Windows 7 Deployment Idiots guide

[Jambo_C]

Hi,

Over the summer we're upgrading all our servers to Server 2008 R2 and we intend to upgrade all our curriculum PC's to Windows 7. As we have around 250 PC's of varying makes I'm hoping there is an easy way to deploy this over the network. I've done a few searches and there seems to be various ways and lots of different information. I was hoping someone may have a link to an "idiots guide" to deploying Windows 7 images over the network.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[nephilim]

Do you have sccm and SCOM on your server? They'll make the task invariably easier

[Jambo_C]

No, we haven't got that.

[sted]

do you want it totally automated or are you happy to visit workstations to start/end the process

[Jambo_C]

Ideally, I'd like to be able to set up a standard image containing software etc.

I would then like to put that out to all the machines, which will hopefully be able to pick up drivers from somewhere so I only need one image for the various makes.

Ideally I'd like them to be automatically added to the domain but I don't mind having to go round them and enter the computer name.

[sted]

mdt will do all that. Set up a vm (for ease it can be a real pc) install windows 7 insert version here. Update. Install software you are not installing via gpo. sysprep (if its a vm snapshot 1st). using wds pull a copy of the image to the server. export the image from wds and import into mdt. Add all your drivers to mdt (in some sort of sensible structure so i tend to do folders for each os then a folder for each pc and add drivers to that) update your mdt deployment share. add those wim files to wds. Create a mdt task to deploy your image. boot client to litetouch x?? fill in the name etc (you can make an xml file to fill in domain credentials automatically but im not 100% sure its a good idea from a security point of view) go away and pc will build and and to domain (granted this is a cut down version but it gives you a rough idea and there are good guides out there that will fill in the blanks)

[Jambo_C]

Thanks, that sounds like what I'm after. I'll have a look round, I'll hopefully be able to find a step by step guide.

[sted]

Thanks, that sounds like what I'm after. I'll have a look round, I'll hopefully be able to find a step by step guide.

for the basics you just need an hour or so and a vm or 2 after that its all about "fiddling" my main issue atm is whatever my sysprep files say it wants to install in yank not brit