Deploying XP easily

[CJC]

Hi there,

I have been given the task of setting up a process to deploy XP onto
new PC’s when we buy them and have been looking on the net but I find
the mixed responses in the material quite cumbersome and confusing.

Therefore I was hoping someone could tell me of
a) If there is some freeware which does the whole process or
b) Does someone know of some fool proof instructions which details all
the steps I need to do?

The stuff I’ve read mentions using loads of different utilities and I
was kind of hoping for some clear information and a simple approach.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

C

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have been given the task of setting up a process to deploy XP onto
new PC’s when we buy them and have been looking on the net but I
find the mixed responses in the material quite cumbersome and
confusing.

Therefore I was hoping someone could tell me of
a) If there is some freeware which does the whole process or
b) Does someone know of some fool proof instructions which details
all the steps I need to do?

The stuff I’ve read mentions using loads of different utilities and
I was kind of hoping for some clear information and a simple
approach.

There is never a fool proof anything.

You will have a learning curve no matter what you choose to do.

Unattended installations over the network using Microsoft tools, unattended
installations over the network using third party tools, unattended
installations from CD/DVD, imaging systems from the network or CD/DVD... It
all takes some effort and such - and you will hjave to understand what you
are doing. No matter what step-by-step instructions you may find - in the
end - you have to understand what you are doing - not blindly follow
instructions. This is part of being a system administrator.

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:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490308.aspx
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...5eb9-42f1-95ae-490e5d7a55511033.mspx?mfr=true
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/desktopdeployment/default.aspx


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

That's copied from an older posting of mine - so SMS is SCCM now, etc...

But it should get you started. You have some reading to do and decisions to
make. You'll probably choose to setup a machine and make an image of it and
apply that image to the other machines - *if* they are all the same. Easy,
fast. If they are not - some sort of unattended...

 

[Anteaus]

Bottom line is, whatever approach you take, you need a disk-imaging program.
I use Powerquest's Drive Image but this is no longer supported and getting
rather outdated. Others recommend Acronis. There are also Linux options,
though (like most things Linux) they are harder to use.

For a small rollout of identical computers I would forget sysprep. It's way
too complex, plus it leaves you with the issue that users need to be re-setup
post rollout. Instead, setup one computer and get everything as you want it,
then image. On the imaged copies, run NewSID (from sysinternals) and then (if
required) change the licence key and re-activate.

For the actual imaging, HD to HD copying is by far the most efficient. I
generally setup one or more 'imaging stations' which will boot from a DOS HD
with the image, and then connect the HD to be imaged-to on the secondary
port. This way, each imaging station can process perhaps five or ten HD's an
hour.

 

[CJC]

Bottom line is, whatever approach you take, you need a disk-imaging program.
I use Powerquest's Drive Image but this is no longer supported and getting
rather outdated. Others recommend Acronis.  There are also Linux options,
though (like most things Linux) they are harder to use.  

For a small rollout of identical computers I would forget sysprep. It's way
too complex, plus it leaves you with the issue that users need to be re-setup
post rollout. Instead, setup one computer and get everything as you want it,
then image. On the imaged copies, run NewSID (from sysinternals) and then(if
required) change the licence key and re-activate.

For the actual imaging, HD to HD copying is by far the most efficient. I
generally setup one or more 'imaging stations' which will boot from a DOSHD
with the image, and then connect the HD to be imaged-to on the secondary
port. This way, each imaging station can process perhaps five or ten HD'san
hour.  

Thank you Anteaus and Shenan Stanley for your imput on this,

I am currently going through your links and deciding on the methods to
go for.

i know for sure I am using server 2008 with the deployment service but
am in process of deciding what to use for creating images.

Many thanks