Sysprep after deploying image
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Hi, I am a newbie in the IT industry and been working for just more than a year. I recently setup an Isolated Network FOG Server using Ubuntu 16.04 and FOG Project 1.5.9.
We have different models of CPUs and Laptops and we’ve been capturing several images. Those images that we are capturing already have the drivers installed. Do we need to run the sysprep.exe in …/System32/Sysprep after deploying the image?
Recommendations are highly appreciated.
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@alzen said in Sysprep after deploying image:
Those images that we are capturing already have the drivers installed. Do we need to run the sysprep.exe in …/System32/Sysprep after deploying the image?
Well you have 2 concepts here so let me answer each.
If you are capturing from a specific model with all drivers installed, do you need to sysprep the image? No. Should you, yes because it follows M$ best practices. But you do not as long as the source and target hardware is exactly the same.
Sysprep happens before you capture the image then after being deployed winsetup/oobe will use the reset information provided by sysprep when deploying to new hardware.
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@george1421 Hi Thank you for answering, this is greatly appreciated.
Sorry, can you clarify on this please? “winsetup/oobe will use the reset information provided by sysprep when deploying to new hardware.” Thank you very much.
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@alzen Well when you run sysprep it kind of resets the computer back to a neutralized condition. You can preset some values using an unattend.xml file you reference when you run sysprep. If you have ever installed windows directly from the dvd drive you know it asks a bunch of question before windows is setup. The unattend.xml file can be used to answer those questions ahead of time so it skips asking the installer the questions. This asking questions bit is part of OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) that is managed by WINdows SETUP. When you run sysprep it cleans out the system of drivers and settings that are important for that specific model of computer and reset its back to a discover new hardware mode.
In my case I have 1 golden image for 15 models of hardware. I use a FOG feature to copy the correct drivers over to the target computer during imaging then when winsetup is running it finds the drivers and adds them to the windows configuration. WinSetup will only run when you reset the computer using sysprep.
