Golden image questions

[kartes37]

Hello, I have questions and I didn’t find the answer in the community Q&A (if I didn’t see it, don’t hesitate to share the link) :

I did see the tutorial for creating a golden image in the Q&A but it dates from 2016, 10 years later is it still functional for Windows 11 environment?

As for Lenovo, I did see there are Lenovo driver packages, but their solution doesn’t work on the ThinkBook model. So i’m still searching.

Also, thanks to the people who participated in the fog project, their documentation did help me a lot to make my Fog server and use it in a virtual environment in my lab.

[heix75]

Yes, you are right!
I can confirm that it is still functional.
Install clean Windows 11 + drivers + all the updates -> configure windows as you like it -> sysprep -> shutdown -> Image -> Deploy.

Although, I have searched the answer for the main question, to sysprep or not, for years!
What I mean, is that if you sysprep, some of the Windows settings and configuration will be wiped out during the sysprep, so you cannot configure image 100% ready and need some manual steps after the cloned pc (deployed) boots up.
Of course those manual configurations can be automated (by a script or some other way), but still, it would be nice that image can be setup without sysprepping if it is not needed anymore in Win10/11.

I have tested hundreds of PC-s in domain environment without sysprepping - they work flawlessly, no issues with Domain, WSUS or other things, but I am little bit worried, that if some issues arise, e.g some weird errors then I must reinstall all the deployed pc-s with sysprepped images…

Can somebody confirm?

Yes, I understand, that without sysprep, all the PC-s deployed from the same image will be using same SID, but is it bad somehow?
Can someone confirm that for Intune it is also OK?
Domain doesn’t care, WSUS either, but what else might break?