The perfect base image...

[djones]

I am about to build a new image of windows xp plus our load of software to use throughout school (hal independent, automated everything and using WDS if I can learn/make it work quickly enough!).

 

What are your...

 

...must install applications/tools?

...must config options?

...must disable/uninstall components/services?

 

And anything else you can think of!

 

Thanks muchly, Dave.

[strawberry]

not quite what you were looking for i know, but its worth looking at Group policy for this sort of thing as it gives you more flexibility moving forwards.

 

we use an ou to set all services and install all the relevant software and just assign the relevant policys when needed.

[Lithium]

Windows XP + Updates - shame XP isn't like Vista

Adobe Master Collection (where applicable)

Serif DrawPlus/PagePlus (crap but insisted )

 

Everything else is installed via Group Policy

 

 

NB: How do you get XP to be HAL Independant??

[djones]

I've played with GPO for software distribution before and not had much luck hence why I'm going for the complete image.

 

I haven't actually tried to create a hal independent image of xp yet but I have read an incredible amount on the internet so far including using WDS to deploy one xp image regardless of hardware. However, some is conflicting advice so I am confused about certain elements!

 

I am going to give it a go and intend to write an idiots guide based on info from here and elsewhere. There are a lot of guides but not many that combine all the parts I and I expect others need or want :-(

[OutLawTorn]

A few things we usually have included in images:

 

USB Drive Letter Manager (specifies what letters are assigned to usb drives)

Media Player Classic (Similar to media player 6, plays most formats while using small memory overheads)

Web Album Generator (great for staff and students to make picture albums for webpages)

[bandgeekmafia78]

Shockwave, Flash player, Java Runtime, Drive Mappings (although some are done via GP), Printer mappings, Windows updates, Anti-virus updated, Full AV Scan, BGInfo at logon, yadda yadda yadda.

 

Best thing to do is document what you have/haven't done on the base image, so that in the future you can improve your images.

[strawberry]

download firefox and browse around the game sites and such so you get all the media players and associated doo dahs.

[torledo]

I am about to build a new image of windows xp plus our load of software to use throughout school (hal independent, automated everything and using WDS if I can learn/make it work quickly enough!).

 

What are your...

 

...must install applications/tools?

...must config options?

...must disable/uninstall components/services?

 

And anything else you can think of!

 

Thanks muchly, Dave.

 

must have apps and tools;

 

XP SP2

Java Runtime

Shockwave/flash

configs;

 

add per machine printers using printui commands

remove domain users from admin group.

disable system restore. (absolue MUST.)

disable windows firewall ( both can be done via GPO, but i always do it on the base image aswell).

disable msg service, does nothing useful but send annoying messages.

Security issues is reason for disarming msg.

 

I hate host based firewalls, can cause all sorts of problems...don't want to be pissing about with exceptions. Network Edge is where firewalls and IPS should be.

 

AV can be sent out centrally so don't bother with it on the build.

 

GPO printer and application deployment doesn't work for me, so i'd advice app deployment and patch management software such as SMS server.

 

Good thread btw.

[torledo]

Windows XP + Updates - shame XP isn't like Vista

Adobe Master Collection (where applicable)

Serif DrawPlus/PagePlus (crap but insisted )

 

Everything else is installed via Group Policy

 

 

NB: How do you get XP to be HAL Independant??

 

Another Pageplus user eh ? Our staff lurvvvve PP.

 

We did have an issue with Pageplus 11 whereby some features weren't available to users who weren't members of the local admin group.

 

It was the only app that did this , and contravened our security policy.

Fortunately they fixed this oversight in PP X2.

[plexer]

Why deploy the java runtime in the base image when it's easy enough to do it with gpo?

 

My base image contains the os as installed.

 

Everything else is done with policies.

 

Just testing wds on a virtual 2003 server atm going to use that for deployments.

 

Ben

[Andrew_C]

How about a temp folder on C: that the users CAN read/write. Point any software (CoolEdit / Audition for one) that needs a temp folder to it.

