Host refresh error with 20H2 and 2004

B

Bournesup

Member
History;
  1. I recently installed 2004 and used the feature update to 2009;
  2. I used the media creation tool to download 2009 (20H2)
I converted the esd to wim and exported the 10 pro x64 to another location and copy that file back into the sources directory;
I restarted ntlite no problems as it recognized the 10 pro x64 bit version. I imported the 2004 preset, and updated the update files.

I created the custom ISO for safe keeping. I then used the untouched 20H2 iso and used the host refresh method to update my PC. However, I get the following error. I aborted the installation and took screenshots and included my current preset.

I do not know what is causing this error. Is it windows o/s or ntlite. I've included the ntlite log.

Note when I installed 2004 it was a fresh install and the system reserved space is now 50MB, before it was above 500MB. I made no changes to disk partitioning, and allowed windows o/s to handle the system reserve space.

According to NUHI

yes, I noticed the same on 1909 and 2009, it's because Microsoft is using 1903 and 2004 bases for the ISOs, while the feature upgrade bump is "just" an integrated hotfix, fully in effect only after install.
Meaning your 1909 host is detecting an older 1903 ISO and does not support downgrades.

Will check if the order of integration or something can be done to bypass that.

Unfortunately I get the same error when updating 2004 iso. Attached is my preset for that ISO
 

Attachments

  • winhosterror.jpg
    winhosterror.jpg
    111.4 KB
  • Auto-saved session {DE36265C-E05B-4B24-B740-9C2E7C2FDC26}.xml
    35.8 KB
  • NTLite.log
    168.6 KB
  • Auto-saved session {52399064-1620-41F3-806A-6E85D44DECF4}.xml
    41.5 KB
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It's Windows, more precisely it is the setup portion of 2009 ISO being 2004 in the core, it does not see the Feature Upgrade KB in it.

So theoretically it would help to uninstall the 2004->2009 KB (kb4562830), but I believe it's not possible by default.
I'll be rechecking if it's possible to force this somehow, quite annoying, and been waiting on Microsoft to fix it since the 1903->1909 days, same problem.
 
I was able to update my 2004 via ntlite to something... then hostrefresh my system to insider without losing any data
 
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ege914 said:
I was able to update my 2004 via ntlite to something... then hostrefresh my system to insider without losing any data
Click to expand...
Yeah it's not a problem when upgrading from 1903->2004->21H1
Problem is when refreshing/inplace-upgrading 2009->2009, it detects the image as 2004, because technically 2009 is just a KB integrated into 2004 image.
So it thinks you are trying to downgrade 2009->2004.
 
I used your tool (above) to download 20H2. I installed Win 10 Core on a VM. Then, after installing VirtualBox's Guest Additions (so that I could share a folder between Host and Guest) I tried Refreshing with the same 20H2 image.

It still doesn't work for me.

Now, I didn't use a Product Key in this test. So if you did, that could be one difference.

I didn't let my 20H2 talk to the Internet at all. So perhaps that's another difference.
 
Well, in preparation for patch Tuesday I uninstalled (kb4562830) the feature update to 20H2. I do not want to do a fresh install of windows. Thus, I am back to 2004.
 
pmikep said:
I used your tool (above) to download 20H2. I installed Win 10 Core on a VM. Then, after installing VirtualBox's Guest Additions (so that I could share a folder between Host and Guest) I tried Refreshing with the same 20H2 image.

It still doesn't work for me.

Now, I didn't use a Product Key in this test. So if you did, that could be one difference.

I didn't let my 20H2 talk to the Internet at all. So perhaps that's another difference.
Click to expand...


My Windows was activated an I used host refresh without loading any preset. Will try it on VirtualBox too
 
nuhi said:
Good news.
Microsoft fixed the 2009->2009 refreshing in the cumulative update 1904X.662.
Update the host, and it should support the refresh.
Click to expand...
That is good news. Hopefully you'll be able to reverse engineer the change in the update so that NTLite can force a Host Refresh for those of us who don't want to install cumulative updates! :)
 
Well, I updated my current 2004 with the feature update to 2009;
I used the 20H2 Iso and integrated with the cumulated update with 1904x.662. Unfortunately I get the same error.
What I will do next Tuesday, is integrate the 2004 with the update that is release next Tuesday. After that I will use utilize the 20H2 version and integrate all appropriate updates and see if I get the same error. This time I will not integrate the feature update.
 
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The next step; Integrate the 662 update into the host (current o/s) before refresh next Tuesday then install the feature update to 20H2. Then wait to January to check for the next update.
 
Last piece of the puzzle. When upgrading to 2009 from 2004 there are new settings that are not compatible with 2004. I forgot to take a screen shot. But the overall concept that I would not be able to install 20H2 over 2004 with the host refresh method. I got a warning that the new settings were not compatible with 2004 and microsoft is aware of these short comings and are working on the solution.

Secondly, when modifying 20H2 steps I took were:
  1. Convert the esd to wim
  2. Deleted unused editions from the list
  3. Created a base ISO.
Note; Do not export the o/s edition as a wim and copy that wim back to the sources directory. You must delete the o/s editions that you do not want in the install wim.
 
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after host refresh i got microsoft privacy settings window like fresh installed machine. it didnt happen before
 
pmikep said:
That is good news. Hopefully you'll be able to reverse engineer the change in the update so that NTLite can force a Host Refresh for those of us who don't want to install cumulative updates! :)
Click to expand...
Try this out, thanks to ege914 for the tip. Will implement that as needed if they haven't baked it into their future testing.
Until then do it manually, and careful, haven't tested the claim.
 
"EditionBuildBranch"="vb_release"
"EditionBuildLab"="19041.vb_release.191206-1406"
"EditionBuildLabEx"="19041.1.amd64fre.vb_release.191206-1406"
"EditionBuildNumber"=dword:00004a62 <---Modify this key to the 4a61 value.
"EditionBuildQfe"=dword:0000023c <---Modify this key to the 1fc value.

Looking at this registry key these names and values do not exist.
The first three keys exist under a different name
  1. BuildBranch
  2. Buildlab
  3. BuildLabEx
The last two keys do not exist.

Also note the current version of 20H2 is 19042.631 as obtained by the media creation tool.
 
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The last piece of the puzzle when migrating in 20H2. If you have changed the names of the built in accounts you will not be able to use the host refresh method. According to Microsoft they are working on the solution in their upcoming update.
 
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