Windows Install Imaging

I’m working on a little project that needs to deploy windows in an automatic and effective fashion, and so, once again, I’m looking at unattended/imaging methods to see what’s out there to make this task a little easier. Let’s link.

Of course, there’s sysprep…which I don’t know that I’ve given a fair shake to. I’m not sure what this sysprep driver scanner does. This is still the microsoft way and worth investigating.

On the other hand there’s building a slipstreamed XP install disk with driver packs that make it complete. There’s a neat guide about how to do this well. Also, check out autopatcher and autostreamer. I think there’s probably some good reads at AppDeploy–and videos too.

Alternatively, there’s good old unattended.sourceforge.net which has done me right in the past….but isn’t under very active development, and is so durned network-based. And hard to test. Don’t lose the Real Men Don’t Click link. WPKG is also a good look. ANI I haven’t looked at at all.