so I have that frustration to look forward to.  Thank you Vamp, you suck.