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Rollout Window 8 or 8.1 from USB


lurk&jerk

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winkey.cmd

I finally got organized and developed a system for quickly rolling out Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 to small workgroups.

1. Pick your silent install apps, drivers etc. and prep the Windows 8 image with the tool of your choice. I use Win ToolKit. To reduce image size, don't integrate any updates in Windows 8 if you are going to upgrade to Windows 8.1. Also avoid adding lots of tweaks in this image; you can do that later with WPI.

2. Forget burning a DVD. For maximum speed, use your tool of choice to prep a removable drive to boot Windows 8. Copy the OS setup files as well as WPI to a USB drive. (I find that 16GB or 32GB is the ideal size and that compact flash memory, though more expensive, is slightly faster than SD memory. And if you have USB 3.0 on your motherboard, use it)

3. For installs on multiple PCs, I organized my removable drive like the one pictured below:

win8config.png

4. Make separate Autounattend.xml and pid.txt files for all of your workgroup PCs and put them in individual folders inside the PID folder noted by the red arrow.

5. Organize WPI for post Windows tweaks and application installations. You are all set.

6. Before you go to each Workstation run the winkey.cmd batch file on a PC that has Windows (any version to configure the next install). The batch file, shown below, will copy the correct Autounattend.xml and pid.txt file for the next installation.

winkey.png

7. To upgrade to Windows 8.1: (1) Run the batch file again while running Windows 8. Choose #1. (2) start Windows 8.1 setup and paste the Window 8.1 KMS key into the Product key box when asked. (3) After the Windows 8.1 install is completed, run the SLUI.EXE 3 command to bring up the dialog to enter the permanent Windows 8.1 product key for the workstation.

Edited by lurk&jerk
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