How to deploy Windows 7 enterprise that has been sysprepped and ghoste

[gbako]

At my company, the way we prep new user's computers, is we have a sysprepped ghost image of a Windows XP setup that I've created.

The process for this is simple. I setup a WinXP install the way we need it, I clone customized Admin profile to the default user. Once all this is done, I simply run sysprep on the machine, and then I created a ghost image.

Now all the techs have to do is clone this image onto any of the compatible hardware we have and boot the system. As per the sysprep.inf file, it the machine gets added to our domain, it prompts for a computer name, and then auto logs in, and runs our batch which does a few more tasks. Lastly, the user can log in, with the profile already customized, and they are ready to go. Simply enough.

I would like to be able to roll out Windows 7 the same way. Where I can create a master image, and I can sysprep, ghost and then have all of the techs clone that ghost image onto the machines they need prep for a user.

How the heck do I do that? All of the information I've found so far just wants to talk about ImageX, and WIM files, and how great WAIK is, and so forth. I understand these tools are valuable, and some/all of them I might have to use, but isn't there a way to do this the way I used to with WinXP and Ghost?

I do not need to be able to push out images via the network, I am not interested in Microsoft's deployment tools, I just want to have a ghost image that can be access on a network (or even burned to DVD, etc...) Where any tech can boot a WinPE disk, run ghost, and clone the image onto a computer.

Can this still be done?

I understand I need a unattend.xml file which replaces the old sysprep.inf file. Everything I found says to use Microsoft SIM to create unattend.xml files. Problem is, that program wants to open a WIM file to create one. Well, since I would prefer to use Ghost, not ImageX to clone the master image, I don't have a WIM file. I can of course create one if needed, I am hoping to avoid having to use ImageX.

And help would be greatly appreciated.

George

[/usr/local/dick]

Problem is, that program wants to open a WIM file to create one. Well, since I would prefer to use Ghost, not ImageX to clone the master image, I don't have a WIM file. I can of course create one if needed, I am hoping to avoid having to use ImageX.

If WSIM asks for a WIM file, point it to your Windows 7 installer (probably a DVD), \sources\install.wim.

Once WSIM can read this WIM file, it will magically see a whole tree of stuff that will show up in the bottom left pane ("Windows Image") of WSIM. You then need to carefully pick certain items and add them to specific stages of the "Answer File" section. This will cook an xml file for you.