I'm planning to update some of our desktops soon, and I need help creating a standard image from a properly configured machine. This image will have everything the users need, so I can easily set up the new workstations. If anyone has a great step-by-step guide or how-to article on this process, I'd really appreciate it! I've been working in IT for 25 years but I'm still learning a lot from this community. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge!
3 Answers
Creating a thin image is the way to go! Make it as minimal as possible and let AutoPilot handle the installation and configurations thereafter. It streamlines the setup process.
You can also use Microsoft's Windows Deployment Services (WDS) to capture an image from a fully configured system and deploy it on other machines. While it does involve some setup, it's quick once you're established. However, the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) offers more flexibility by allowing you to start with a simple OS image and choose the applications you want to install. Once you have everything configured for silent installs, it saves a lot of time when deploying multiple machines. I hear Intune is becoming more popular for these tasks, but I'm not too familiar with it yet.
I recommend avoiding thick images. Instead, use MDT to create a standard image and install the apps and configurations post-installation. When new Windows updates come out, you can just update the Windows image on your deployment setup, and you'll be all set!
Just a heads-up, though: MDT isn't officially supported anymore. If you're using it, that's fine, but starting fresh might not be the best way to go.
Exactly! Thick images just lead to more headaches. I use MDT to push my images and only join them to the domain during setup. Everything else gets handled by PDQ, ensuring that everything is up to date right from the start.
Just a note: WDS doesn't support the Windows 11 boot.wim. I used the latest Windows 10 boot image and added our WinPE packages from the models. Once I did that, deploying my sysprepped Windows 11 image worked perfectly!