Chapter 2: Automating the Windows Vista Installation

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Chapter 2 Automating the Windows Vista
Installation
2
Choosing Automated Deployment Options

• To install multiple computers more easily, use
  Automated Deployment
• Remote Installation (Using WDS)
• Disk Imaging/Cloning
• Unattended Installation

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Overview of Windows Deployment Services

• Windows Deployment Services (WDS) is an updated
  version of Remote Installation Services (RIS)
• It is a suite of components that allows you to
  install Vista on client computers.
• Client can boot without an OS, connect to a WDS
  server, and begin receiving an image
• Requires Windows Server 2003 w/ SP1 to be used as
  the WDS server, AD, DHCP (Dynamic Host
  Configuration Protocol, and DNS (Domain Name
  System).

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Advantages of Using Windows Deployment Services

• Allows remote install
• Physical media does not have to be distributed
• More tolerant of different hardware
• Windows Vista installations can be standardized
  across a group or organization, and controlled
  using Group Policy.

5
Preparing the WDS Server

• Install WDS
• Download and use WAIK Windows Automated Install
  Kit
• Configure and start WDS
• Configure the WDS server to respond to client
  computers (if this was not configured when WDS
  was installed) using WDSutil command line or MMC
  (Microsoft Management Console) snapin
• .WDSutil /?
• WDSutil /copy will copy an existing image

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Preparing the WDS Client

• Client requires one of the following
• PXE-based boot ROM
• PXE-compliant network adapter
• Preboot Execution Environment, which allows a
  system to boot when no operating system or
  network configuration is installed.

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Disk Imaging Overview

• Good for large numbers of computers with similar
  hardware and system requirements
• Greatly reduces deployment time by copying the
  Operating System, applications, and desktop
  settings from a reference computer to an image
  which is then deployed to target computers.

8
Disk Imaging Overview

• Use SYSPREP to prepare the drive for imaging
• Found in C\windows\system32\sysprep
• Strips away computer specific information such as
  the SID and event logs
• Sysprep /generalize
• Detects plug and play differences and can adjust
  dynamically.

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Disk Imaging Overview

• Use IMAGEX to create the disk image
• Also installed from WAIK (Windows Automated
  Install Kit)
• Once SysPrep is used to customize and image,
  IMAGEX is a software utility included with Vista
  that will capture that image for future
  deployment.
• ImageX /capture
• ImageX /apply

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Overview of Unattended Installation

• Good for large numbers of non-PXE-compliant
  systems
• Answer file on distribution server can respond to
  installation configuration questions without user
  intervention

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Answer Files

• Unattend.xml
• Can be used with the following installation
  methods
• Unattended installations
• Setup /unattend
• Disk image installations
• WDS installations
• Can be created using Windows System Image Manager
  (SIM), which is installed from WAIK (Windows
  Automated Install Kit), or a text editor

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Configuring Answer File Options Using Windows
System Image Manager

• Can be used to configure the following component
  options
• auditSystem
• Sets firewall settings and additional drivers
• auditUser
• Can run synchronous or asynchronous commands
  while in audit
• Generalize
• Remove system specific info. such as SID
• offlineServicing
• Specifies the language packs to use

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Configuring Answer File Options Using Windows
System Image Manager

• Can be used to configure the following component
  options
• oobeSystem (Out of Box Experience)
• Specifies the settings to apply to a system the
  first time it is booted to the Windows Welcome
  screen.
• Specialize
• Domain and Network settings to apply
• windowsPE
• Partitioning and Product Key
• Can also be used to validate that an answer file
  works