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InTune Users - How Do You Image?

FN-GM

By FN-GM
in Windows 11

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FN-GM

FN-GM

Posted
Posted

Hello,

 

For those using InTune how are you building new computers? We would do so in the following circumstances

 

Machines taken out of long term storage.

Machines that are moves between our offline operations network to the cooperate network.

Replacement of SSD drives

Completely stuffed installation

 

MDT is dead. WDS might be an option but I don't think you can do unattended installation options.

 

Just wondering what you do?

 

Thanks

CHiLL

CHiLL

Posted
Posted

We are still a hybrid environment and use MECM for on-site devices. We do issue laptops to students who do not have a laptop at home (the old COVID-19 provision) and they are all Intune enrolled. For these, we either utilise the image already on the device (which I believe you can pay the likes of HP, Dell and Lenovo extra to have a non-bloated image installed, without all the junk) and then let Intune handle any updates. If the laptop has suffered a catastrophic issue such as drive failure or something, we typically use a Windows installer from a bootable drive. However, shortly before the Christmas break, I was able to create a Task Sequence to reimage the laptop from MECM and apply Autopilot. I did work during my initial testing, though I haven't gone back to it since to do more thorough testing. However, this does require the device to be enrolled within Autopilot first.

 

I suspect that once we fully migrate to Intune and decommission the MECM server, we will either be relying on resetting the device and restoring from the recovery partition or reimaging via bootable USB drives.

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Steve101

Steve101

Posted
Posted
That’s my question. How are you installing Windows?

 

If it's new then it already has windows on, possibly purchased with enrolment to your intune anyway so you just have to turn those ones on.

 

If it's an old machine, then Windows bootable USB stick.. these are quite rare. If you're concerned about yearly rebuilds then you just push out re-installation from intune anyway.

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FN-GM

FN-GM

Posted
  • Author
Posted
If you're concerned about yearly rebuilds then you just push out re-installation from intune anyway.

 

It’s not a yearly rebuild but for the above reasons.

Squelch

Squelch

Posted
Posted (edited)

Mainly MDT, sometimes USB.

 

Edit:

 

I've just added W11 24H2 to my MDT install and it's imaging normally so even though MDT certainly is almost dead it hasn't actually died yet.

Edited by Squelch
Hoyt

Hoyt

Posted
Posted

As I mentioned before I am sort of a cave man when it comes to the I.T. world, but I thought I'd throw in what we do in case it helps anyone.

 

I just build a basic image and Sysprep it. Then I use Clonezilla to back up that model specific image to one of our servers or in the case of some of our roaming staff that are less familiar with the process a portable hard drive. We then just boot up with a Clonezilla flash drive and copy the image to the machine. Once it boots up and joins the Domain Group Policy will handle it from there.

 

We are looking to get into Intune in the future possibly but as I said we are pretty understaffed, underfunded, and way behind the times.

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DavR

DavR

Posted
Posted

A bit like @Hoyt, we have some InTune licenses, but I've just not found time to set up our InTune environment.

 

I'm hoping to do a hybrid thing with MDT - build the OS and basic program list using an MDT sequence, then join Azure AD, enroll into InTune, and let management take over from there. I'm still a big fan of doing annual reinstalls of workstations, it avoid so many headaches with aging OS installations (Heck, I even still do it on our iPad sets) so I'm hoping to keep hold of a full imaging solution as long as I can.

 

But yeah.... following this thread and those like it with interest.

psydii

psydii

Posted
Posted

5Gb/s off a USB using the VLSC ISO image, let Autopilot/Intune do the rest. Quicker than PXE booting and pulling the image down over 1Gb/s ethernet. Once imaged, provided they get switched on periodically so they can update (including certificates), we've not needed to reset any configured since 2022.

 

FWIW we don't re-image our systems deployed via SCCM either. We've got a small number of machines that were last imaged to Windows 7 and have in-place upgraded (mostly via WSUS/SCCM deployed feature updates) all the way to the final (?) version of Windows 10.

Hoyt

Hoyt

Posted
Posted
We also re-image workstations from time to time because a lot of them use SMART Notebook software and it doesn't always like to upgrade properly. When booting with a Clonezilla USB drive it takes about five minutes to pull the image over the network. With modern SSDs it takes about five or ten minutes to boot up, then another minute or so to join it to the Domain. GP handles them from there.
FN-GM

FN-GM

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I've been investigating OSDcloud, impressive. Just trying to automate capturing new machine into autopilot that haven't been purchased / acquired from a reseller that can do this for you.

 

I come across this after posting here. One of my objectives is to automate the Windows updates so it enters service fully patched. This should do that.

snagrat

snagrat

Posted
Posted
Yes and drivers, BIOS, Defender definitions etc very very powerful scripts and saves maintaining images all deployable without local infrastructure.

 

It downloads the OS image on each device?

kennysarmy

kennysarmy

Posted
Posted
Mainly MDT, sometimes USB.

 

Edit:

 

I've just added W11 24H2 to my MDT install and it's imaging normally so even though MDT certainly is almost dead it hasn't actually died yet.

 

Also updated our MDT with 24H2 - Intune is ready in the background, but for now MDT still seems a good approach for us.

jonbd

jonbd

Posted
Posted
Another vote for OSDCloud here. Seems to be working well for us, and allows an easy way to quickly get Windows on multiple device models with all the needed drivers etc
FN-GM

FN-GM

Posted
  • Author
Posted
No it can however run windows updates to ensure it has all the latest patches before completing, this includes drivers , firmware etc. All customisable.

 

Thank you!

 

Windows updates are quite important for us. Needs to be fully patched before going into service.

altecsole

altecsole

Posted
Posted
We do a clean install using volume license ISO on a USB stick. If it's not in Autopilot, we run the Add-DeviceToAutopilot.ps1 script after setting the keyboard and locale. We use the -Online switch to add to Intune and then reboot when a provisioning policy has been assigned. Intune then takes care of installing apps and updates.
EssentialRug

EssentialRug

Posted
Posted
We do a clean install using volume license ISO on a USB stick. If it's not in Autopilot, we run the Add-DeviceToAutopilot.ps1 script after setting the keyboard and locale. We use the -Online switch to add to Intune and then reboot when a provisioning policy has been assigned. Intune then takes care of installing apps and updates.

 

This is exactly how we do it also.

garethEds

garethEds

Posted
Posted
Hello,

 

For those using InTune how are you building new computers? We would do so in the following circumstances

 

Machines taken out of long term storage.

Machines that are moves between our offline operations network to the cooperate network.

Replacement of SSD drives

Completely stuffed installation

 

MDT is dead. WDS might be an option but I don't think you can do unattended installation options.

 

Just wondering what you do?

 

Thanks

 

MDT isn't dead. Long live MDT :-)

 

We are still using it to build 23H2 and 24H2 machines. Works a dream.

 

G

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