Sysprep and multiple computer names

[Guest]

I have 10 computers. Currently I create an image of the computer, Ghost it,
then push the image to the other 9. Then I rename each computer one at a
time, reboot, join it to the domain, reboot again, then add user profile. I
know sysprep can take care of the domain join part, but can sysprep be
configured to create a specified, and different, computer name to each one
after the image is pushed? If so, where oh where is there a step by step
document on how to do this? My boss is adamant that sysprep can.

I hope I am explaining this clearly enough.

 

[Massimo]

I have 10 computers. Currently I create an image of the computer, Ghost
it,
then push the image to the other 9. Then I rename each computer one at a
time, reboot, join it to the domain, reboot again, then add user profile.
I
know sysprep can take care of the domain join part, but can sysprep be
configured to create a specified, and different, computer name to each one
after the image is pushed? If so, where oh where is there a step by step
document on how to do this? My boss is adamant that sysprep can.

I hope I am explaining this clearly enough.

If you don't use SysPrep before cloning the first computer, you'll end up
with 10 computers with the same machine SID, which is definitely *not good*.
The main purpose of SysPrep is that of generating a new SID for the computer
upon reboot... and, during this phase, it will also guide you through the
last steps of a standard Windows setup, the ones where it usually asks you
for such things as IP address and computer name; most of these steps can
also be scripted using sysprep.inf.


Massimo

 

[_ sam]

In the COMPUTERNAME entry in SYSPREP file, add an '*' character after a
name. For instance, COMPUTERNAME=MyPC*

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the quick response. I understand why to use sysprep for the
SID functionality. You indicated that most of these steps can be scripted in
the sysprep.inf, that is basically my question - how do I do this?

Thanks,
Cheri

 

[Guest]

_sam:

Thank you for your quick response as well! I like your answer and I will
give this a try tomorrow.

Thanks,
Cheri

 

[Guest]

Okay, I tried this in the Setup manager, however it will not let me use the *.

Help!

 

[Hunter01]

If you don't use SysPrep before cloning the first computer, you'll end
up with 10 computers with the same machine SID, which is definitely *not
good*. The main purpose of SysPrep is that of generating a new SID for
the computer upon reboot...

Not really, using sysprep purely for generating a new SID is like
attacking a thumbtack with a sledgehammer, there are plenty of much
faster and less intrusive tools for changing the SID on a PC that's been
imaged.

The main purpose of sysprep is creating an image with a large degree of
hardware independence, and that is it's strong point. If all your
hardware is the same then there is no point in using sysprep when there
are better and simpler tools around.

 

[_ sam]

Sorry, not in the setup manager but in the INF file that it creates.