Sysprep Windows 7 Pro HELP Plz >>

svan · 11 Dec 2011 at 12:30

I want to build up one Windows 7 Pro PC, run a Sysprep tool like we could under Windows XP, then image with Acronis and roll the image out to 10 identical PC's.

Can a knowledgeable person refer me to an easy way of Syspreping a Windows 7 Pro system?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

svan

nightmare99 · 11 Dec 2011 at 13:45

Ok perhaps if you let us know where you are upto at the moment. Have you got your reference PC ready and if so have you tried to run sysprep on it yet?

svan · 11 Dec 2011 at 13:50

nightmare99 said:
Ok perhaps if you let us know where you are upto at the moment. Have you got your reference PC ready and if so have you tried to run sysprep on it yet?

The reference system is yet to be built. I want to make sure what Sysprep type method to use on Windows 7 systems...

anything I don't mind · 11 Dec 2011 at 14:30

Just have to run the sysprep utility in windows\system32\sysprep.exe

click the generalize tickbox and choose shutdown. It should work, but for more advanced sysprep features you have make an unattend.xml with WAIK.

svan · 11 Dec 2011 at 15:13

groen said:
Just have to run the sysprep utility in windows\system32\sysprep.exe

click the generalize tickbox and choose shutdown. It should work, but for more advanced sysprep features you have make an unattend.xml with WAIK.

So with Windows 7, its really a simple as that?.. Same as Win XP.. So thats all i need do to remove the SIDs?

oli356 · 11 Dec 2011 at 16:20

svan said:
So with Windows 7, its really a simple as that?.. Same as Win XP.. So thats all i need do to remove the SIDs?

That's the way I have done it before opening up the sysprep in Windows folder.

(not sure what SID is though =( )

SoundsGood · 11 Dec 2011 at 16:34

Are you doing this for WSUS or is there another reason you need unique SIDs?

svan · 11 Dec 2011 at 17:36

SoundsGood said:
Are you doing this for WSUS or is there another reason you need unique SIDs?

No, just that I want each PC to have different security identifier and no conflicts on the network.

theheyes · 11 Dec 2011 at 19:39

You don't really need to use sysprep or even Acronis if they are identical machines. Just build the reference PC, use the built in Windows backup tool to create an image and then restore this to the other computers. All you need to do then is activate them. If you're still bothered about SIDs then just run sysprep on them individually.

Burnsy2023 · 11 Dec 2011 at 19:45

groen said:
Just have to run the sysprep utility in windows\system32\sysprep.exe

click the generalize tickbox and choose shutdown. It should work, but for more advanced sysprep features you have make an unattend.xml with WAIK.

Yep this is all you need to do. The generalize option removes the SID.

SoundsGood · 11 Dec 2011 at 19:50

svan said:
No, just that I want each PC to have different security identifier and no conflicts on the network.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2009/11/03/3291024.aspx

svan · 11 Dec 2011 at 21:13

Thanks evb

TNGL · 11 Dec 2011 at 22:56

IIRC, you have to end the 'wmpnetwk.exe' process in order for sysprep to function correctly. I remember it causing me problems, and it's a wide-spread issue anyway.

svan · 12 Dec 2011 at 00:20

Sounds like good advice.. thank you

RichIbizaSport · 12 Dec 2011 at 14:06

I use w7 sysprep for deploying developer images at work.

I had a few annoying problems at the start - wasted around 20 hours work when it destroyed an image I'd been building

I though my problems were based on the wmpnetwk.exe issue, but from my notes taken at the time:

Set password for adminitstrator account
Keep administrator account disabled
Launch C:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep Set to oobe + generalise
Shutdown
Take image with clonezilla

Also don't run sysprep more than 5 times (I was doing versions of builds for different departments from the same base images). You'll run in to the re-activation limit (I can't remember the exact terminology), even though fully licensed you do have to perform some slightly "dodgy" tasks.

svan · 12 Dec 2011 at 16:02

That's fantastic information. Thanks for all the pointers