Windows Vista Deployment Step-by-Step Guide

Varinder Sandhu Operating System, Varinder Sandhu, Vista

Windows Vista Deployment Step-by-Step Guide

This document provides instructions for implementing a basic image-based deployment of Microsoft® Windows Vista® operating system. We recommend that you first use the steps provided in this guide in a test lab environment as a means to become familiar with new and updated deployment features and technologies available in Windows Vista.
Step-by-step guides are not necessarily meant to be used to deploy Windows Vista operating system features without accompanying documentation (as listed in the Additional Resources section) and should be used with discretion as stand-alone documents.

Windows Vista Deployment Overview

This document is designed for IT professionals and deployment specialists who are responsible for deploying Windows® operating systems in an organization.

Deployment scenario

You will use the steps in this scenario and the procedures in the examples to implement a basic image-based deployment of Windows Vista on hardware without an operating system installed. For more information about the tools and technologies referenced in this section, see Tools and Technologies later in this document.
The process for the deployment scenario includes:

Building a lab environment.
Creating an answer file by using Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM).
Building a master installation by using the product DVD and your answer file.
Creating an image of the master installation by using the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) and ImageX technologies.
Deploying the image from a network share onto a destination computer using Windows PE and ImageX technologies.

At the end of this example, you should have a working lab environment that includes a technician computer, a valid answer file, a CD that you can use to start Windows PE, and your first custom Windows image.
In addition, you will gain a basic understanding of the Windows AIK toolset. With this knowledge, you can modify your answer file to include additional customizations. You can also automate parts of the process by scripting some of the manual steps in this example.