Windows Deployment Service

[Catsrules]

Is it possible to preinstall programs when you install windows from Windows deployment service?
For example office, firefox and VMware player would be installed on a clean install of Win 7

I am using Server 2008 and trying to deploy Win 7 with preinstalled programs.

 

[axxeon]

i dont know if this will help but ninite.com may help you.... you can choose what you want instaled and then do it... otherwise dude if you want to install 7 on computers in your network with preinstalled programs they all have to have the same hardware configuration.. cause then u can make an image of the hard drive with installed programs and then deploy them to other pc's... imaging software like acronis will work

 

[Catsrules]

I did some looking at your use a program called sysprep. It is a build in windowed program that your run after you get everything perfect, and it make your image of your computer like it just has been booted the first time and it has everything preinstalled, I just need to figure out how to capture the image and deploy it on other devices. So far it has been nothing but trouble.

 

[riser]

Install Sysprep on a Windows 7 computer. Walk through the sysprep setup to create your config file.
Sysprep the computer, boot to a WinPE CD and use the ImageX toolkit to create your image.

You will also want to download the Windows 7 AIK - Automated Installation Kit. This is something that will make your life easy with Windows 7.

You can install most software into the image. Some software will need regkeys removed and other things done, but for Office, Firefore and VM, it should be a simple install.

Run Sysprep from the command line after you have created your sysprep config. The computer will shut down. Boot to WinPE - you'll have to make your own WinPE CD and add in the imagex tool.
From there you'll do the image and either need network storage, USB, another partition or some other place to store the image. There is plenty of info out there on using DISM and IMAGEX.

 

[Catsrules]

Best answer selected by Catsrules.

 

[riser]

I forgot to add that if you install to a VM you can run a /detachhal with the BCD to make the image hardware independent, something that was extremely hard to do with XP with an image.

 

[Catsrules]

Cool i will haft to try it some time, this side project of mine has been put on hold, because of work and such. 🙁