Customize Windows 7 gold image - pre-sysprep/capture

[Adminoob]

Here's what I want to accomplish, and I've been successful with MDT 2010 but we've since added SCCM to our environment:

 

1. deploy base OS with sccm via pxe (I can do this fine using the build and capture ts, no problem here)

 

2. I do NOT want to capture the os immediately, so I'm assuming I either have to disable the capture portion of the ts or create a custom ts( any suggestions ??)

 

3. after deploying the base OS Windows 7 x64, I want to customize it, add apps, drivers, settings and so on.

 

4. I want to capture a .wim image of this non-sysprepped gold-image, and be able to re-image a machine at some future date, same model of course (so I don't have to go through the hours of customizing later when I need to update the image. (capture via imagex is possible, I'd rather do it via pxe/sccm to keep it all simple and together)

 

5. finally, I am ready to simply sysprep and capture this image, again, it seems I need to create a custom ts, this one only including the sysprep/capture portions of the build and capture ts?

 

My problem is, I can find TONS of guides on how to deploy a bare-metal os, capture it and redeploy it....doesn't anybody customize their images anymore?!? Why is it so hard to find someone who is using this model of image development and deployment and who can provide a step by step guide that isn't simply a regurgitation of the technet docs on sccm osd?

 

I want to add stuff to my 'gold' image BEFORE I sysprep and capture it, and want to maintain the option to capture the gold image at any stage of its development, i.e. perhaps I want to run windows updates, install office 2010 and a handful of standard apps and plugins, then simply archive this image for updating later in this state (in a non-sysprepped state, non-domain joined). I realize the functionality of sccm in conjunction with AD Group Policy can allow you to deploy apps via the configmanager client or gp, but there are instances where I do not want to spend hours repackaging apps to push via the network, when I can simply include them in the base build.

 

As a side question, what are the implications of re-sysprepping a W7 computer that has already been sysprepped?

[Lucid]

Well, this is just my own two cents from my perspective... We try to keep the base image fairly light, and install additional apps on-the-fly as we deploy the OS to the actual end user system. And drivers are also installed as you deploy the image to the end user system - that's part of the beauty of SCCM - no more stuffing drivers into an image.

 

Now, with that said, you can certainly install desired apps, customize the shoes off the system and do a ton of other things (to give you some scale, my OS customization VBScript is over 1000 lines of code). All without having to interact manually with the thing. What you do is create a build and capture task sequence that lays down the base OEM operating system. Then you have this TS install apps, drivers, scripts, what-have-you (this is where you do all those things you used to do manually when you were in the world of Ghost). Once that's done, the process automatically captures the image and you're up and rolling.

 

It'll take you awhile to set up a full blow build and capture TS to do everything you want, but it'll be well worth it as you move forward and have to include all the updates and changes for your apps. You can check out this page if you want more steps on the TS: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/rbennett806/pages/using-sccm-to-capture-and-deploy-windows-7.aspx

 

And if you desire to customize something, but don't know how to script it, if Google can't help you, place a post (try to keep to one thing at a time if you can - it makes it easier for other to help answer with the desired script code).

[Adminoob]

Well, this is just my own two cents from my perspective... We try to keep the base image fairly light, and install additional apps on-the-fly as we deploy the OS to the actual end user system. And drivers are also installed as you deploy the image to the end user system - that's part of the beauty of SCCM - no more stuffing drivers into an image.

 

Now, with that said, you can certainly install desired apps, customize the shoes off the system and do a ton of other things (to give you some scale, my OS customization VBScript is over 1000 lines of code). All without having to interact manually with the thing. What you do is create a build and capture task sequence that lays down the base OEM operating system. Then you have this TS install apps, drivers, scripts, what-have-you (this is where you do all those things you used to do manually when you were in the world of Ghost). Once that's done, the process automatically captures the image and you're up and rolling.

 

It'll take you awhile to set up a full blow build and capture TS to do everything you want, but it'll be well worth it as you move forward and have to include all the updates and changes for your apps. You can check out this page if you want more steps on the TS: http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/rbennett806/pages/using-sccm-to-capture-and-deploy-windows-7.aspx

 

And if you desire to customize something, but don't know how to script it, if Google can't help you, place a post (try to keep to one thing at a time if you can - it makes it easier for other to help answer with the desired script code).

 

Thank you for your reply. That is good advice of course, and if I were more than a team of one and didn't have a deadline quickly approaching to revamp all of my imaging methods, I would certainly approach it from that angle without a doubt.

 

However, I have apps like Adobe educational suite (12-15 gb) in one image, plus at least 30-40 additional applications of varying sizes and types, depending on which of the 7 different image classes we are talking about. Even if I were to script all of these via vbs and ts, it would take the build and capture process HOURS to complete, I suppose that is true of creating the base build as I do currently... I may just give up and use Imagex/MDT to do this.

 

In the Novell Zenworks days of my recent past, I would:

1. Install/customize Windows

2. Snapshot an image of that gold OS to the server via Zenworks

3. Sysprep and seal that machine

4. Upload that image to the server as well

5. Deploy as necessary to hundreds of computers via Zenworks over PXE.

 

What took me weeks to accomplish the old way, will now, if I follow the thin-client paradigm, take me months, that is, until I have recreated these monolithic images of ours using thousands of lines of code. Care to share an example of your vbs code so I can get a running start?

[Adminoob]

Success!

 

Alas, I have found a simple solution to my problem! At least a partial solution; as I stated originally, I really just wanted to mirror the same imaging methods I was used to in Novell Zenworks; setup a windows box with all the trimmings, snapshot it, upload it, sysprep it, snapshot again for final deployment via pxe/zenworks.

 

I can achieve this functionality, and the solutions were so simple as to be embarrassing to admit.

 

To capture any OS in a non-sysprepped state via pxe OSD task sequence:

 

create a new custom ts

 

first ts: 'Use Toolkit Pakage" - first integrate MDT 2010 into SCCM, then create a package for the MDT Deployment Toolkit

 

second ts: "Set Backup Location" - set a task sequence variable with 'ComputerBackupLocation' and a value that points to your backup share location

third ts: "Set Backup File Name" - yet another ts variable called "BackupFile" with a value that will be your image name 'myimage.wim'

fourth ts: "Create Image" - here's the magic ts, it is a 'Run Command Line' ts with the command line of cscript "%scriptroot%\ZTIBackup.wsf

 

Advertise this, make it available to pxe boot image and voila! It simply works! Tested it on a Windows 7 x64 and XP machine, no issues.

 

Now to reverse the process, even simpler:

 

2. To apply a non-sysprepped wim via pxe OSD task sequence:

 

first ts: "Partition Disk 0" - change the format to quick, otherwise left everything default here

second ts: "Apply Operating System Image" - point this to your previously captured non-sysprepped image

get a cup of coffee

 

Again, tested on W7 and XP, works fine. I understand that this method is only valid if you are capturing and reapplying to the same model due to HAL and Mass Storage driver issues, but this will get me started and I can work on creating my 'thin-image' and custom application deployment ts's at a later date.

 

Thanks all,

 

Sincerely,

 

T