Thanks for all the suggestions, folks - very informative. We'll probably try the ImageX route first, per your suggestions. I saw a demo of the Dell Kace imaging system last a few days ago. It's amazing. Very flexible, easy to use and modify. It's file based, so pushing an image down will be a little slower than an image, but for us this doesn't matter since we do all this centrally. We already have a Dell Kace systems management system here, and the two can work together. I used SCCM a year ago but don't anymore. I'd be willing to take a look at the imaging component only though. We are state/non-profit, so we get the charity pricing from Microsoft. Cost is important to us. Free or cheaper is best. Tom
>>> "Crawford, Scott" <crawfo...@evangel.edu>04/01/11 11:09 PM >>> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Brian Desmond [mailto:br...@briandesmond.com] Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 9:07 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows 7 Imaging<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <A name=_MailEndCompose><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> For EDU yeah it’s dirt cheap ($57 annual retail for you). We’ve done around half a dozen of these in the past six to eight months for higher ed customers – it’s selling itself. If you have the eCAL, there is usually /substantial/ savings with getting FEP (Forefront Endpoint) deployed as part of this. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Thanks,<o:p></o:p> Brian Desmond<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> c – 312.731.3132<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Crawford, Scott [mailto:crawfo...@evangel.edu] Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 8:50 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows 7 Imaging<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Yeah, that’s the situation we’re in. In fact we already have the SCCM license since it’s so cheap through our campus agreement ($50/yr maybe).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I really haven’t even glanced at it yet, but that’s my plan for the near future. Is it such that I can load SCCM onto one server with no reliance on a separate WDS server at all?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Brian Desmond [mailto:br...@briandesmond.com] Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 8:33 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows 7 Imaging<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I’ve been pretty impressed with the SCCM value-add here from the demos I’ve seen and meetings I’ve listened in on.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> If you’re a Core CAL customer (or eCAL of course), you already own SCCM CALs and are just on the nut for the server license. You only have to license the primary site server. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Thanks,<o:p></o:p> Brian Desmond<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> c – 312.731.3132<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Michael B. Smith [mailto:mich...@smithcons.com] Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 3:37 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Windows 7 Imaging<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> So, Microsoft doesn’t just have a “Windows Deployment Services Server”, they have an entire deployment stack. From the most basic elements, to the most complex, it goes like this (along with current versions):<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Windows Pre-Execution Environment (WinPE) 3.0<o:p></o:p> Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) 2.0<o:p></o:p> Windows Deployment Services Server (WDS) 2008 R2<o:p></o:p> Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Update 1<o:p></o:p> (optional) System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 R3<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> MDT can interface with SCCM (it simplifies some basic deployment steps), but SCCM is not required for MDT to be installed standalone.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Nothing that MDT or that WDS or that WAIK does is magic. All of it can be duplicated by scripting or by using third-party tools. They are there to make life easier. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> WinPE plus WAIK are the minimum of what you need to do deployment work (with a reasonable amount of effort as opposed to LOTS of effort). They include WinPE boot images, the ImageX and DISM tools, CD/DVD burning utilities, driver libraries, etc. etc.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> When you install the WDS server role, and WAIK is not installed on your server, a mini-version of WinPE+WAIK is installed as part of the role (basically, x86 and x64 boot images plus sysprep support).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> All that just to say, and to be clear: if you have WinPE plus WAIK, you can do anything you want to do to an image. Inject, delete, create, modify, whole disk, single partition, multiple partition, GPT, Fat32/NTFS/utility, etc. etc. etc.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> You can certainly do what you want. You just have to learn the tools. They are VERY different from those that came before.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Regards,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Michael B. Smith<o:p></o:p> Consultant and Exchange MVP<o:p></o:p> http://TheEssentialExchange.com<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Jonathan [mailto:ncm...@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 3:43 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: Windows 7 Imaging<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> This is pertinent to a conversation I just had with my counterpart @ work on the west coast. They have to image 5,500 machines for a client and he mentioned that WDS would only image at the partition level. They are looking for whole disk imaging. Will WDS do that or should he be looking at something else?<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Thanks,<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Jonathan<o:p></o:p> On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 8:50 AM, Tom Miller <tmil...@hnncsb.org> wrote:<o:p></o:p> Folks,<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> We are working towards deploying Windows 7 (along with Office 2010) on current and future shipments of new laptops/PCs. We use syprep and Ghost for our XP image, and it works well.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I'm looking for your suggestions/warnings/gotchas as to imaging for Windows 7. Favorite imaging tools, methods, etc? I don't do the imaging here, but my PC guy who does the images seems to be having a bit of a struggle with it compared to XP images, so I thought I'd as you experts.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> We already have a Dell Kace system management system here, and I'll be viewing a demo today for the imaging component (additional purchase). I'm open to anything that makes the process as painless as possible. If it matters we use Lenovo ThinkPads for our laptops and Dell Optiplex business PCs. <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Your comments are appreciated.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Tom<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <<A href="http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/"; target=_blank>http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: <A href="http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/"; target=_blank>http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to <A href="mailto:listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com"; target=_blank>listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin<o:p></o:p> -- Jonathan, A+, MCSA, MCSE<o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin<o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin<o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin<o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin<o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin<o:p></o:p> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. 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