Remote Installation Services (RIS)

[Dos_Box]

OK, this is actually quite simple. First you need to go here and follow the instructions.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro.../remoteos.mspx

Done? Right. Now you have it installed you may find that when you try to image your first computer it fubarrs with an error about NIC drivers. Don't panic. Follow the guide here and you should be able to remedy the situsation.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;246184

Happy? Is it installing the base image you created? Good.

Once the image is created simply add all of the drivers and software that you usually would to your images. After you have setup your PC navigate your way to \\risservername\reminst\admin\i386\ and double click on ripprep.exe.
This starts the remote installation imaging process. It is wizard based and very easy to follow. If it asks you to shut down some services simply fire up Task Manager and close them from there. Your PC will now image automatically.

Once it has finished imaging it will reboot and ask you to fill in all of the registration details, serial number etc. This is because it is script based and the default script it has created for this image contains non of this information. The scrip can get long winded and messy. To save you the hassel of creating it yourself I have included the best configuration below. Simply fill in the blanks.
*Important - The line near the bottom which reads

HalName=halaacpi.dll

MUST be the same as the one in the default file created by RIS. Some are different. Cut and paste it if you need to.

[data]
floppyless = "1"
msdosinitiated = "1"
OriSrc = "\\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE %"
OriTyp = "4"
LocalSourceOnCD = 1
DisableAdminAccountOnDomainJoin = 1

[SetupData]
OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect"
SetupSourceDevice ="\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%I NSTALLPATH%"
SysPrepDevice="\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SERVERNAM E%\RemInst\%SYSPREPPATH%"
SysPrepDriversDevice="\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SE RVERNAME%\RemInst\%SYSPREPDRIVERS%"

[Unattended]
OemPreinstall = no
FileSystem = LeaveAlone
ExtendOEMPartition = 0
TargetPath = \WINDOWS
OemSkipEula = yes
InstallFilesPath = "\\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE %"
LegacyNIC = 1

[UserData]
ProductID=YOUR WINDOWS KEY
FullName = "Authorised User"
OrgName = "YOUR SCHOOL NAME"
ComputerName ="%MACHINENAME%"

[GuiUnattended]
OemSkipWelcome=1
OemSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=85
AdminPassword="YOUR LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS PASSWORD "
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode=44
AreaCode=YOUR LOCAL AREA CODE
LongDistanceAccess="9"

[RegionalSettings]
LanguageGroup=1
SystemLocale=00000809
UserLocale=00000809
InputLocale=0809:00000809

[Display]
BitsPerPel = 32
XResolution = 1280
YResolution = 1024
VRefresh = 60

[Networking]

[NetServices]
MS_Server=params.MS_PSched

[Identification]
JoinDomain = %MACHINEDOMAIN%
DoOldStyleDomainJoin = Yes

[RemoteInstall]
Repartition = Yes
UseWholeDisk = Yes

[url]
Home_Page=YOUR HOMEPAGE
Search_Page=www.google.co.uk

[Proxy]
Proxy_Enable=1
Use_Same_Proxy=1
HTTP_Proxy_Server=YOUR PROXY DETAILS:PORT NUMBER
Proxy_Override=<local>


[OSChooser]
Description ="THE NAME FOR THIS IMAGE - MUST BE UNIQUE!"
Help =""
LaunchFile ="%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%\templates\startrom.c om"
ImageType =SYSPREP
Version="5.1 (2600)"
SysPrepSystemRoot="Mirror1\UserData\WINDOWS"
HalName=halaacpi.dll
ProductType=0

Simply fill in the details where CAPS are used except for the line beginning SysPrepSystemRoot, and you're away.

[Dos_Box]

You can also use the Setupmgr.exe tool from your Windows disk (in the support\tools folder) to create RIS files. You can also add printers by including the following lines.

[GuiRunOnce]
Command0="rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server\printer"
Command1="rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server\printer"

[altecsole]

I've never used RIS (yet), just Ghost. If you want to re-image a full classroom is there anyway you can automatically set the machine names? At the moment, in my new school, they have to visit each machine to set the computer name.

Also, to take account of different hardware. Can you manually add drivers for different graphics and sound cards etc.

Thanks.

[Dos_Box]

Hints and Tips:

1. Date you images on the description line. It is this line which appears on the image selection menu. It is less confusing if you have several images for one hardware type.
2. The .SIF files live in the following location \\risservername\remisnst\setup\(your language)\images\imagefolder\i386\templates
3. DO NOT delete the base image (the one you created by placing your Windows XP/2000 CD in the server) folder. All images rely on this and all will fail if it is removed and you will have to start from scratch.
4. Images are not compressed like Ghost so allow ample space on your server for them.
5. RIS images are self healing. If a windows file becomes coerrupted then a new one will be taken from the base image and used to replace the broken one (neat huh?).
6. If everything is working correctly then you will have to perform no post-config operations at all, and a user can be free to log on once the system has come online.
7. Setup a default user profile. The instaructions below are for Win 2k
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;305709
They used to work for XP but since XP SP2 they have become a little strange!.
8. Do not compress any files or folders on the PC to be imaged. It won't work if you do.

[Geoff]

Images are not compressed like Ghost so allow ample space on your server for them.

Presumably one can use NTFS filesystem compression on the images to no ill effect?

[Dos_Box]

Originally Posted by altecsole

I've never used RIS (yet), just Ghost. If you want to re-image a full classroom is there anyway you can automatically set the machine names? At the moment, in my new school, they have to visit each machine to set the computer name.

Also, to take account of different hardware. Can you manually add drivers for different graphics and sound cards etc.

Thanks.

When you create the computer account on the domain controller ensure you make the PC a 'Managed Computer' and enter in it's GUID (MAC) address. This will then tie in when imaging and automatically name the client during imaging.

[Dos_Box]

Originally Posted by Geoff

Presumably one can use NTFS filesystem compression on the images to no ill effect?

NO. It must be an uncompressed NTFS drive. But I will go away and double check.

[Dos_Box]

Yup do Not use compressed drives. Do not compress any files or folders on the pc to be imaged either. It won't work if you do.

[Geoff]

That sucks.

[Dos_Box]

How much will two 80 GB drives set you back!!!
Cheapskate!

[andy]

Are the installation files on the XP CD not compressed anyway?

And the fact that you only have 1 'image' of the OS to store, surely doesn't suck that much.

Andy.

[Dos_Box]

Yes they are compressed. On the CD. During installation they are uncompressed. They are then used as 'reference files' so that all images you create that origionated from these files will always use the same ones, instead of copying them again and again for every image.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Dos_Box

How much will two 80 GB drives set you back!!!
Cheapskate!

I wouldnt worry Geoff will probably use 6 old win 98 boxes together with a linux distro and share the file space over them all (or something of that nature)

[Ric_]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

I wouldnt worry Geoff will probably use 6 old win 98 boxes together with a linux distro and share the file space over them all (or something of that nature)

Beowolf cluster would be my bet

[ChrisH]

Gah I forgot about RIS images wanting to be on a seperate drive from the OS!!! I have just been trying to set it up on my new member server which is just the one 74 gig partition... Cant even get away with mapping a share