This is how I've deployed Windows 8.1 with Fog 0.32
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When you first boot Windows 8.1 from ISO/USB, make sure you go into audit mode (ctrl+shift+f3) to install all your software and make personalization changes to the default profile.
Also, [B]DO NOT UPDATE APPS FROM THE STORE IN AUDIT MODE![/B] I don’t know if they’ve fixed it yet, but if you update apps from the Windows Store in audit mode, it will break sysprep later.
In Audit mode, install, configure all your apps and settings. Take an image of this setup and call it [imagename]-audit. You’ll want to keep this pristine unactivated/unre-armed image available so you can do updates without breaking office/windows activation.
Make sure your “audit” image deploys and comes up in audit mode on other hardware. Just make sure there are no surprises before we irreversibly change this image with sysprep.
If you audit mode image deployed fine, then it’s time to setup the system for OOBE and sysprep it. I have a SetupComplete.cmd file that deletes the unattend.xml files from the system and activates windows and office and does some other clean up. Copy your SetupComplete.cmd file to c:\windows\setup\scripts.
Copy your unattend.xml file to %windir%\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml
Rearm office 2010/2013 if needed
verify rearm worked before proceeding. If rearm fails, does not run sysprep yet. fix office.Run sysprep passing it the options you need: /generalize /shutdown /oobe /unattend:\path\to\unattend.xml
After sysprep shuts the machine down, change the image associate for this host to the [imagename]-oobe, then upload the image.
If you need to update the image, push out the [imagename]-audit version of the image. Then get it ready for sysprep again and sysprep and upload it to the [imagename]-oobe version of the image.
I have to keep to version of the image because Office can only be re-armed so many times before it fails. If you don’t rearm office, your KMS count will not be right and the software may deactivate. Same for Windows, but it comes with 999 rearms if you use the ISO from the VLSC download, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever hit the 999 rearm limit for Windows.
I have another thread where I uploaded my script and files that I use to get an “audit” mode image ready for sysprep so it’s basically push audit mode image, update whatever setting or software I need. Upload to new “audit” mode, reboot, change image associate to oobe mode, run scripts to copy files and sysprep, then upload oobe image.
Writing it out like this makes it sound much more complicated than it really is. Once you learn a few basic concepts of sysprep and make a few tools to automate the commands, it’s really very simple and quick to create and deploy, or update and deploy these images.
And yes, we have to use sysprep, not so FOG will work, but so that Windows will activate and interact with KMS, WSUS, and possibly other software that requires unique identifiers per system that you just can’t get with traditional “non-sysprepped” cloning. Also, if microsoft finds out that you didn’t sysprep before cloning, they won’t help resolve any issues you might be having with the system. It basically becomes unsupported at that point.
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Hi guys,
Been working with FOG for a couple years now, but have never had the need to use sysprep for our purposes. I nailed a new job I will be starting soon, and they use sysprep when imaging. I don’t have any experience using sysprep but i’d like to at least become familiar with the process before having to put my skills into production. I found this quick video from MS and from the video, it makes me think the sysprep task is really simple. Here is the video: [url]http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preparing-an-image-using-sysprep-and-imagex.aspx[/url]
Is syspreping an image really this simple or am I missing something?
Thanks for your input!! -
The hardest part about sysprep is getting your unattend.xml file prepared and learning some of the finer points of using sysprep with the FOG client and Windows/Office activation.
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[quote=“chad-bisd, post: 22030, member: 18”]The hardest part about sysprep is getting your unattend.xml file prepared and learning some of the finer points of using sysprep with the FOG client and Windows/Office activation.[/quote]
But according to that video, no XML file was mentioned. Would one need an XML file to finetune the sysprep or could one simply follow the short instructions in that video and be okay? Also, I found this software to help with capturing windows and office activation. I dont know how well it is, because i have not tried it yet.
[url]http://joshcellsoftwares.com/products/advancedtokensmanager/#[/url]! -
Microsoft sysprep videos are really geared towards OEM types that are deploying windows to end-user consumers and those consumers will need to go through the OOBE to name their computers and create accounts, etc.
In the FOG community, we generally deploy computers and want them to auto-name, auto-join domains, and basically be as ready to log into as possible. We don’t want the welcome to windows, pick a computer name, choose your background color crap… I don’t at least. My systems are all frozen before the first end user sees them, so they need to be ready to hit ctrl-alt-del and login and nothing else.
