Multiple Image Installation

[Do It All Computers]

I will be heading into a large client job here soon that will have me deploy a system image to multiple systems and, though I don't have the full details, I am assuming that I will want to install windows 10 or 11 to multiple pc's. I haven't done this before and I am assuming that I will need a switch, software and knowledge. Any suggestions on where to start?

TIA.

 

[phaZed]

It depends on the particulars, but it sounds like a PXE disk imager could be the ticket. Clonezilla is a good pick but there are others such as FOG and a few Commercial solutions like the old Symantec Ghost and AOMEI.

If Windows Server is available, Windows Deployment Services Server does PXE and is easy enough.

Take a look at your current backup software solutions - some of them provide PXE as a recovery solution.

Personally, I've used WDS, FOG and Clonezilla. FOG is my go-to for general PXE imaging due to it's flexibility and power.. though, if you have a large Windows network with a server on it and are doing strictly Windows stuff... it's hard to beat WDS (caveats included - some infrastructure won't allow for it.. or permissions set against it, etc).


In other instances, depending on how many machines you are setting up (and vs the Network capabilities - can't very well have 200 machines downloading a 4GB image at the same time, now can we!), it can be easier to simply have a set of 10-20 USB drives with System Image on the USB Drive. EaseUS has a product, Macrium Reflect can do it, as can many others... and there are a bunch of free open-source tools to stick an Image onto a thumbdrive and restore it to a machine.

One of the most important, potentially longest hand-on parts of the process is making the initial image that is being deployed.... so be ready to setup a single machine, updated and 100%, preferably before the day in question, if possible.

 

[Do It All Computers]

phaZed, thanx for the response.

I really don't know what they are going to be wanting. I just thought I should look at and learn some options. Any beginner tutorials for FOG that you know of? I am unfamiliar with the whole area, but learn quick, like...

I am thinking, however, that they will not be on a WAN or LAN, but I will need to hook the machines into a switch and go from there.

 

[nlinecomputers]

How many devices? 5,10,50,100?

 

[nlinecomputers]

EaseUS has a product, Macrium Reflect can do it, as can many others...

Which can’t be legally used in a commercial deploy without an enterprise license. $$$

 

[phaZed]

Which can’t be legally used in a commercial deploy without an enterprise license. $$$

*Restrictions apply - I'm a FOG guy... $0 (hint hint!)

 

[nlinecomputers]

*Restrictions apply - I'm a FOG guy... $0 (hint hint!)

Never used it but definitely would go that route. Depending on hardware you could even use one of the PCs as the FOG server, roll out your images to the other machines and then just pave over the FOG server with the last image.

The only real question is how does the master image get created? Is it an existing image, for which you are going to have to deploy and then capture with FOG or is he going to have to create the first system himself and then sysprep and capture it.

 

[mikeroq]

I just used WDS/MDT. I just went in-house so I'm going to get MDT setup soon for an upcoming project. WDS is used to provide the PXE boot. MDT can be run on a workstation even. Just wherever you can share it out. Do all kinds of stuff in your task sequence like running scripts, windows updates, etc.

 

[phaZed]

The only real question is how does the master image get created? Is it an existing image, for which you are going to have to deploy and then capture with FOG or is he going to have to create the first system himself and then sysprep and capture it.

Don't even have to sysprep with Win 10 and above, usually. But ya, get a single system up and running and how you like it, then have the FOG server take a "backup" image of the prepped system. Then Deploy the previously taken image to all the machines.

 

[mikeroq]

I don't do thick images. Thin only. With 7 it was just a base install that was sysprepped. Now just windows 10 will from ISO.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I don't do thick images. Thin only. With 7 it was just a base install that was sysprepped. Now just windows 10 will from ISO.

6es but if you need to install a slew of applications on each PC having one master image is a whole lot faster. Esp. if it is 20+ systems.

 

[Markverhyden]

You really need to get a handle on what they are looking for unless this is just an unlimited T&M job. To include apps, domain or not, external devices, etc, etc. Rolling out a basic OS image is usually the easiest part of something like this. It's all the bells and whistles that can drive costs, by eating up time.

 

[Do It All Computers]

Thank you for all the feedback. I really don't know how many computers, but as the contract fleshes out over the next month I will find out. I am just trying to do some study and get ahead of the game, so I am not scrambling. Your suggestions are great ones and I will look into FOG, as it is cheap, but will also see what the others have to offer. I will keep you all updated and let you know if I have any questions when I start my learning process.

Yer all awesome!