Deployment Woes

[Ste_Harve]

Hi all,

I'm running a server 2003 and XP Pro network at the minute. We've taken the chance to add a server 2008 box to the domain and also have 30 vista laptops to setup.

Now i've got WDS up and running and use that to image my windows xp machines over the network. Works well and takes about 15-20 mins to do a machine.

Now when i get to the vista ones this is where I run into problems. I've got a laptop built with all the drivers and apps on i want on the image. Now the bit I struggle with is where do i go from here? I know under XP i would sysprep and boot to image capture utility and capture the image. The sysprep file took care of the rest of the setup process.

Can anyone give a guide or step by step guide to image a vista machine? Under XP all the machines are staged in AD and this allows them to pull machinename variable into sysprep, can similar be done in Vista? And what is this KMS I keep reading about.

TIA,

Ste

[FN-GM]

Serves you right for using Vista :P Sorry im not an expert on this so i can't help you.

Just out of curiosity where about in Preston are you at?

Z

[Ste_Harve]

I'm in Bamber Bridge mate.

I know but the deputy wants to trial it. I've used it on my home laptop for a few months and since SP1 it seems a lot better. Just hope someone can help with it!!

[jcollings]

I'm in Bamber Bridge mate.

I know but the deputy wants to trial it. I've used it on my home laptop for a few months and since SP1 it seems a lot better. Just hope someone can help with it!!

I just don't understand situations like this - as network manager surely you decide if it's viable to trial something not the dep head. Staff come to me asking to trial stuff but I decide if we can do it or not.

[Ste_Harve]

I just don't understand situations like this - as network manager surely you decide if it's viable to trial something not the dep head. Staff come to me asking to trial stuff but I decide if we can do it or not.

I do, but this is something that i'm interested in trying out to. I'm looking at it as a way of learning how to deal with vista deployment so if i go to another job i've got the experience of how to do it. Swings and roundabouts really.

[jcollings]

I do, but this is something that i'm interested in trying out to. I'm looking at it as a way of learning how to deal with vista deployment so if i go to another job i've got the experience of how to do it. Swings and roundabouts really.

Fair point.

[SYNACK]

You might want to have a play with this (BDD) It ha most of the tools you should need. It also includes tools to change the windows image configuration right within the image file while it is offline if you have used imagex.

The command that you would run on the fully configured laptop before you image it is " sysprep.exe /generalize "

KMS is the preferred method for liscencing Vista machines as each machine will pull down a liscence automatically from your server and register with MS through the server. The only other option is MAK keys which are unique for each machine.