Using the FOG server, the unattend.xml file, and the setupcomplete.cmd file, I can bypass the welcome screen, have local user accounts auto created, rename and join the computer to the domain, activate windows and office, and present a login screen ready to go.
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Thanks for the clarification chad-bisd. By chance, would your walk threw listed above work with Windows 7, or even XP?
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I deploy Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 in much the same manner. The main difference is in the unattend.xml file. Slightly different options for each OS version. Also, our Windows 8/8.1 clients use ADBA instead of KMS, so I do not try to activate them as part of the setupcomplete.cmd script.
I do not image Windows XP anymore since it is going out of support soon. The basic walkthrough is the same with modifications for the OS version.
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That’s great. Do you know any resources or where I might find directions for creating an xml unattended file?
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I have a recent post about sysprepping windows 7/8 that includes a download of my setupcomplete.cmd and unattend.xml files. I also include links to the main articles that helped me create the files so I know which options to set to avoid the welcome screen or anything that might cause the installed to pause and ask a question.
You’ll need Windows AIK and the install files for your version of windows so you can pull out the catalog file.
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Thanks, this will help out greatly!!!
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So im trying to do this process now. When you speak of repair are you talking of startup repair or like bootrec /fixmbr /fixboot? Neither worked
Receive error: A disk read error occurred
Update: Updated Image to be a Multiple Partition Not Resizable. This allowed me to push out the image with no issues booted first try. Is the issue laying with Single Partition (Resizable)? Is there something i can do to correct it as Single Partition Resizable is the preferred method as it would save space and elevate extra steps on my part.
Thanks in advance for the help and feedback
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MPSD images are still compressed when stored on the FOG server. I have NEVER had luck with resizable and most times I have tried it (on FOG 0.32 at least) it has hosed my image up with a problem during the resize and I had to start all over. A windows machine that takes 40GB on a disk will probably take about 15GB after it’s compressed into the /images folder.
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Typically speaking, to use Resizable with Windows 7, and I imagine 8, you would need to have sysprepped the system. This is because, during the sysprep process, it generalizes the hard-drive. If it’s not sysprepped, windows believes the drive is exactly whatever device it was when it was initially installed. If there’s any variance (size drive space) it borks the entire process. There is a way to set bcd so this isn’t the case, but I haven’t had any luck finding any good documentation on it so I can automate it into the FOG system.
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Thank you for the responses. I have always sysprep’d all my images as it allows me to push it to a different model computer if needed. I tested pulling a Windows 8.1 image using the ‘Multiple Partition (Single Disk)’ option and was able to deploy the image and boot fine first try with no issues. Just wanted to note that in case future users encounter similar issues.
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I’m using FOG 1.1.2, I’ve tried all of the above, nothing works. When I got the “winload.exe failure”. I booted off a 8.1 disk/usb and ran the repair, that failed.
So, I upload the image as RAW Disk, very slow, but it works.
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you’re using fog 1.1.2 and you followed a guide for 0.32? the software was almost completely rewritten between the two.
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[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 40134, member: 21583”]you’re using fog 1.1.2 and you followed a guide for 0.32? the software was almost completely rewritten between the two.[/quote]
I’ve used several processes from different forums. The process here was the last that I tried.
I’ve used all combinations from many forums, none worked.
With this newer version, there should not be and issue, but Windows 8.1 is a beast.
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you don’t have to do anything special to prepare a windows 8/8.1/10 image with the latest versions of fog. sysprep isn’t even needed. a normal default install and upload just works.
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And just to clear up any confusion. FOG does not require Sysprep.
However Windows heavily recommends a sysprep.
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[quote=“Junkhacker, post: 40149, member: 21583”]you don’t have to do anything special to prepare a windows 8/8.1/10 image with the latest versions of fog. sysprep isn’t even needed. a normal default install and upload just works.[/quote]
No it doesn’t, I’ve tried that first, I’ve tried from other forums, that didn’t work, so I did a RAW disk upload, that worked.
Just the normal upload, then do a download to a machine would give me the winload.exe failure.
I would boot up to a USB Windows 8.1 drive and run a repair, that would fail.
I saw on forum using the RAW disk format, and that worked.
