WDS Query! 100% Automation

[edsa131]

Hi, I am busy setting up my 2 unattended answer files for the WDS deployment of Windows 7 to a classroom 30 PCs. Is there a way of fully automating the WDS process so that it is 100% automated? e.g. giving each PC a unique given name, which we have chosen and adding the computers to the network. Also registering and activating the serial code. My aim is to be able to reimage a whole room over a weekend or overnight and for the PCs to be fully functional without any intervention.

 

I look forward to your comments.

 

Kindest Regards

 

Eddie

[plexer]

Not sure if you can achieve it with just WDS you can do more with MDT.

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/dn818437.aspx

 

Ben

[sted]

i dont think you can. If you use mdt as long as starting the task can be manual yes you can but it takes a non trivial amount of work to set up to get to that point

 

there is a way using a pcs guid to prestage it into wds so that it names guid xxxx pc02 and it can domain join a pc but i cant remember how its been a along time since ni did it and again by the time youve found and entered the guid im not sure it wouldnt be easier to just rename the pc when its built

[edsa131]

Thanks for those quick answers and I agree with both. I was just interested to see if anyone had managed to pull off the holy grail of imaging. I have always been at the point of doing all except renaming I just wondered if you could get to a point where the PCs could receive the image via WDS (including the answer files which were set up on Image Manager) then reboot themselves to a point where the clients were actually ready to receive a new PC name? I am sure it can be done using Ghost, I wouldn't go as far as purchasing Ghost just for this.

 

cheers

 

Eddie

[sted]

Thanks for those quick answers and I agree with both. I was just interested to see if anyone had managed to pull off the holy grail of imaging. I have always been at the point of doing all except renaming I just wondered if you could get to a point where the PCs could receive the image via WDS (including the answer files which were set up on Image Manager) then reboot themselves to a point where the clients were actually ready to receive a new PC name? I am sure it can be done using Ghost, I wouldn't go as far as purchasing Ghost just for this.

 

cheers

 

Eddie

well its doable and its called sccm but its not free like wds/mdt and can i believe have some overheads and from my vm testing isnt the easiest thing ever to get installed and working but with that you can pretty much at a whim decide to rebuild a random pc without leaving your desk

[edsa131]

That is interesting Sted. I was looking at SCCM a couple of weeks ago. Looks good, but not got around to testing it yet. The price has made me put that one on hold :-)

[sted]

i dont think its too bad if you add it to ees but i also cant confirm that lol its somerthing id like in my schools but with 100 odd pcs max at any seems overkill

[Duke5A]

Hi, I am busy setting up my 2 unattended answer files for the WDS deployment of Windows 7 to a classroom 30 PCs. Is there a way of fully automating the WDS process so that it is 100% automated? e.g. giving each PC a unique given name, which we have chosen and adding the computers to the network. Also registering and activating the serial code. My aim is to be able to reimage a whole room over a weekend or overnight and for the PCs to be fully functional without any intervention.

 

I look forward to your comments.

 

 

 

Kindest Regards

 

Eddie

 

Sure it is! It's all about setting up your answer file correctly and creating the computer object ahead of time. To have the machines automatically grab the correct names you prestage the computer account in Active Directly and place it where you want it. Once imaged the machine will attach itself to that computer object and pull all the policies associated to it. Set the computer name field in your answer file (should be in the specialize pass somewhere) to: %MACHINENAME%

 

Now read here to create the computer object: Provisioning Computer Accounts with netbootGUID for WDS Deployment

 

Great thing is, once the account has been staged you never need to do it again. Image as many times as you like and it'll always pull the same name and location in AD.

 

Set your auto logon and run once lines in the answer file for tweaking and it can be completely automated. The only thing you'll need to do is start the process by hand and selecting the appropriate image.

 

---- EDIT ----

 

For licensing you're going to need to use KMS keys along with a server. You can use MAK, but there is a finite number of activations with this type of key and you'll eventually run out.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Duke5A