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Best way to deploy Win 7? Used to use Ghost...now?

Proposed Best way to deploy Win 7? Used to use Ghost...now?

  • Saturday, February 18, 2012 12:39 AM
     
     
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    So I'm used to using Ghost to deploy Windows systems.  But I think our current version does not support Windows 7.  It's pretty old.

    So I was looking online to see what my other options were and it all seems so complicated anymore.  According to Microsoft there are a bazillion things that need to be done before making the image.  Another bazillion to create the image.  And then another bazillion to depoy it.  Thats like 3 bazillion steps for something that used to be so simple.

    Maybe I'm just an old-timer.  I want the quickest and simplest way to do this.

    Another way we used to do it was through RIP, but that is no longer around.  Maybe SCCM?  I can see that because that would make other deployments like software easier and I believe it can also push updates and stuff down.

    Any info or suggestions would be greately appreciated!

     

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  • Saturday, February 18, 2012 3:12 AM
     
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    Hi,

    RIP was superseded by RIS, and that superseded by WDS.
    You can use MDT to do the heavy lifting - it will drive the various elements like WAIK and WDS for you.

    Don

    • Proposed As Answer by nciampa Sunday, February 19, 2012 3:37 AM
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  • Monday, February 20, 2012 2:24 AM
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    There are some methods to deploy Windows 7 but you need to consider the number of clients also.

    This article may help you to choose a deployment strategy:

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd919185(WS.10).aspx

    Hope that helps.   

    Regards,

    Leo   Huang

    TechNet Subscriber Support

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    Leo Huang

    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Monday, February 20, 2012 8:55 PM
     
     
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    Thanks, I'll look into these as they look like they should be able to help me.  One thing I kinda would like to do long term is stop using group policy to push applications down.  Not that we have a lot, but it would be nice if we had a "real" system in place for that.  I was kinda hoping I could find a all-in-one solution that we could use to push Windows down and then also use to install apps with.  Kinda like RIP used to do.
     
  • Monday, February 20, 2012 10:28 PM
     
     
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    After making a generalized SYSPREP'ed image, I use the free, open-source Clonezilla to deploy the image to the actual systems--be they physical or virtual.  Works like a champ as I incur no additional costs.

    However, for "official" deployment tools provided by MSFT, you can look at MDT (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=25175) paired with WDS http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771670(v=WS.10).aspx.

    You are right, it can get quite complicated.  I personally prefer simplicity (when money becomes an issue).

     
  • Tuesday, February 21, 2012 4:05 PM
     
     
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    If you've sysprepped the image, ghost should work.  Otherwise you'd have to run bcdedit before or after imaging to fix the bcd.  I've heard the newer version of ghost supports the bcd.


    • Edited by JS2010 Tuesday, February 21, 2012 4:05 PM
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  • Thursday, February 23, 2012 9:09 AM
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    Hi ned4spd8874,

     

    Did your issue resolved? Please feel free to give me any update.

     

    Thanks.

     

    Regards,

    Leo   Huang

    TechNet Subscriber Support

    If you are TechNet Subscription user and have any feedback on our support quality, please send your feedback here.

    Leo Huang

    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:37 PM
     
     
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    I've been thinking and am wondering if there is a different way to deploy this?  Mainly, everything I'm reading says to build the system up and then make an image of it and then push that down.  

    Why can't I just deploy the Windows i386 files with the unattend file like we used to be able to do with RIP?  Is that not possible anymore?  I'm just wondering if I really have to go through the trouble of installing Windows, installing the drivers, etc. and then having to image it and all that entails in that.  

    It just seems easier if I could setup the install files with the unattend file and drivers, then start the process and walk away and come back to a built system a couple hours later.

    Any further insight or clarification would be appreciated!

     
  • Tuesday, February 28, 2012 11:06 AM
     
     
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    I think MDT would be a good choice for you.
    You can check the following pdf file, which would be helpful to you:
    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdocuments%2FFrance%2FTechNet%2F2009%2FWIN7%2FMDT_2010.pdf&ei=3LNMT7e7DtHprQf9yZGEDw&usg=AFQjCNFvvpJhVbLAnuk0tN2KofsosC3EGw&sig2=EoqbpE9q7AB-PB9p_GjUKw

    Thanks
    Zero
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