Project: Installation and Deployment of 45 New PCs

In order to install the PCs to exactly the same specification and to complete the job quicker, one PC is set up exactly as required, and then an image is taken of the PC to be restored to the remaining 45 PCs.

Prepare PC for Image:
The following steps need to be followed when setting up the PC for imaging:

• Install Windows XP Professional
• Remove unwanted applications (McAfee Trial, any included internet explorer toolbars, Office Business contacts manager etc.)
• Enable remote desktop, adding the everyone group in permissions.
• Set the local administrator password.
• Download and install all windows updates.
• Install Adobe Flash Player
• Install Adobe Reader
• Install Eset Nod32 Antivirus – basic install to be connected to server later
• Disable Windows XP Firewall – For remote administration tasks later
• LogMeIn installer on desktop

Note that the PC cannot be set up fully yet – some of the remote management applications such as Nod32 antivirus and LogMeIn cannot be installed fully until the PC has been given a unique identity (i.e. computer name and SID). This is done during the imaging stage.

Sysprep PC:
The sysprep tool removes all of the machine’s unique identification. This is important for our purposes as each PC needs a unique name and a unique Windows serial number amongst other things. A guide on using the sysprep tool can be found here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302577
Use Acronis software to image the PC:
This step copies all of the data exactly as it appears on the hard drive into an image file. The image can then be applied to multiple machines, replicating the imaged hard drive.

• Create the Acronis boot disc
• Boot Sysprep’ed PC from boot disc
• Create image of PC onto removable USB hard drive
• Boot all other PC’s using boot disc and apply the image from the initial PC
• Turn on PCs, complete the sysprep steps and check they work
• Deploy PCs into network:

There are still a few steps to complete that could not be done before hand because of the need for a unique computer name and SID. These are as follows:

• Registering the Warranty / Care-packs.
• Join PCs to the Domain.
• Push out device-lock to PCs from the server and apply group policy to lock down disc drives and USB ports.
• Link the Eset basic install up to the Remote Admin Console and apply the company configuration profile.
• Install logmein and assign to relevant company group.

User Customisation:
The final step is to configure the machines for individual users. The outlook profiles could be rebuilt and the profiles could be copied using a USB drive. However, a quicker and more efficient method is to use roaming profiles.

• Turn on roaming profiles on server by creating the folder structure and putting in the relevant file path in the active directory.
• Get users to log on and log off on the old computers. This copies all user specific information into folders on the server.
• Set up the new machines and get the users to log on. This copies all of the profile data back to the host PC.