Adding Imaged Host to Domain and Renaming

[chad-bisd]

Great. If you plan to use KMS for activation, or use WSUS, you’ll still need to sysprep, but your answer file will not try to rename the pc or join it to a domain. Use a * for the computer name, because you don’t care what sysprep calls it, FOG will rename it. Do not use the unattendjoin section of the answer file, because FOG will join the computer to the domain after it’s renamed.

You need to sysprep /generalize at some point in your image creation process (either audit or oobe mode) for Windows to generate a new CMID for use with KMS and WSUS and possibly other systems. If you use MAK or can hold onto the OEM key, you don’t have to worry about CMID for KMS activation, only if you use WSUS or something else that identifies workstations based on their CMID.

I’m redoing my Windows 7 images this year, trying to work out the duplicate CMID problem I had last year. We are trying to move to KMS for Windows 7, and ADBA for Windows 8 and Office 2013. Seems every time you figure something out, MS changes it.

[Kamz87]

Thanks again for everything!

[dvos]

Thanks so much for the info! So helpful! Do I follow the same steps to change the domain of an already registered host without imaging it again?