Comprehensive Windows AIK Directions?

[Guest]

Hello all.

Currently working on building a working image for Vista Enterprise to deploy
across our desktops and laptops, however, I'm starting to get a little
confused by some of the various things I've read here and there. I'd really
like to grok the process from beginning to end, but this seems to elude me so
far.

I've seen where images made can be hardware dependant, but I thought I'd
read it can be hardware independant as well (perhaps by implementing multiple
subimages off one base image?).

Ultimately, I'd like to find detailed directions on the full range of
options available to me with the WAIK, WinPE, ImageX and other tools so I can
find the best/easiest way to build images for my desktops, and assorted
brands and models of laptops as well.

Has anyone found this holy grail of Vista deployment? I've found a couple
step-by-step style guides from Beta, and even the readme that lists all the
known issues of the tools in the Windows AIK, but nothing that helps me get a
good solid understanding of my full range of options.

Any pointers are, of course, greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

A pre-emptive apology.

I was browsing the Installation and Setup group, but somehow must have
clicked into this Administration Account group as I was getting ready to
post.

Mea Kulpa.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Dustin

Here are a couple of links for the WAIK.

Windows Vista Deployment Step by Step Guide:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/88f80cb7-d44f-47f7-a10d-e23dd53bc3fa1033.mspx

Neowin.net - Windows Vista OS image creation and deployment guide:
http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=36269

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:20:43 -0800, G. Dustin Snyder

Currently working on building a working image for Vista Enterprise to deploy
across our desktops and laptops, however, I'm starting to get a little
confused by some of the various things I've read here and there. I'd really
like to grok the process from beginning to end, but this seems to elude me so
far.

I've *just* learned it, so maybe I can explain it!

See http://cquirke.spaces.live.com for "growing up in public" notes.

I've seen where images made can be hardware dependant, but I thought I'd
read it can be hardware independant as well (perhaps by implementing multiple
subimages off one base image?).

At the Sysprep stage, the default is to strip hardware info, so that
the installation will startup without drivers and then start to look
for these as PnP does its thing.

There's a setting you can use that will disable purging of the PnP
info, so that it persists after the SysPrep (and thus also on the new
PC you image onto, when that first boots). This is useful when you're
using the same hardware spec and don't want to mission around with
drivers every time.

As I recall, the setting is applied via an XML answer file, which is
then referenced from Sysprep via a CLI parameter (you don't get full
control if you just run Sysprep and choose optionms from its GUI!)

Ultimately, I'd like to find detailed directions on the full range of
options available to me with the WAIK, WinPE, ImageX and other tools so I can
find the best/easiest way to build images for my desktops, and assorted
brands and models of laptops as well.

It's all there, the trick is to find the best ones that match what
you're trying to do at the time.

If you want to plan an organizational deployment strategy, then use
the BDD 2007 documentation - that goes into the whole process of what
skills to have in which teams, etc.

If you want to just "go for it" and be able to read everything in
depth, then the WAIK documentation is good for that.

If you want to skip the background and get a hands-on taste, then
there are some walk-throughs on using WinPE at the MS site.

If you want to learn about WinRE, the WinRE team has a blog that's
good for documenting a few important how-tos. I haven't played with
WinRE much as yet, i.e. I've used it as present in the OS DVD boot,
but I haven't installed it to HD or built my own WinPE to include it.

WARNING: Some things just don't work!
- Format will messily fail to format FAT32 > 32G, same as XP
- Convert /FS:NTFS will silently fail, i.e. do NOTHING!

My build strategy has been:
- boot BING, don't install, use it to create partitions as FATxx
- boot WinPE, Format C: /FS:NTFS to ensure C: is NTFS
- insert USB stick with my .WIM image on it, along with ImageX
- copy these files from stick to non-C: HD volume for speed
- use ImageX to apply the .WIM as the new Vista installation

Has anyone found this holy grail of Vista deployment?

Yep ;-)

WAIK rocks, and WinPE could be useful as a mOS once I can
cross-integrate my mature Bart project with it.

...the Windows AIK, but nothing that helps me get a
good solid understanding of my full range of options.

Let's have a look. In my Vista (Learning) Curve blog, I mentioned
which docs kicked ass for me, but I've forgotten since, and I've also
re-arranged my Start Menu so the links I give won't match anymore.

Oh dear... what I'd hoped I'd blogged, I didn't :-(

Getting_Started_ITPro.rtf is a great starting point; it's in the BDD
2007 or WAIK, and a Google will find that online from MS, too.

There are three .CHM help files in the WAIK that should gas you up if
you need reference info; one on WinPE, one on WAIK, and one on the
process of unattended setup. You'd be reading those a lot.

http://blogs.msdn.com/winre/default.aspx is the WinRE Team Blog

http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...56b0-4194-9782-88d01a488ae01033.mspx?mfr=true

....is the starting point for WinPE walk-throughs, and from there you
navigate back into the rest of some great TechNet documentation.

HTH

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