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Topics: Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide

From a fresh install to your first deployed machine. The Get started page (left menu, top) shows these same steps and ticks each one off by itself when it is really done, so you never have to remember where you were. Do them in this order. Drivers and Autopilot are each a step you can answer with "I don't need this", and the step is then done.

Step 1: Check the Windows ADK

The installer normally installs the Windows ADK and the WinPE add-on for you. Boot images and Windows images are built with them. If a later step says "ADK Issue", re-run the FluxDeploy installer's prerequisites step.

Step 2: Upload a Windows ISO

Go to ISO Library and click Upload ISO. Select a Windows 10, Windows 11 or Windows Server ISO (up to 20 GB). The Windows version is detected after the upload.

Step 3: Build a boot image

Go to Boot Images and click Build New Image. Give it a name and a locale. Every active WinPE driver is embedded, so add your hardware's network and storage drivers first (Drivers > WinPE) if your machines need them, or the machine will boot with no network. Building takes about 5 to 15 minutes and runs in the background, so carry on with the next steps while it builds.

When it finishes it is switched on for network boot automatically; there is nothing to activate. Only one boot image is active at a time. PXE is on by default and uses built-in ProxyDHCP, so on a normal single network you do not have to change your DHCP server. On a network with a separate DHCP server, set Option 66 to this server and Option 67 to bootmgfw.efi.

Step 4: Create a Windows image

Go to Windows Images and click Create Windows Image. The 4-step wizard:

  1. Source - Select your ISO and the edition (Home, Pro, Enterprise, and so on).
  2. Options - Name the image. Optionally apply Windows updates and remove built-in apps.
  3. Features - Turn on optional Windows features.
  4. Review - Confirm and start. It runs in the background; watch it on the History tab.

With updates enabled this is the longest step, often 15 to 60 minutes. Already have a WIM? Use Upload Custom WIM instead and skip Steps 2 and 4.

Step 5: Add driver packs

Go to Drivers, open the catalog, pick your vendor (Dell, HP, Lenovo or Microsoft), find your model and click Download. Without a pack for your hardware model a machine can miss network or storage drivers and fail to deploy. If your hardware needs none (for example virtual machines), choose I don't need driver packs on the Get started page.

Step 6: Set up Autopilot, or choose not to

If you enrol devices in Microsoft Intune with Windows Autopilot, connect your tenant under Settings > Cloud Integrations > Autopilot now, so your recipe can use it. If you do not use Autopilot, choose Not using Autopilot on the Get started page and the step is done. You can undo that choice later.

Step 7: Set the local administrator password

Click Set password on the Get started page and type the password the Administrator account should have on deployed machines. Without it, deployed machines have no account you can sign in with. You can change it later under Settings > Deployment > Unattend Settings.

Step 8: Create a recipe

Go to Recipes and click Create Recipe. Pick a name and the image from Step 4, and choose driver selection Auto (matches by hardware model) or Manual. Keep one recipe active: a machine is given the active recipe automatically. With none active a new machine waits forever, and with several the technician chooses at the machine.

Step 9: PXE boot your first machine

PXE boot a blank UEFI machine. The FluxDeploy agent will:

  1. Load WinPE drivers and bring up the network
  2. Register with the server and take the active recipe
  3. Partition the disk
  4. Stream and verify the image
  5. Inject drivers
  6. Write the answer file
  7. Reboot into Windows

Watch it live on Reports (Machines), or open the machine for its live console.

Rebuilding a server instead?

If you have a FluxDeploy backup, you do not need most of these steps: restore it on the first-run page, or under Settings > Diagnostics > Backup & Restore. The backup is two files (settings and assets). The Get started page then shows what is still open, including any restored drivers that could not be downloaded again under Needs your attention. See Backup & Restore.

Later

  • Relay sites - add a relay to deploy at a remote location.
  • Connected Cache - under Settings, if you use it.