Screen Resolution control in OSD

There are two places that you may want to control the screen resolution; during the WINPE phase of setup, and during the actual setup of the deployed OS. Each of these screen resolutions can be controlled using the methods described below.

WINPE Screen Resolution

You must ensure that the graphics driver within the WINPE image supports the resolution you are trying to set. If it does you can control the resolution by using setres.exe (http://www.iansharpe.com/setres.php)

cmd /c "%scriptroot%\SETRES" h1024 v768 b16

OS Setup Screen Resolution

You can control the resolution by using task sequence variables, or by using an unattended XML file.

To use the task sequence variables, you'll need two, one for the height, and one for the width.

"Set Task Sequence Variable", and use the variable name "Xresolution", with the value "1280".
"Set Task Sequence Variable", and use the variable name "Yresolution", with the value "720".

Or use whatever values you wish, just make sure the driver supports it.



The other way to accomplish this is to use an XML answer file. The following is an example XML file as documented on www.windows-noob.com (A great site)
:

Use an unattend.xml:
Create a package, no program and add it to the distribution point.
In the "Apply Operating System" step of your task sequence, select the checkbox for "Use an unattended or sysprep answer file for a custom installation", select the package and enter the name of the unattend.xml file.

For example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
<servicing>
<package action="configure">
<assemblyIdentity name="Package_for_KB935509" version="6.0.1.9" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="" />
</package>
<package action="configure">
<assemblyIdentity name="Package_for_KB937287" version="6.0.1.18000" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="" />
</package>
<package action="configure">
<assemblyIdentity name="Package_for_KB938371" version="6.0.1.25" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="" />
</package>
</servicing>
<settings pass="specialize">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-IE-InternetExplorer" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<StartPages>
<StartPage wcm:action="add">
<StartPageUrl>http://www.google.be</StartPageUrl>
<StartPageKey>Home</StartPageKey>
</StartPage>
</StartPages>
<CompanyName>BlaBla</CompanyName>
<Home_Page>http://www.google.be</Home_Page>
<IEWelcomeMsg>false</IEWelcomeMsg>
<TrustedSites></TrustedSites>
</component>
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Display>
<HorizontalResolution>1920</HorizontalResolution>
<VerticalResolution>1200</VerticalResolution>
</Display> </component>
</settings>
<settings pass="windowsPE">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<Display>
<HorizontalResolution>1920</HorizontalResolution>
<VerticalResolution>1200</VerticalResolution>
</Display> <DynamicUpdate>
<Enable>true</Enable>
<WillShowUI>Never</WillShowUI>
</DynamicUpdate>
</component>
</settings>
<settings pass="oobeSystem">
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup" processorArchitecture="x86" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
<OOBE>
<HideEULAPage>true</HideEULAPage>
</OOBE>
</component>
</settings>
<cpi:offlineImage cpi:source="wim://sccm/packages$/test-xml/install.wim#Windows Vista BUSINESS" xmlns:cpi="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:cpi" />
</unattend>


Lastly, I have heard others have had success with a program called "Qres.exe" from AKSoftware (http://home.no/aksoftware/) by specifying this as the command line:

Command line: Qres.exe /X: 1400 /Y: 1050 /C: 32.

The new journey

This is the beginning of a new blog.


I will be using this blog as a notepad to record my discoveries, problems, solutions that I find along the way in the world of deploying the Microsoft Optimized Desktop.

My daily life involves deploying the latest Microsoft desktop operating system, which is currently Windows 7. That includes the latest Microsoft Office productivity suite, which is currently Office 2010.

The tools I use include the Microsoft Desktop Toolkit 2010 (MDT), Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), and many other tools, utilities, and programs, but that gives you a pretty good idea of what I do.

I hope you find the information you'll discover here to be useful and that I can save you some time and frustration by posting my discoveries along the way.