The Basics

[Docfxit]

I would like to learn the basics for using FOG.

I’m starting out with:
Three Laptops. All three are different models
One Desktop

I would like to create one with all programs /configuration installed.
I’d like to deploy that image to the other PC’s.
Is this the correct steps/sequence?

Install Windows 7 Ultimate on one PC with all 3rd party programs and MS updates.
Image that PC with Macrium Reflect for backup
Install FOG on that PC.
NOTE: Does FOG remove all drivers like sysprep so the image will install the correct drivers on the other PC’s?
NOTE: What needs to be on the other PC’s to install the image? Do I need to format the other PC"s or will FOG wipe out the old data in the process?
NOTE: Does FOG remove the drivers from the first PC that I created like sysprep? Or will the first PC be usable after FOG is run?
.
Run FOG
How can I get the image from the PC I created to one of the PC’s that I would like the same image on?

After FOG runs and the image is on one of the other PC’s I’m guessing the newly installed image will startup as though it was a new OS install but the 3rd party programs will be there along with the MS updates

Thanks,
Gary

[george1421]

Not sure where to start here…

If you want to create one image for all four platforms, you will either need to create a golden image with all drivers for every hardware you want to deploy to or create a reference image and inject the drivers for the specific hardware. Either method can be done with FOG since FOG only moves images between the target and FOG server and from the FOG server to the target. There are a few other things that FOG does, but it really doesn’t care about the target OS being captured/deployed.

To answer your notes:

1. FOG neither adds or removes drivers. You must use sysprep if you want a hardware independent image. FOG will push or pull the image regardless if it will run on the target computer. Your reference/golden image must be prepared properly or it will not run/install properly once deployed.
2. FOG will remove and recreate the partitions on the target computer to match the partition layout of the captured image. The target disk can be blank (no partitions) or have many partitions, the count doesn’t matter since FOG will purge them all and recreate the partitions that were allocated in the captured image.
3. FOG does not touch inside the image. It will not remove any drivers. You should sysprep your image or not depending on your needs. FOGs job is to move the image between the target and server and from the server back to a target system.

Run FOG:
You will setup your fog server, setup your PXE environment, pxe boot your reference system into FOG, register it and then capture that image to your fog server. Of the other side for your target computer you will pxe boot your target computer, register it with the fog server then deploy your captured image to your target system. From there your target system will do what ever you set it up to, FOG doesn’t care.

After FOG: Yes

[george1421]

This is a good place to start to learn about FOG: https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Booting_into_FOG_and_Capturing_your_first_Image

I would recommend the following

1. Create your master image either by running a fresh target system in audit mode OR use Microsoft’s free MDT tool to build your reference image.
2. Install all of the windows updates.
3. Install all of your third party applications
4. Make any custom configurations required to the reference image
5. Sysprep and power off your reference image
6. PXE boot your reference system into the FOG menu and register it (DO NOT let it boot from the hard driveP
7. Create your image reference in FOG
8. Connect your image reference to your reference host you registered in FOG
9. Schedule an image capture via the FOG console.
10. PXE boot your reference system againg and capture your reference image to the FOG server.

From there you will then select a system and deploy. The FOG server will push the image to the target computer and then reboot. Since you sysprep’d the image before you captured it, OOBE will run on the target system and configure it for the target hardware.

[Wayne Workman]

I feel I need to say it - FOG runs on a Linux server, man.

Start in the Wiki, read through the link George gave. There are also several installation tutorials in there.