Starting managed Windows deployment
You can use Windows Deployment Services (the new RIS) if you have a 2003/2008 server. This provides PXE boot capabilies for your XP clients. You configure a 'template' on the server to answer the setup questions, but you will be prompted for anything you didn't enter (Windows Key in your case). Don't miss the intro video.
You might also find Unattended interesting, if you're using Linux servers. Features:
* Automated install of operating system, hotfixes and applications. * Full documentation and source code. * Support for floppy, CD-ROM, and "nothing but net" installs. * True unattended installation, not disk imaging. * No Windows servers required; use your Unix servers instead. * No Unix servers required; use your Windows servers after all. * Completely free.
I would suggest getting started learning the WAIK and ImageX tools from Microsoft so you have a head start when you want to move to 7.
We transitioned off of Ghost a couple years ago and haven't looked back. I now have a bootable USB stick that automatically preps and images my new boxes with ImageX, no keypresses required.
In your case, you'll have to manually enter the license keys and maybe computer names (although names can be automatically pulled from a text file).
We use a single WIM image across a bunch of hardware models and 95% of the time there is no post-install configuration (there's some driver bloat but it's not that serious a problem).
In general, the workflow goes like this:
- Configure your Windows machine the way you want it, install apps and set up security
- Set up a default user profile that all new users will receive when they log in the first time
- Run Sysprep to prepare the image for mass deployment
- Capture the image with ImageX
- Deploy the image to other boxes over the network or locally
There's a lot to this topic, though - keep posting when you run into roadblocks :)
Here are some resources:
- TechNet's Deployment Guys Blog
- Johan Arwidmark at DeployVista
- svrops.com
- Michael Niehaus' blog at TechNet
The SMB version of Microsoft SCCM is fine if you don't have a lot of machines and I agree but there are other Windows software deployment options which might as well be just as good or even better at handling a multitude of machines simultaneously say 300 workstations maybe more. It could be a considerable investment for your organization but if the ratio of machines versus the IT staff is huge then the benefits outweigh the cost.
I use FOG for easy imaging XP Clients (an iphone app ist available ;)