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@jackiejack Yes vm and snapshots will save your butt many times over.
If you don’t have a virtualization infrastructure, I assume you can use somthing like virtualbox to build your VM on and then make snapshots at critical steps to ensure you can roll back the changes without having to rebuild.
Yes you can add the activation key into the answer file, or activate it afterwards, or if you are using the fog client, it can activate the target computer for you.
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I’ve had luck with sysprep up until 1703, anyone else having issues or have successfully sysprepped Windows 10 Enterprise 1703?
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@jackiejack said in Win 10 image:
Ooookay,
I know I am going to get flamed for this. But I am doing research on sysprep but still so confused.
I have a windows 10 computer with programs installed. Need to get that unto 48 different computers. What do I do now? Go into sysprep? I didn’t go into CTRL SHIFT F3 thing.
Are your 48 different computers the same model? If they are, then I would used one of them to create the image. If not, VirtualBox will work fine. My image was created in VirtualBox and runs on about 30 different models.
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@avaryan No, different models. I have got to read up on that driver injection thing.
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I would actually put the minimal amount of software and configuration on the image as possible… create the image with virtualbox and snapshot before every sysprep so you go go back and do windows updates regularly. Use a tool like WPI, or even better, config management tool like salt/puppet for post software install/config… but yes, you have the right idea… make sure to put the network drivers for each model on the image as well
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@larosejm PDQ work good? Puppet is open source is it?
You mean windows updates on the virtual machine? -
@jackiejack PDQ is more of a remote deployment type deal, but I suppose it could work. Puppet is open source. I found Salt easier to use, which is open source as well, but beware that you need to know what your doing with these and make sure they are secure because they give ALOT of control, but if in place and once properly setup, can be used to automate everything. A simple free solution is create silent installers in a central network share and combine PDQ for remote deployment (free if you just run bat files from the central share) and WPI (http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/windows_post_install_wizard_(wpi).html) for locally running post installs/configs. The trick is, you have to create silent installers for everything. You may also have luck with Fog for post config and software.
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@larosejm I have some more programs to install. Should I boot into sysprep audit mode and install programs?
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@jackiejack yes, first thing you do is go into audit mode… do the windows updates in the virtualbox before sysprep (be sure to select bridged network adaptor) so you’ll be able to upload to fog. Put network drivers for all models in c:\windows\inf folder somewhere. You could install software before sysprep if you want. The only software we install before sysprep is Microsoft Office and do the rest post image.
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@larosejm no I mean in my current real machine. Can I go into audit mode, then install the rest of my programs? Is that how it works?
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@jackiejack you could use a physical machine, but virtualbox is easier and transerable… your machine doesn’t matter. I actually use virtualbox on a mac… from some notes… “install Windows using Audit Mode* in virtual box with 4gb ram, 2 processors, 50gb dynamic hard drive, bridged adapter”
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@larosejm NO
I have a machine with some installed programs. I have more programs to install in it. Can I go into audit mode now and install the rest of the programs? Or do I have to start over (in a VM this time)? -
@jackiejack definitely start from scratch. Its quick enough, and if this is your image your gonna use on a bunch of machines, you want it to be perfect… plus it’ll be easier to document all the steps you do.
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@larosejm Right. Hopefully I could get another machine somewhere…
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@jackiejack Somebody should draw a flow chart or something. Ahhhhhh
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@jackiejack you don’t need another machine… install virtualbox on your current machine… you can export it when you get everything good to a network share somewhere
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So can I follow these steps exactly for my win 10?
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@jackiejack You can, but they are mostly wrong for your current setup.
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When I change network adapter from NAT to bridged in virtualbox, I loose network connectivity in both host and guest. My host says network cable unplugged. When I power off virtual machine, host reconnects fine. Power on virtual machine, no internet connectivity on either guest or host.
… or should I post this on a virtualbox forum?
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@jackiejack said in Win 10 image:
or should I post this on a virtualbox forum?
You better do so. Unfortunately I don’t think we are able to properly help you with that. Though there might be people around having had this issue too. Not sure. But you’re definitely better off posting this virtualbox-specific problem in their forums.