 

Bites quite often.

[torledo]

Why deploy the java runtime in the base image when it's easy enough to do it with gpo?

 

My base image contains the os as installed.

 

Everything else is done with policies.

 

Just testing wds on a virtual 2003 server atm going to use that for deployments.

 

Ben

 

As mentioned, software distribution via GPO is very temperamental in our environment. In the absence of SMS, Zenworks et al. I put all the key apps in the base image.

[john]

How are you deploying the Java? I tried and well failed

 

My base image has:

 

Codec packs, Foxit PDF Reader, Flash / Shockwave (GPO Deployed), Quicktime, RealPlayer, MS Office, Corel Graphics Suite and Paint Shop Pro, wallpapers, all the latest windows updates to date, and prob some other stuff I forgot.

[meastaugh1]

How are you deploying the Java? I tried and well failed

 

In what way did you fail?

 

It should just be a case of extracting the MSI from the local temp folder, then transforming the installation.

http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/deployment/deployment-guide/install-msi.html

[Lithium]

Windows XP + Updates - shame XP isn't like Vista

Adobe Master Collection (where applicable)

Serif DrawPlus/PagePlus (crap but insisted )

 

Everything else is installed via Group Policy

 

 

NB: How do you get XP to be HAL Independant??

 

Another Pageplus user eh ? Our staff lurvvvve PP.

 

We did have an issue with Pageplus 11 whereby some features weren't available to users who weren't members of the local admin group.

 

It was the only app that did this , and contravened our security policy.

Fortunately they fixed this oversight in PP X2.

 

I personally didn't want ANY Serif applications on there. Each one as far as I'm concered has been replaced by at least one application within the Adobe Master Collection.

 

But noooooo, apparently I'm wrong - In the end I had to give in due to anemail to the head I know I'm right though, and that's all that matters.

 

 

While on the subject of base images...

 

be sure to remove the XP games I made that mistake once...

 

We don't use redirected start menu's, so we tidy those up too - removing/hiding the stuff nobody needs to click on... AV, Defender, Messenger etc.

[georgebush]

I've started putting that new Silverlight player on too for when things start to use it.

 

We have to do everything on the image here, our network is too slow and flaky for GPO especially with the wireless laptops it sends logon times through the roof and often fails to apply, so until the next financial year we're stuck.

 

If anything has to get put on after imaging its a case of using netsupport to execute the installer at the clients and walking round pressing enter

 

Only problems I've had so far are Promissor and Dance eJay "Network Edition", both of which I prefer not to discuss in detail

[john]

How are you deploying the Java? I tried and well failed

 

In what way did you fail?

 

It should just be a case of extracting the MSI from the local temp folder, then transforming the installation.

http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/deployment/deployment-guide/install-msi.html

I probably fell over on the transforms, but I like to tinker IE no Caching of java stuff and no auto updates as that can cause it to crash and stick at times, but I don't mind being a few versions behind. I tend to re-image my main machines every term if not half term.

[torledo]

Windows XP + Updates - shame XP isn't like Vista

Adobe Master Collection (where applicable)

Serif DrawPlus/PagePlus (crap but insisted )

 

Everything else is installed via Group Policy

 

 

NB: How do you get XP to be HAL Independant??

 

Another Pageplus user eh ? Our staff lurvvvve PP.

 

We did have an issue with Pageplus 11 whereby some features weren't available to users who weren't members of the local admin group.

 

It was the only app that did this , and contravened our security policy.

Fortunately they fixed this oversight in PP X2.

 

I personally didn't want ANY Serif applications on there. Each one as far as I'm concered has been replaced by at least one application within the Adobe Master Collection.

 

But noooooo, apparently I'm wrong - In the end I had to give in due to anemail to the head I know I'm right though, and that's all that matters.

 

 

While on the subject of base images...

 

be sure to remove the XP games I made that mistake once...

