Reinstalling OEM on 30 machines

Doug Lowe · Apr 5, 2006

We've sold 30 older computers to our employees and need to format &
reinstall Windows before sending them out.

I'll be using the newest OEM CD I have, which includes SP2. But there's
still about 45 minutes of Windows updates to be done with multiple reboots.

I don't have the budget to use Ghost for these machines, but I'd like to
send the employees home with a fully patched system. Any suggestions on how
to streamline this process?

Shenan Stanley · Apr 5, 2006

Doug said:
We've sold 30 older computers to our employees and need to format &
reinstall Windows before sending them out.

I'll be using the newest OEM CD I have, which includes SP2. But
there's still about 45 minutes of Windows updates to be done with
multiple reboots.
I don't have the budget to use Ghost for these machines, but I'd
like to send the employees home with a fully patched system. Any
suggestions on how to streamline this process?

Integrate the post SP2 patches as well.

Doug · Apr 5, 2006

That's what I'm asking...how? The only way I know how to do this is to
install Windows from the OEM CD (SP2), then use Windows Update to apply the
patches. Is there a way to create an install CD that has the patches
integrated into it?

--Doug
`

Doug · Apr 5, 2006

I should mention that all 30 of the machines are identical.

Shenan Stanley · Apr 5, 2006

Shenan Stanley wrote:

That's what I'm asking...how? The only way I know how to do this is
to install Windows from the OEM CD (SP2), then use Windows Update
to apply the patches. Is there a way to create an install CD that
has the patches integrated into it?

MHPNW STAFF · Apr 5, 2006

So then you have 30 oem windows xp licenses' to go with those machines
.....right

Ron Martell · Apr 5, 2006

Doug Lowe said:
We've sold 30 older computers to our employees and need to format &
reinstall Windows before sending them out.

I'll be using the newest OEM CD I have, which includes SP2. But there's
still about 45 minutes of Windows updates to be done with multiple reboots.

I don't have the budget to use Ghost for these machines, but I'd like to
send the employees home with a fully patched system. Any suggestions on how
to streamline this process?

Get nLite (free) from www.nliteos.com/download.html and use it to
build a new installation CD with the post-SP2 updates slipstreamed
into it.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

Doug Lowe · Apr 5, 2006

So then you have 30 oem windows xp licenses' to go with those machines

....right

Absolutely. I understand the ins and outs of OEM vs. Retail vs. MOLP
licensing. We bought the computers 3 years ago with OEM Windows XP & saved
all the media, and all the machines have product key stickers on the back.
We're sending the media home with the users who bought the computers.

I'm just trying to figure out how to save the time of connecting to Windows
Update for each computer. What I'd like to do is build an install CD that's
totally current. Looks like Shenan's previous post has links for doing that,
but at first glance it doesn't look easy

--Doug

Doug · Apr 6, 2006

Thanks...this might be exactly what I'm looking for.

MHPNW STAFF · Apr 6, 2006

Thanks Doug

What a easy program to use for custom install CDs.

Dennis

Doug · Apr 7, 2006

You know what I liked best about nliteos? It helped me get through the
process the first time.

I used it to build a CD that worked pretty well, but I missed a half-dozen
or so updates. Then I read on the nliteos forum that its license agreement
prohibits commercial use, and I'm using it at work. But having gone through
the process once with nliteos, I decided it wouldn't be too big of a step to
do the next CD "manually" using Microsoft's tools. So I downloaded the
updates I was missing and wrote a batch file to call each one with the
/integrate switch, then used setupmgr.exe to create defaults (I don't want
it totally unattended) and the second CD worked like a charm. I feel like
I've learned a lot in the process, though clearly there's much more to it I
don't know about yet.

Well, almost. I can't get one of the updates to integrate, but that's OK. I
don't mind running Windows Update to get just one critical update. Before I
did this, Windows Update was taking about 45 minutes.

The one thing that bugs me is that getting all of the updates together is
such as manual & haphazard process. It's to bad Microsoft doesn't just
publish a single download that has all of the critical updates for Windows
XP Professional since SP2, and update it once a month on Patch Tuesday.
Seems to me that would save a lot of people a lot of work.

--Doug

MHPNW STAFF · Apr 7, 2006

I agree, but that's one reason I pay for the TechNet+ Subscription . They
send me all those updates and stuff on DVD every month.
I have been using Microsoft's OEM Pre-install system , But it's not as easy
for the 1st timers

talk to ya later ....Dennis

Reinstalling OEM on 30 machines

Doug Lowe

Shenan Stanley

Doug

Doug

Shenan Stanley

MHPNW STAFF

Ron Martell

Doug Lowe

Doug

MHPNW STAFF

Doug

MHPNW STAFF