I’m new to Windows deployments, and I need some help. I’ve gotten as far as setting up a new system from a Windows 11 image downloaded from MS, configuring it/installing software, and then running sysprep. I made a WinPE boot thumbdrive, but I’m stuck at capturing the Windows image part. Part of my problem is that I’m trying to make this in a VM. Is that more trouble than it’s worth?

Is there an easier way to do this? I’ve seen people saying I can use Linux tools like Clonezilla, which sounds good to me, since I’m very comfortable with Linux-- but I read that might cause problems. One thing mentioned was licensing.

I would be deploying these images 100% onto Lenovo machines that we purchase from CDW, so I’m not sure how licensing would work. Is the license tied to the MAC? Will they auto-register once I boot them with the new image?

Thanks for anyone that takes the time to help me understand this :)

  • @Fullest
    2•8 months ago

    There are different solutions depending on the scale and scope.

    At the minimum, you can look at just modifying the unattend.xml file to automate a USB install. This will give some simple features like configuring licensing and generally being able to skip the oobe (out of box experience) wizard.

    Next level up is modifying the install.wim file on that USB install. This will afford some more customisability like taking a sysprepped captured image, like what you’re describing. You don’t need a WDS server for this, but if you’re going this deep you might as well move up to one for the automation it brings to that captured image workflow.

    Next level up is setting up a WDS (Windows Deployment Services) server, which can just be a dedicated VM or a dedicated physical machine somewhere on the network. This has all the benefits of the above but with better automation and network booting (which replaces your USB with just needing a network connection) and automatic AD join.

    At the top of those enterprise scale solutions is SCCM (now called MECM) or InTune, depending how you want to work things. Setting up one of these is probably way beyond your scope though.

    Things get more complicated the further up you go, but come with more benefits. If you’re looking for a minimum effort solution, I’d just build a bootable USB with rufus and modify the unattend.xml, save that file somewhere so you don’t have to do it again and just copy it onto any new drive you build.

    I might be forgetting something so hopefully something in the comments here helps you in your current situation. cheers