Windows Vista Deployment Using Microsoft WAIK – Part 2

I think you had knew that you can categorized the computers into THREE (3) categories when you deploy Windows Vista using Microsoft WAIK. They are technician’s computer, reference computer and destination computer. In the previous part of this topic, I had explain about the role of technician’s computer. The technician’s computer (with Microsoft WAIK installed), was used to create the answer files and Windows PE CD.

Now, in this second part of the topic, we will learn about what we need to do on the reference computer. You only need one computer to be a reference computer. You should setup or deploy Windows Vista into this computer. The process basically consists of the following:

1. Setting up the partition on its hard disk
   
   
2. Format the hard disk.
   
   
3. Install Windows Vista on the hard disk. If you set up TWO (2) partition on the hard disk, you usually install Windows Vista in primary partition C:\
   
   
4. Install the appropriate application software.

After you finish doing all the above activities, you will begin to sysprep your reference computer. Then, you will capture the Windows image (wim file) from it.


SO, IN THIS PART, YOU WILL REALLY LEARN HOW TO SYSPREP THE REFERENCE COMPUTER.

THEN, IN THE NEXT PART OF THIS TOPIC, YOU WILL BE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO CAPTURE THE WINDOWS IMAGE FROM THE REFERENCE COMPUTER THAT YOU HAD SYSPREPPED.   



What You Need

1. System Preparation Tool. This is the built-in tool reside in Windows Vista OS that you installed in reference computer. You will run the sysprep command using this tool. Click here if you want to know more about sysprep. 
   
   
2. Answer file. This is the XML file you created using the technician’s computer.

Before The Procedures

1. You need to setup or deploy Windows Vista into the reference computer.
   
   
2. If you installed Microsoft WAIK for Vista SP1 in technician’s computer, you need to install SERVICE PACK 1 FOR WINDOWS VISTA in the reference computer.

The Procedures

Now, I assume that you had deploy Windows Vista into the reference computer. So, please follow the procedures below in order to sysprep the computer.

1. Save the answer file that you created before into reference computer. The location to save is C:\Windows\System32\sysprep 
   
   
   
   
2. Click --> type cmd in the Start Search’s box –-> after the couple of seconds, the command prompt (cmd) program appears under the list of Programs. 
   
   
   
   
3. Point the mouse cursor on the program –-> right click on it –-> click Run as administrator –-> click Continue –-> the command prompt (cmd) program appears like below. 
   
    
   
   
4. Inside its interface, type cd sysprep –-> press . See above  
   
   
   
   
5. Then, type the sysprep command like below –-> press .  
   
   
   
   Note:
   answer file = the name of answer file you created before using the technician’s computer. Eg: sysprep.xml
   
   
6. The sysprep utility is being executed –-> please wait until the reference computer shutdown.