[mdt] Reviewing Deployment

[garethEds]

Hi All,

 

It's been a while since I looked at out deployment here at school. MDT/WDS have just worked with driver selection policies in place. The database names machines without issues once they are put into the MDT database. Everything is good. Every 6 months or so I replace the base Windows installation with whatever is downloaded from the MS volume site (or from the new site).

 

Then depending on type/location etc PDQ Deploy kicks in and adds software. It is here that am reviewing this week. It's that old question - what default apps are people putting on their deployments?

 

I've attached a picture of our install steps. I'm not bothered about what main software you put on (like Office/Adobe CC etc) - but the other like the Visual C++ libraries. Am I missing anything? I remember the days when Flash, Shockwave, Real Audio, Java, Quicktime all had to go on.

 

**Edit ** - I will point out that we do have other software going onto the machines. This is just the base deployment **

 

Thanks all.

 

Gareth

Edited October 9, 2023 by garethedmondson
Added information

[mavhc]

I just install programs via a package manager that installs the dependencies like c++ runtime automatically, and keeps them updated

[garethEds]

So the C++ dependancies are the only 'extra' default things you put on as the default? Have you no default apps like VLC etc that go on every machine regardless of location?

[mavhc]

I install everything I can find that has a chocolatey package, my install levels are 1: win 10 iso, 2: impero because it's old version that breaks if .net is updated; and bios settings 3: bitlocker (because if done before bios updates and settings then it wants a recovery code), and chocolatey, then install everything that's free

[ITGuyNW]

Once an image installs via WDS/MDT, It then goes through a base PDQ package which does settings, activations, edge/chrome/adobe etc then after a reboot it'll split off to either a staff package or a student package and install software based on that criteria such as staff get Teams, students don't etc

 

Generally, the amount of software I'm having to install is getting less and less as the years go by. It's mainly settings, activations and workarounds these days.

 

I notice on there you install SIMS via PDQ. Does that talk back to SOLUS? When I've tried that in the past, its never really worked properly.

Edited October 10, 2023 by ITGuyNW