Best method to bulk install multiple PC's?

[ZenMasta]

I'm planning on building some replacement desktops for our office here. The
hardware I'm buying will be exactly the same on all the pc's. What I'd like
to do is build one, install windows, update it, install network printers
etc. Then clone the drive a few times and build the other pcs.

I had done this once before with Windows 98 but since there wasn't any
activation back there was no problem. Now with activation though I need to
know how to do this. We will of course have valid licenses for each pc, I
just don't want to take an hour installing, patching and configuring each
pc. I'll be installing XP Pro

Thanks.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm planning on building some replacement desktops for our office
here. The hardware I'm buying will be exactly the same on all the
pc's. What I'd like to do is build one, install windows, update it,
install network printers etc. Then clone the drive a few times and
build the other pcs.
I had done this once before with Windows 98 but since there wasn't
any activation back there was no problem. Now with activation
though I need to know how to do this. We will of course have valid
licenses for each pc, I just don't want to take an hour installing,
patching and configuring each pc. I'll be installing XP Pro

Ghost will work - perhaps changing the product key with an application.
Probably the fastest.

Unattended installation is another option - withthe proper license (product
key) for each machine give at startup.

I'd personally get a volume license and that way - there is no activation.

 

[ZenMasta]

Is there a tool that can change the product key or would I have to just do
this by registry edit on each pc?

I'll look into the volume license, I was originally going to get oem from
newegg.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm planning on building some replacement desktops for our office
here. The hardware I'm buying will be exactly the same on all the
pc's. What I'd like to do is build one, install windows, update it,
install network printers etc. Then clone the drive a few times and
build the other pcs.
I had done this once before with Windows 98 but since there wasn't
any activation back there was no problem. Now with activation
though I need to know how to do this. We will of course have valid
licenses for each pc, I just don't want to take an hour installing,
patching and configuring each pc. I'll be installing XP Pro

Ghost will work - perhaps changing the product key with an
application. Probably the fastest.

Unattended installation is another option - withthe proper license
(product key) for each machine give at startup.

I'd personally get a volume license and that way - there is no
activation.

Is there a tool that can change the product key or would I have to
just do this by registry edit on each pc?

I'll look into the volume license, I was originally going to get
oem from newegg.

Volume Licensing:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/pricingvolume.mspx
and/or
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/default.mspx


Change the key:
The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a
reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

 

[ZenMasta]

Thanks for the Open License links although I'd already found them.

I called CDW for a price quote and they said I'd have to buy a Vista license
but it's backwards compatible for XP and the price is $184 per client. Plus
the install media which is about 30 bucks.

I'm still not sure if this is the way to go because I can get OEM XP Pro for
just $140 or even Vista Ultimate for $180 from newegg.

Curious, if I have a Vista upgrade anytime cd would that work, or if I had a
retail xp pro upgrade disk would that work?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Thanks for the Open License links although I'd already found them.

I called CDW for a price quote and they said I'd have to buy a
Vista license but it's backwards compatible for XP and the price is
$184 per client. Plus the install media which is about 30 bucks.

I'm still not sure if this is the way to go because I can get OEM
XP Pro for just $140 or even Vista Ultimate for $180 from newegg.

Curious, if I have a Vista upgrade anytime cd would that work, or
if I had a retail xp pro upgrade disk would that work?

The difference is that you now have a Volume License for Vista and Windows
XP. You only need ONE copy of the volume license media - and no - your
media won't work without hacking at least. Volume, Retail, Upgrade, OEM,
MSDN are all slightly different (I mean *slightly*) CDs.

$30 for the one copy of the media you would need - no matter how many
licenses you get - is not bad. You do *not* have to buy a copy of the media
for every client license. That one CD/DVD (Windows XP or Windows Vista) is
it. Buy one Vista Enterprise DVD and one Windows XP Professional CD (media)
and then as many licenses (the number of clients you have) and you are good
to go.

It can be a painful thing (the spending of all that money at once) - but it
saves you time in the long run. No more activation - no more wrrying about
product keys. It certainly makes imaging/cloning a lot easier.

 

[ZenMasta]

Yep, I realized the media was a one time buy, and the upfront lump cost
isn't really the factor because we're buying new hard ware too. Its' just
that the $45 difference between the open license and the oem that's sticking
me because that definitely adds up.

Thanks for help.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Yep, I realized the media was a one time buy, and the upfront lump
cost isn't really the factor because we're buying new hard ware
too. Its' just that the $45 difference between the open license and
the oem that's sticking me because that definitely adds up.

Thanks for help.

OEM is cheaper for many reasons.
- Transfer. You buy a new computer to replace one of the old computers.
Maybe there was a fire in that room - whatever. If you had OEM software on
it - from a EULA standpoint - you lost that license and you need a new OEM
license for the new computer (OEM is stuck to the first computer it is
installed upon.) However - with the Volume License - you can now install
onto the new computer and still be in agreement with the EULA.

- Support. Microsoft does not directly support OEM products - it is up to
the entity that installed the OEM licensed software to provide all support.
You get support with the Retail/Volume license.

- OEM software cannot be used to perform upgrades - clean installations
only.

The big thing is the time and therefore, money savings in the long run.
$45/more per copy now - but how many hours have you already put in thinking
about how to put the identical OS on the XX number of machines? How much
more time to implement it? When there are problems - how much extra time
will your proces take over just being able to image the machine with a clean
image and not worrying over product keys/activation? How much is your time
worth?


Maybe some of these pages will help you come up with a good method to
clone/install all your machines...

Perl/Freeware unattended installation
(can be ran from a Windows or *nix server)
http://unattended.sourceforge.net/

Making unattended CD/DVDs for installation of a system.
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/

The switches and information needed to automatically install many different
apps.
http://www.appdeploy.com/packages/


Imaging tools:
TrueImage
http://www.acronis.com/

Ghost Solution Suite
http://www.symantec.com/business/products/overview.jsp?pcid=2247&pvid=865_1

Some Microsoft solutions:
Business Desktop Deployment
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490308.aspx

Automated Deployment Services (ADS) and Remote Installation Services (RIS)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/risvsads.mspx


Upkeep:
Patching (MS products) with WSUS:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/wsus/default.aspx

System Center solutions (including MOM):
http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/default.mspx

 

[ZenMasta]

but how many hours have you already put in thinking about how to put the
identical OS on the XX number of machines? How much more time to
implement it? When there are problems - how much extra time will your
proces take over just being able to image the machine with a clean image
and not worrying over product keys/activation? How much is your time
worth?

Very good point. And for anyone who happens to have found this topic. The
solution besides volume license would be to setup the first pc, clone then
use sysprep and modify the sysprep.inf on each cloned HD and add
[UserData]
ProductKey= "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"

I decided to go with volume license.