Chapter 3 Deploying Windows 7

For large-scale Windows deployment, the following items need to be addressed and Microsoft provides tools specifically designed for mass deployment.

·         Ability to create standardized computing environments

·         Minimize user interaction = less errors, faster, more uniform deployments

·         Continuance of hardware/software working properly

·         Minimizing down time

The following basic steps that are used for workstation deployment:

·         Deployment share - create share on network server instead of using individual disks

·         Reference computer - template for the workstations that need to be configured

·         Image file - copy of what is on reference computer - you can copy the configuration to as many workstations as necessary

·         Boot target - must boot with Windows PE using removal boot disk or image downloaded from server

·         Apply reference image to target computers - minimal interaction required

Primary tools available to perform a build to plan (BTP) or build to order (BTO) installation:

·         SIM - Windows system image manger

·         ImageX.exe - command line tool

·         DISM.exe - deployment image servicing and management

·         Windows PE

·         Sysprep.exe - removes all individual information

·         USMT - user state migration tool - similar to Windows Easy Transfer

Advice to self: find YouTube videos that match up to the lab. Watch and follow along with lab exercise directions to see if there are any directions that can be clarified to help them get completed quickly! Here are two I found that correspond with Lab 4:

Youtube videos "Creating Answer files using Windows AIK and Create Windows PE Boot disk with ImageX"

Creating Answer files using Windows AIK

 Create Windows PE Boot disk with ImageX