What cloning software for OEM providers

[Monkeypox]

As a side job, I'm helping a small linux and Win 7 OEM provider to a few local businesses. We use different sets of hardware, but all across 1155 platforms. Loading by hand isn't going to work for us moving forward.

What OEM provisioning cloning software are people using? I did some quick looking at Ghost and a couple others, but from what I could tell, they were used and licensed for businesses cloning their own computers and not for computers that were being sent to another company.

Any help?

Thanks,

 

[jthomas]

For preconfiguring win7 images, the windows automated installation kit (waik) along with volume licensing can probably do everything you want. Microsoft is unfortunatly restrictive on this for us small timers. VL is the only legit way.

It's technically not legal and the installations won't be supported by MS if you reimage and deploy using any retail copies, oem system builder copies, or other oem versions. Only VL gets reimaging and deployment rights.

However, I do know a couple small shops locally that 'bend' the rules a little by installing with a custom unactivated image. They just don't 'technically' have the the licensing to do so legally. They even use sysprep before recording the image to make the installations unique and all that important stuff, no other hacks or activation exploits involved. They do affix a real COA to each chassis, include matching installation media, matching product key, and leave the OOBE intact like you're supposed to. Even all that still isn't perfectly legal though...

Making clones of a windows 7 installation to multiple machines on a network with acronis or ghost or similar, without running sysprep etc can cause problems.

 

[Monkeypox]

We're using legit OEM copies of Win7 and will continue to do so. I assume Win 7 would allow me to enter in a new key after the imaging process and activation. Part of what we're trying to do to save time is the Win 7 installation as well as all the windows updates.

What's confusing me about Ghost or Acronis is their licensing requirements. For deployed machines, how many licenses of Acronis would I need? One for each machine sold or just one master copy?

 

[jthomas]

They are one license required for each machine imaged, sold, or deployed. Every source and destination machines need their own license. Using either to deploy will invalidate the OEM Windows license however.