Creating a Master Image to roll out to 30 new Machines Licensing Issues

Solution 1:

DO NOT use CloneZilla or any other type of 3rd party tool, as they're not needed, will only result in lost time and inefficiency, coupled with likely causing licensing issues.

Windows natively supports everything you're trying to do via three tools

• Deployment: MDT
• Generalizing: SysPrep
• Imaging: DISM
  • Capture or Append an image
  • Apply an image
    
    
• ESDs/WIMs are smart compression image formats
  • Only changed files are added to an image when a new image is appended to it
    (all files are hashed)
    • Newly appended images utilize the same copy of unchanged files already contained within the image from the previous image(s).
    • This allows for an image to remain small in relation to the data contained within.

The way in which the deployment of the WIM (Windows IMage) occurs will depend on the environment.

• If you want to install additional software so each workstation has the exact same setup, MDT (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit) may be worth your time to setup and configure, as it allows easy updating of the master image with updated software and drivers in an organized fashion, which can then be applied to individual workstations remotely.
  • MDT has a minor learning curve of ~1hr if you've never used it before, but how to utilize it is well documented both on Microsoft Docs as well as by numerous IT writeups/tutorials that can be found via google.
    
    
• If you're only needing to install a handful of programs/drivers, simply setting one system up, SysPrepping and Generalizing it, then creating a WIM of it for deployment to all other workstations will work fine, provided you ensure correct individual or volume license activation across each workstation.

The SpiceWorks Forum will prove invaluable to you regardless of which way you choose to go, as many, if not most, forum members work in IT and Systems Management, along with highly-trained Microsoft Techs that are very active on the site.

Examples

Provided /CheckIntegrity & /Verify are always used, it's impossible for a WIM / ESD to become corrupted.

WinPE only has 32MB of scratch [temp] space by default, so /ScratchDir is required
(can be changed in MDT)

• Capture:

  DISM /Capture-Image /ImageFile:"Z:\Base.wim" /CaptureDir:"C:" /Name:"Windows Backup" /Description:"Base Image 2019.08.24 @ 08:30" /Compress:Max /CheckIntegrity /Verify /NoRpFix /ScratchDir:"Z:\"
  

• Apply:

  DISM /Apply-Image /ImageFile:"Z:\Base.wim" /ApplyDir:"C:" /Index:1 /CheckIntegrity /Verify /NoRpFix /ScratchDir:"Z:\"
  

  • /Name: or /Description: can be utilized in lieu of /Index:

When it comes to licensing in a business environment, don't skimp

• If unsure about something license-related, contact the developer directly
  • Misconfigured licensing comes with a hefty bill when audits are conducted by the software developers, and they will audit at some point.
• There's a slew of products that help with licensing (Belarc for example)

Solution 2:

You cannot use an OEM image to cast onto other systems. Microsoft does not permit this and it is possible (if you try) that the systems will fail activation.

You need to get a Windows 10 Volume License for 30 users, make your image, and then use Microsoft tools (including Sysprep) to put the image on the remaining machines.

Solution 3:

You can use any cloning software you like, although I don't advise using Linux-based utilities such as Clonezilla. But only do so after each computer's Windows license is activated.

You need to boot up each computer, let Windows start and activate, so that Microsoft will store the hardware fingerprint of the computer in its licenses database.

It is possible that the OEM license is burnt into the BIOS of each computer. But if it is not, doing the activation will avoid 30 computers trying to use the same license and getting it black-listed by Microsoft.

Using sysprep requires some knowledge and mistakes are possible (see issues on our site). Cloning is just a matter of pressing the button, no learning curve at all. Many companies use cloned hard disk as the simplest solution, even using specialized cloning devices for mass production. When the OEM license is burnt into the BIOS, this is by far the simplest solution.

Solution 4:

Depending on what exactly you're needing to customize, you may be able to avoid all of the licensing problems by using a setup script instead of re-imaging the systems. Systems of the same model coming from a manufacturer will all come with the same image on them. Create a PowerShell script or write a short program that modifies a system to meet your requirements (install/remove software, modify registry, configure system settings, etc etc). Your systems would start in the same state and run the same script, so they should end up in the same state. But, by avoiding imaging, you've also avoided the headache that is Windows licensing.