been a long time. This forum was my home for a few years.

We got 100 laptops and 100 desktops all running XP.

We use a Symantec ghost solution, with sys-prep and two images (single core vs or dual core)

The suits are buying new dell laptops E6500, and our oldest desktop will be a Optiplex 755.

I kinda feel the system is place can be duplicated with windows 7, but maybe a process is better and more fun to put in place?

Was wondering what tried and true methods people are using to deploy Windows7?

You could probably re-use your current methodology without any problems, but using WDS and the WAIK (perhaps coupled with MDT 2010 or SCCM 2007, depending on size and scope of your environment) would be just as easy, and probably more flexible.

in what ways would they more flexible?

I made some "how to" waik vids that might help http://www.wincert.net/forum/index.php?/to...1-added-part-3/

Edited February 2, 201016 yr by ricktendo64

Things like MDT and SCCM allow you to create structures and scripts (task sequences) that allow for driver control, app control, variables, etc before, during and after install, and can be driven and controlled by data in a SQL database even. SCCM does more in that it's more than just deployment, it's PC lifecycle management from deployment to replacement, but it's also not free - MDT 2010 is free, but of course is just the OS deployment portion of SCCM (and it's not 100% of it, either). It's true you could replicate this on your own, but it would take a lot of time and effort, and these are Microsoft-supported as well using the native tools to work with their native images.

Ricktendo's videos are good, and I've got some walkthroughs on my blog about MDT as well.

great, I will start with the videos and the blog and go from there

thanks