Preimage PC for Deployment

[MagnumVP]

Currently (following the Step-by-Step on this site) we deploy new PC's with Windows 10 2016 LTSB by adding the PC to Active Directory and then adding the PC to System Center with the PC's MAC address.  Boot the PC, connect to the PXE Server and it does the rest.

I have 7 PC's sitting in my office "just in case someone's PC needs to be replaced".  Is it possible to image a computer with everything but the name and then during the first boot prompt for a name and add it to the domain? This will allow me to image all 7 PC's now and when one dies I just pick up the PC and go instead of having to image it first and then deliver it.

[keilamym]

you'd like to image a machine with a generic name and store it. then on the next bootup, have a script run to change the PC name and add it to the domain?

 

[MagnumVP]

I guess then that is what I will have to do.  Thanks

Anyone have a generic script to rename a PC, reboot and join a domain?

Edit: I found this which may work as a PowerShell command

Add-Computer -DomainName MYLAB.Local -ComputerName TARGETCOMPUTER -newname NewTARGETCOMPUTER

 

[xerxes2985]

Magnum,

What you could do is copy and modify your current task sequence and change the Apply Network settings or Join domain step to join a Workgroup. 

Then create a separate task sequence that prompts you for a computer name, and then joins the domain. Set it as available software, then run from Software Center.

Although, unless there is some specific reason you don't just want to have a computer imaged and already joined to the domain?

[MagnumVP]

Sometimes these computers will sit for months on end and if it's already joined to the domain it will lose the ability to login "Trust Relationship" issues. 

If the computer is in the workgroup, how can the computer see the Software Center?

[xerxes2985]

1 minute ago, MagnumVP said:

Sometimes these computers will sit for months on end and if it's already joined to the domain it will lose the ability to login "Trust Relationship" issues. 

If the computer is in the workgroup, how can the computer see the Software Center?

I haven't tested this myself but here's a technet blog https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/anilm/2012/05/05/managing-workgroup-clients-in-configuration-manager-2012/  that talks about how to install the client on non-domain joined systems.

I believe (and I could be wrong), but as long as the client is connected to the network, it shouldn't matter whether the computer is domain joined or not.

[xerxes2985]

Where I work, we currently re-image about 6 computers monthly, as the majority of the time they sit on a shelf. The main reason (besides to keep them updated) is to prevent them from falling off the domain (aka Trust Relationship). 

[YPCC]

Why not allow a machine to build normally (join domain etc) and then put in a step at the end to unjoin it? 

 

And why do you want to see software center? Are you saying that you currently build a machine, log in and then use software center to install additional applications? If so, you could manually unjoin from the domain.