 

We don't use redirected start menu's, so we tidy those up too - removing/hiding the stuff nobody needs to click on... AV, Defender, Messenger etc.

 

I think the trend is for things like redirected start menus, and dozens of applied GPO's so that image creation isn't the time consuming task it used to be, but more importantly so that you don't have to put too much thought into it. For instance i know that for a lot of people on here the base image is just a win xp base install with sp2 and one or two plugins, all the rest can be applied via GPO's or remotely through you're WSUS server, AV server etc.

 

When you use that approach it becomes pretty straightforward. And a lot of the time you don't even need to image, a windows unattended install is good enough if everything is done through GPO's and login scripts.

[kennysarmy]

you asked for it: LOL

 

Make LOCAL POWER USERS GROUPS inc. DOMAIN USERS

 

C:\ permissions for domain users - modify

 

Service Pack 2 + all updates...latest media player....& .net framework

 

Acrobat Reader 8

 

WinZip

 

etrust antivirus v 7.1 and updates to 7.1.

 

Office 2003

 

VNC latest installer now : Q:\K\VNC\Client VNC latest

 

Imagine Logo

 

Insight 2

 

Macromedia MX suite

 

Mind Manager

 

QuickTime

 

CUTE pdf WRITER

 

Flash Player

 

RealPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/audiohelp_install.shtml (use [email protected] to sign in and usual password)

 

Shockwave

 

Starter

 

WinAVI (power dvd required to make it work)

 

Pro Desktop 8 (fix it by starting new design - draw circle - feature extrude profile.)

 

Corel Draw 12 (register now then click never register) + patch

 

Seriff packages : MoviePlus - PagePlus11 - PhotoPlus

 

Autograph v3

 

Java

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters]

"MaintainServerList=No"

 

HeadSTART (\\fp2\HSSTSCL\Install\MSI's (both)

 

Tweak - proxycfg -u

 

Print Manager Plus End User Tool

 

Shutdown script.

 

SYSPREP

(remove etrust ID key)

AND GHOST

[gshaw]

For all the new images I make now (deployed with SMS OSD) I make an image sheet with the base software on that goes on every machine, that way there's something to refer back to later on...

 

Obvious stuff like the basic XP setup, correct screen res etc

 

Copy all driver files to a folder called c:\#install in case they're needed later (sometimes after re-imaging the OS re-copies the drivers)

Copy i386 folder to c:\i386

Windows Defender

SMS Client

Office inc Visio etc

Encarta 2008

Codec Packs inc. correct programs set for Autoplay

Hot Potatoes (teachers use it all the time to make resources)

Adobe Reader 8

Flash \ Shockwave Player

Digital Image Suite 2006

Photo Story

Tidy up the Start Menu (delete Outlook Express, Windows Messenger, MSN and move a few other bits under accessories)

 

For SmartBoards I put the software on the image and for our graphics rooms Adobe CS2 is on there as well

 

On Admin machines with Office 2007 I also put on the PDF and XPS converters so staff have a PDF writer on every machine.

 

Overall a nice neat image only comes to a few GB and has most of the day-to-day stuff on there, I'm glad in Adult Education we don't have as many apps as some schools do - I remember testing 20+ different software packages for compatibility a few years back... nightmare!

[torledo]

For all the new images I make now (deployed with SMS OSD) I make an image sheet with the base software on that goes on every machine, that way there's something to refer back to later on...

 

Obvious stuff like the basic XP setup, correct screen res etc

 

Copy all driver files to a folder called c:\#install in case they're needed later (sometimes after re-imaging the OS re-copies the drivers)

Copy i386 folder to c:\i386

Windows Defender

SMS Client

Office inc Visio etc

Encarta 2008

Codec Packs inc. correct programs set for Autoplay

Hot Potatoes (teachers use it all the time to make resources)

Adobe Reader 8

Flash \ Shockwave Player

Digital Image Suite 2006

Photo Story

Tidy up the Start Menu (delete Outlook Express, Windows Messenger, MSN and move a few other bits under accessories)

 

For SmartBoards I put the software on the image and for our graphics rooms Adobe CS2 is on there as well

 

On Admin machines with Office 2007 I also put on the PDF and XPS converters so staff have a PDF writer on every machine.

