The Automated Deployment Services 1.1 deployment agent does not start on a Windows Server 2003 SP2-based computer

When the Automated Deployment Services (ADS) 1.1 deployment agent tries to start on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2)-based computer, the deployment agent does not start as expected.

This problem may occur even after you install the software update that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

This problem occurs because of a compatibility issue between ADS 1.1 and the built-in Ramdisk driver. This compatibility issue occurs when ADS 1.1 is running on a Windows Server 2003 SP2-based computer. When this problem occurs, the Ramdisk image is locked by the Ramdisk driver while the builder service tries to move the image from the pre-staging folder to the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) folder.

After you install update 937088, you might encounter timing issues when the RAM disk is created. When this behavior occurs, the RAM disk is not created successfully. This problem typically occurs only on fast computers that have two-or-more processors.

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, submit a request to Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language. The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Installation instructions

To resolve this issue, you must install update 937088 and the hotfix that is described earlier in the "Resolution" section.

Note For more information about update 937088, see the "Symptoms" section.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.