Unable to connect to Deployment share via the 2012 Update 1 workbench.

Question

Hi Everyone,
This is a tricky one, I've been scratching my head for a few days now. I have a MDT deployment share, which lives on a server, for argument sake, lets call it: MDT-01. Via the Servers MDT Workbench, I can connect to the deployment share just fine, from
any PC, other than my main PC (which is running Windows 8.1), I can connect to the deployment share just fine. If I load the MDT Workbench on my main PC, it just has a deployment share folder with a red cross on it. If I attempt to remove it, it crashes the
MMC, if I try and open the same deployment share it crashes the MMC. If I give the Deployment Share a different share name, it errors and says I can't use an existing deployment share folder.
I used to be able to connect to the share just fine, but since the last couple of days I've not been able to connect.
Further investigation with PowerShell reveals that the console thinks it has a persistent drive, DS001, but the path is blank, as in ''.
Restore-MDTPersistentDrive -verboseVERBOSE: Restoring drive 'DS001' with path ''WARNING: Unable to restore drive DS001.
If I try to remove the Persistent drive, it errors, and if I try to add any new drive to either the same deployment share, or an alternative, it fails.
I can use the New-PSDrive and Remove-PSDrive Powershell commands to create/remove a replicated drive, but that doesn't actually change the Path value in the Get/Restore-MDTPersistantDrive, as they seem to be separate, even though I think they should
be linked.
The Internet has been no help, so I'm asking the Microsoft crew to be helpful, and not just do the usual "This is posted in the wrong place, this question will now be closed... etc, etc!" This is an MDT question, not a Powershell question, I just
need anyone who has indepth MDT knowledge to look at this.
To make clear, this is not a question about a client connecting to the deployment share, that all works fine, and I can update the deployment share fine from any other workbench.
I cannot connect to my deployment share, from my local MMC MDT workbench, as it thinks it already has one, but with a blank path. I've uninstalled, and reinstalled both the MDT, and ADK components on my Local PC, but I still cannot connect to the Share.
My question is this: The files/registry that stores this DS001 path setting is clearly local to my PC, but where is it, I've search the reg, and I've check files, but to no avail, I'm likely to rebuild my PC because of this, but I'd rather not if I can help
it.
Any Ideas people?
P.s. Sorry if this post seems rude, I do appreciate the help, I just don't have time for being messed about, as we're migrating our XP system to 7, and with less than 60 days remaininf, I could do without this... Thanks for understanding. :D

Answer 1

Persistent drives are just a easy way for the MDT console to keep track of the Deployment Shares you like the most (think of it as "pinning" Deployment Shares to the console).
The list of persisted Deployment Shares are per user and stored in the file:
"%AppData%\Microsoft\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\User.Config"
Mine looks like:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<userSettings>
<MDTProvider>
<setting name="Drive1Name" serializeAs="String">
<value>DS001</value>
</setting>
<setting name="Drive1Path" serializeAs="String">
<value>C:\DeploymentShare</value>
</setting>
<setting name="Drive1Description" serializeAs="String">
<value>MDT Deployment Share</value>
</setting>
</MDTProvider>
</userSettings>
</configuration>
Make sure the Drive Path points to something valid, otherwise, I would delete (rename) the file and let MDT re-create the file.
I hope this answers your question.
Keith Garner - keithga.wordpress.com