 

Overall a nice neat image only comes to a few GB and has most of the day-to-day stuff on there, I'm glad in Adult Education we don't have as many apps as some schools do - I remember testing 20+ different software packages for compatibility a few years back... nightmare!

 

We're also fortunate that as we don't have as many applications as schools, but i agree schools have a ton of applications.. what a nightmare. we got rid of all the crap a couple of years ago.. blackcat toolbox, JVT, and a load other stuff i've erased from memory.

 

Our core education apps are mindmanager smart. Kartouche and multimedia science.

Everything else we can accomplish using office, pageplus, photoshop and paintshop pro.

 

Forgot to mention .NET framework is also on our base image.

[gshaw]

Yeha we put .NET 1.1, 2 and 3 on ours as well, just grab em from Microsoft Update under the optional updates section

[djones]

Bingo, well...nearly! It looks like I may have successfully created a generic, hal independent base windows xp image with all required software and settings that is captured and then deployable using WDS to all our PCs and laptops (Dell - D505, D510, D520, GX520 and 755). It correctly loads the required drivers for each machine and joins the domain in the correct OU ready to be used by domain users.

 

This has been the first time I have experimented with WDS and SYSPREP and it has taken the best part of a week to get everything setup and working, cobbling together the various different resources and guides available online. I have scribbled notes along the way so I hope to be able to put together a complete step-by-step guide from start to finish sometime in the next couple of weeks (bit busy at the moment!).

 

This is all on a test server/setup at the moment so the real test will be when I have to replicate my steps in order to implement it on the production server/network next week.

 

The things I haven't yet implemented (not tried as of this moment) is using a WDSClientUnattend.xml file to automate drive partitioning, formatting etc and adding reg tweaks after sysprep and mini-setup have run.

 

I feel quite clever at the moment! Not sure how long it'll last though ;-)

 

Dave.

[gshaw]

How's WDS panning out, at the mo we use SMS OSD pack, which works beautifully but in the last year or so the goalposts have changed so much I've seen OSD, ImageX and now WDS being used for deployment :?

 

We get SMS cheap on Campus License and I like all the extra management stuff but now Microsoft have System Center Essentials that gives you some MOM-like monitoring stuff as well as patch management etc but no deployment features. So it would have to be SCE + WDS or SMS.

 

From what I read WDS seems to be pretty fiddly, in SMS I just click a box to add network drivers yet in WDS you have to custom build the WinPE etc???

 

Hopefully the goalposts won't change too much now, already seen about 3 versions of the WIM image format come and go, maybe it might settle now!

[torledo]

Bingo, well...nearly! It looks like I may have successfully created a generic, hal independent base windows xp image with all required software and settings that is captured and then deployable using WDS to all our PCs and laptops (Dell - D505, D510, D520, GX520 and 755). It correctly loads the required drivers for each machine and joins the domain in the correct OU ready to be used by domain users.

 

This has been the first time I have experimented with WDS and SYSPREP and it has taken the best part of a week to get everything setup and working, cobbling together the various different resources and guides available online. I have scribbled notes along the way so I hope to be able to put together a complete step-by-step guide from start to finish sometime in the next couple of weeks (bit busy at the moment!).

 

This is all on a test server/setup at the moment so the real test will be when I have to replicate my steps in order to implement it on the production server/network next week.

 

The things I haven't yet implemented (not tried as of this moment) is using a WDSClientUnattend.xml file to automate drive partitioning, formatting etc and adding reg tweaks after sysprep and mini-setup have run.

 

I feel quite clever at the moment! Not sure how long it'll last though ;-)

 

Dave.

 

Looking forward to reading the step-by-step guide. It's going to be very useful for us.