[windows software] Windows 7 Pro. OEM image as WDS base and capture image deployment to OEM workstations

[albertwt]

Hi All,

 

Can anyone share your experience here or at least provide some advice before i begin company wide deployment of WDS into my workstations.

 

I've got brand new HP desktop which comes with OEM Windows 7 Pro Media, does this means i can create base and capture image with the Windows 7 OEM image for this deployment ?

 

eg:

Dell/HP Windows 7 Pro OEM will be deployed on HP/Dell laptop/desktop

because i couldn't get the bare metal workstation without OS install on it.

 

my understanding is that the OEM image will be licensed already on the physical machine and also from compatibility point of view, the DVD which comes with the HP/Dell is already tested with them, therefore I'm thinking that getting one single license of Windows 7 Enterprise might be useless since this image is not being used by anyone else on the server.

 

If anyone can clarify this matter with the supporting document then it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

AWT

[john]

Do you have a volume licence agreement in place? If so you can use a volume licence media to reinstall those machines that have come with W7 Pro. It has been discussed on here a good number of times and somene did find a document from Microsoft confiming this but my search skills have failed me so far this morning

[albertwt]

thanks man, i don't have it. the assumption here is that the number of the OEM Windows instance online at the same time is equal or lesser than the number of COA (OEM stickers).

 

that's what I understand so far thus the OEM CD-Key will also be compatible with the BIOS on its respective PC/Laptop.