RIS - Tips for beginners

[E1uSiV3]

You can deploy WMP using group policy and this tool

[Quackers]

Originally Posted by Dos_Box

No it doesn't. RIS reads the GUID\MAC address straight from the motherboard. It does this to check whether you computer is on a managed account. If you prestage the computer i.e. create the account and manually enter the MAC adress or GUID, then when you log onto RIS on the client computer it will automatically show the computers name before imaging starts. If the computer is not prestaged it will give it some random name (RIS1, RIS2, RIS3 etc).

Do you get this screen when you do a RIS install?

http://www.microsoft.com/library/med...mote08_big.gif

If you select custom setup rather than automatic you can enter a computer name. It will then create a computer account on the server put the GUID in the Managed computer field for you put it into the OU you specify in the RIS client setup screen so it saves time manually creating computer accounts and typing the GUID when RIS does all that for you. It only does the RIS1, RIS2, RIS3 random name thing like you say when you select Automatic setup and it has no GUID data in Active diretcory for that PC. As long as you do custom setup for the first time out of the box, you can use Automatic setup in future as it will know what the PC name is from the GUID.

[tarquel]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

I use A slipstream XP sp2 source. I then Use the Ryan VM integrator to put in the windows updates + the MP 10 pack. I use BTs driver packs but have found I needed to add some drivers as well myself. I also use Nlite to chop out all the extra languages and stuff to make the source smaller.
I use Rogue Spears Autoris script to help me do all this as well.

Sorry - forgot to ask you after doing all this, you use that XP CD/build for the base OS installation files that RIS asks for during the initial setup, or should I just use a non-automated XP CD with just SP2 and the hotfixes in it?

About to setup RIS shortly so any quick advice on which is fine would be great.

Cheers
Nath

[tarquel]

Should you use a unmodified XP SP2 for the base image or a customised and/or updated one?

and another question is:

Can I deploy the image on a target machine, install the drivers and Office and other applications, then send it back to the RIS server as a seperate image? [or somthing like this]

The latter is because with our setup, we have different machines and different applications and I dont fully understand whats to do [*points and laughs at himself*].

Severely running out of time now - any help welcome.
Nath

[Dos_Box]

Should you use a unmodified XP SP2 for the base image or a customised and/or updated one?

Ideally you should use an unmodified disc. Slipstreamed disks are acceptable (I use them)

Can I deploy the image on a target machine, install the drivers and Office and other applications, then send it back to the RIS server as a seperate image? [or somthing like this]

Yes. This is how you are supposed to use RIS. It is known as RIPPREPing.

[GrumbleDook]

We have the following methods for RIS and imaging.

A machine is prepared to go into a room, fully patched, all required apps for that room. We then RIPPREP it and send it back to the server.

If we have to install any applications we then move those computers into a sub OU and deploy the application to it until we can prepare a new image.

[tarquel]

Originally Posted by Dos_Box

Yes. This is how you are supposed to use RIS. It is known as RIPPREPing.

Any good guides to this?

@tony:

Gotcha - I've got most deployable by a batch script [as some are the usual custom software that has never been anywhere near a msi lol] but of course, but through Software Deployment / OU's would be sooo much better - Office is the main one, as we have different versions on different machines unfortunately.

Any examples are welcome

Nath.

[ChrisH]

Riprep is easy. You install from a flat RIS image to begin with then you add all the software you want. Then browse to your ris share and in the admin folder you will find the program for the riprep wizard. Run that and sitback.
When you go to install a PC next time you will ahve an extra option.
I have had strange behaviour with drivers with riprep though so I have stuck to flat images.
Specifically you could image the machine and a normal user would log on and it would work fine but would want to "install" the hard drive which they couldnt but it would work fine anyways. Then when an admin logs on the hard drive gets installed properly reboot BSOD .
Nobody could provide an explanation at the time so I stuck with flat installs. RIPREP is faster as it is basically file copy, a quick thrashing then its ready to run. The flat method takes longer with all the installing and such but I find it more flexible.

[tarquel]

The only thing is about joining to the domain - when and how? to install Office and such, I use batch files [as i mentioned above etc] so of course, i'd need to be attached to the domain to install the software.

At what point should I run the ripprep wizard?

I'm gonna use [with AutoRIS] just a image of the SP2 disc [a slipstreamed one with only SP2 on it] and then use RVM's stuff - as directed. Use the M2 helper and BTS's LAN DriverPack, and intergrate the NIC drivers's of AutoRIS.

And something else - which I've just forgot hehe

Nath

[ChrisH]

Typically your computer account should be in an OU with a GPO assigned to it to install the version of office you want. In an ideal world the assigned software should start installing when the machine first boots after the riprepping stuff has finished installing. That is not always the case though and a reboot is sometimes needed to get the GPO stuff to catch up. I would probably in that case make the machine reboot with a runonce entry.
When mine install the last thing to run is a registry defragger that does an auto reboot when its done.
As for joining the domain it should be in the script the riprep produces I think if not check out Dos_Box post in the How do you do it section and there is a guide and example answer files in there.

[tarquel]

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?...dpost&p=471803

is my new problem.

The autoRIS way worked great and I've got everything ready to use ripprep to send a image back to the server - only, it doesnt, and says the image is not the same - despite the odd fact that I havent changed anything [on the server] since installation :S

Really wish I hadnt bothered tho the machine's setup is great and is configured nicely - jsut a shame I cant deploy it *tears hair out madly*

Nath

[Dos_Box]

The link is broken. Can anyone attach AutoRIS here for me to look at please?

[ajbritton]

Originally Posted by tarquel

... and says the image is not the same - despite the odd fact that I havent changed anything [on the server] since installation

Sounds to me like an update/hotfix has modified the kernel on your image so the version no longer matches the vanilla image.

[tarquel]

I was thinking the same thing ajb, except that the base image i setup earlier today and client was installed afterwards - in order to ripprep it [with Office 2k3 & various apps] and send it back to the rest of the machines I have to install - just wonder if the client has the problem i.e. that there is some hotfix installed that has changed the kernal version like you say :S

Wonder if google will produce any results lol

Thanks
Nath

[ajbritton]

Are you applying hotfixes / windows updates to your image prior to riprep?