Windows 7 Images on WDS

[jtidd]

Morning,

 

I can image a laptop/desktop on windows 7 with no issues apart from the following:

 

1. How can i get the machine image to ask me to put a machine name in before first login?

 

as currently all machines on site here name themselves Admin 1, 2, 3 etc..., i then have to login and change the name

 

2. Is there a way that once imaged it is already joined to the domain?

 

as i have to login and join every machine to the domain.

 

Just trying to save time as have to image 700 machines.

 

Thanks in advance

[Fazza]

Use SysPrep and an answer file. SysPrep wipes all the security identifiers from your computer so when you power a machine up you'll be asked for a computer name etc. and the answer file can be used to put in the product key and put it on your domain.

 

[jtidd]

i do use both i was mainly asking how to configure the answr file(.xml) as i cannot seem to get it to work

 

Thanks

[ricki]

Hi This is what I use

 

http://www.tsaysoft.com/mysysprep2/

 

Richard

[PotNoodleTech]

If you have to image 700 machines - use MDT alongside WDS as MDT is MUCH more powerful and much easier to set up images/drivers/settings etc. You can even have it automatically push MSI/EXE installations during the install (if you wish to avoid using GPOs to deploy apps) and then automatically join the domain an all sorts of other handy stuff. Edited July 12, 2012 by PotNoodleTech

[Fazza]

You need to use the WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit), there's a video showing you how to do it here: