After pre-boot authentication occurs, the BIOS settings must be correctly set for Windows. With older or unusual hardware configurations, the standard ZENworks PBA boot method and Linux kernel configuration used to provide the BIOS settings might not work, resulting in hardware that does not function correctly or is not recognized by Windows.
This page provides support for older or unusual hardware configurations. These configurations might include the following:
Hardware that does not function correctly or is no longer recognized under Windows after successful pre-boot authentication.This failure occurs because not all of the BIOS settings can be correctly handled and set for Windows.
New hardware that is not yet natively supported.
Poorly programmed BIOS implementations.
Some devices might not support the boot methods or Linux kernel configurations used to provide hardware compatibility.
Hardware compatibility is enabled through the use of the default Linux boot method and two alternative boot options for support. These alternative boot methods, as well as specific hardware settings, are defined through the use of a DMI (Direct Media Interface) file. Alternative boot methods include Simple PBA and Graphical PBA (UEFI firmware only). There is also an option to configure the PBA resolution. Graphical PBA and PBA resolution are particularly useful for tablet devices.
Configuration entries for these three DMI file options include the following:
Simple PBA: KERNEL=[SDP_KERNEL_SIMPLE_PBA]
Graphical PBA: KERNEL=[SDP_KERNEL_SIMPLE_PBA_GUI]
PBA Resolution:You can use the default setting or a custom configuration:
Default: PBA_RESOLUTION=DEFAULT
Custom: PBA_RESOLUTION=<explicit resolution>
The predefined file includes the following default setting:
KERNEL=[SDP_KERNEL_DEFAULT] KICKSTART=BIOS PBA_RESOLUTION=DEFAULT
It is applied to all hardware configurations unless a another configuration is explicitly defined in the file. For example:
[LENOVO, 20BS006*] DMI_SYS_VENDOR=LENOVO DMI_PRODUCT_NAME=20BS006 KICKSTART=BIOS KERNEL=[SDP_KERNEL_SIMPLE_PBA] PBA_RESOLUTION=DEFAUL
Before you can add a hardware configuration to the DMI file, you must know the hardware configuration. ZENworks provides a utility, DMICONFIG, to discover this information.
Go to the device whose hardware configuration you want to discover.
Open a command shell (run as Administrator) and run c:\windows\nac\sbs\dmiconfig dump.
Write down the configuration lines that were dumped to the screen.
If you are adding a hardware configuration, make sure you have the configuration information (see Discovering Hardware Information).
On the Hardware Compatibility page of the Create New Disk Encryption Policy wizard or from the DMI Settings tab on the Details page of an existing policy:
Click Edit.
Add the hardware information.
Add the KICKSTART line with the method you want to use:
KICKSTART=BIOS: This is the standard method used by the ZENworks PBA and is for systems that have unusual hardware configurations. This method reboots the computer a second time so that the BIOS hardware settings can be passed to Windows.
KICKSTART=KEXEC: This method is similar to KICKSTART=BIOS but does not require a second reboot.
Customize the boot option and PBA resolution, if applicable:
If you want PBA authentication using Simple PBA (no graphical interface), add the following line: KERNEL=[SDP_KERNEL_SIMPLE_PBA]
If you have hardware types that display the PBA screens with distorted resolution you can modify the resolution using one of the following options:
PBA_RESOLUTION=DEFAULT
-or-
PBA_RESOLUTION=<explicit resolution>
For example: PBA_RESOLUTION=1200x800
NOTE:The x in the resolution parameter must be a lowercase x.
Click OK to save your changes. See below for an example of a customized DMI configuration:
[LENOVO, 20BS006*] DMI_SYS_VENDOR=LENOVO DMI_PRODUCT_NAME=20BS006 KICKSTART=BIOS KERNEL=[SDP_KERNEL_SIMPLE_PBA] PBA_RESOLUTION=DEFAUL