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help with sysprep&co

R

Rambler

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 31, 2001
Messages
130
Hi. I'd appreciate bit of help :)
I'm trying to make my life bit easier and automate installing WinXP on multiple machines.
I'll begin with what i can't use - can use RIS, because we have freebsd server, not W2k3. So i'm considering either answer files or using sysprep. But the thing is all the computers don't have a floppy or cdrom, just a hdd. Which (i think) rules out using answer files, because the only way you can use them that i know of is copy them on a floppy and use them during the installation.
So i've come to using sysprep - which should be usable in the conditions we have here, but i'm wondering about few things:
1) is it even usable for OEM version of WindowsXP? Is there a way to include multiple product keys in the sysprep.inf? Or how does it work - as i see it, sysprep.inf includes product key for the machine i'm about to sysprep, but that would make it unsable for installing on other machines, which apparently have different product keys.
2) is it possible to use the UDF file with sysprep?

Just few facts about the environment:
-network of approx. 40 PCs atm
-machines with WindowsXP Pro
-no fdd, no cdrom (but available if needed for installation purposes - i can connect fdd,cdrom - i'l like to avoid using fdd, because it'd only cause me to do more swapping (of fdd, as i see it i won't be able to avoid swapping/using cdrom)
-FreeBSD server, so RIS is not a possibility

Thanks for any help/hints you can give.
 
When I did my sysprep, I set it up so that it would ask me for the CD-Key for each new machine that was sysprepped, so I know that can be done. Pretty easily too, I think it was something like just not giving it a cd-key at all. Then it'll ask for one.
 
you can always put the new product key in a unattended install script,
 
Thanks for the replies so far, but they don't completely solve my problems.
Anyways got another question - is there any way to use distribution shares without using RIS?
 
well since you set RIS out of the picture (would really make it easy, as you could just boot from the network) you could use gost to pust the image, instead of floppy boot, if the pc's can boot from usb, just use the files on usb drive instead of the floppy.

if that made no sence to you i wouldn't be suprised, i am still mostly asleep lol
 
k1pp3r said:
well since you set RIS out of the picture (would really make it easy, as you could just boot from the network) you could use gost to pust the image, instead of floppy boot, if the pc's can boot from usb, just use the files on usb drive instead of the floppy.

if that made no sence to you i wouldn't be suprised, i am still mostly asleep lol
Click to expand...

Yeah, RIS would make things much easier, but as i said we have a FreeBSD server. Well, then i guess i'm left with either sysprep and pushing the images on all the machines via cdrom or use unattended answer file installation, where i'll use all the $OEM$ power.
 
Just a suggestion but why don't you take one of those boxes you have to do the install on and toss windows server on it. Run ris, do your installes then redo that one box when your done.
 
Sid said:
Just a suggestion but why don't you take one of those boxes you have to do the install on and toss windows server on it. Run ris, do your installes then redo that one box when your done.
Click to expand...

my quess would be since they are running a freebsd server they don't have or will not splurge for windows server just for RIS, not to mention it would have to double as a domain controller so the pc knows where to look for the RIS server. i would suggest getting a cd rom backpack drive
 
k1pp3r said:
my quess would be since they are running a freebsd server they don't have or will not splurge for windows server just for RIS, not to mention it would have to double as a domain controller so the pc knows where to look for the RIS server. i would suggest getting a cd rom backpack drive
Click to expand...
No one said they had to buy it. MS gives out eval copies that are usually good for 90 days. I would be willing to bet they could do the roll out in that time. Hell I have many Beta copies from my technet briefings that I would be will to give him. After all I never meant this to be permanent.
 
Sid said:
No one said they had to buy it. MS gives out eval copies that are usually good for 90 days. I would be willing to bet they could do the roll out in that time. Hell I have many Beta copies from my technet briefings that I would be will to give him. After all I never meant this to be permanent.
Click to expand...
90 killware in a production environment is a no-no. Rollout or not.

 
Suit yourself, like my first post said, it's just a suggestion.
 
Oh well, i'm silly, i totally forgot about those OPK cds we have, which should enable me using dist. shares :)

Anyways thanks for the responses. Just a question - why would using those 90-day versions be a no-no? From a legal standpoint or moral?
 
Rambler said:
Oh well, i'm silly, i totally forgot about those OPK cds we have, which should enable me using dist. shares :)

Anyways thanks for the responses. Just a question - why would using those 90-day versions be a no-no? From a legal standpoint or moral?
Click to expand...
They are referring to the beta versions. I figure MS has been doing RIS for 5 years and if you don't use any other feature of the server it would be just fine. But that's me. I'm lazy and would not want to walk around to every station and hook a cdrom into it then image.
 
Rambler said:
Anyways thanks for the responses. Just a question - why would using those 90-day versions be a no-no? From a legal standpoint or moral?
Click to expand...
Neither legal or moral issues that I know of. It's a matter of CYA, there are many horror stories of production machines going down after their 90 days have expired. You don't want to be responsible for a production machine going down for ANY reason you can avoid. This is one of those reasons.

 
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