Deployment WDS or MDT

[jamerican]

Greetings, has anyone successfully setup a windows delopyment server for windows 7? I have been looking at videos and tutorials for weeks cant find one that works. any suggestion ?

[topanaris]

Windows deployment server? Hmm am I to assume to want to have a Windows 7 installation repository and then deploy to clients? If that's what you want to do I would think you should look at RIS (Remote Installation Services), if that's not what you mean then please disregard.

[jamerican]

Im looking to implement a build server for windows 7. what i would have is a unattend.xml file and the windows 7 image on a server that already has office already install. so i could boot pc into pxe and have the image load on the machine and install all the settings and administrator account automatically / possibly join the network. been looking at tutorials for days cant seem to get it running correctly.

[topanaris]

Again - have you looked at RIS? While I have never done it before in a production environment I think it should work once your answer file is properly configured.

[King_Jay16]

Windows deployment server? Hmm am I to assume to want to have a Windows 7 installation repository and then deploy to clients? If that's what you want to do I would think you should look at RIS (Remote Installation Services), if that's not what you mean then please disregard.

WDS "replaced" RIS in 2003 and upwards. They are basically the same though.

Im looking to implement a build server for windows 7. what i would have is a unattend.xml file and the windows 7 image on a server that already has office already install. so i could boot pc into pxe and have the image load on the machine and install all the settings and administrator account automatically / possibly join the network. been looking at tutorials for days cant seem to get it running correctly.

I can help you out. My first project at the company I work for was to image and deploy 120 desktops to replace a clients thin-client counterparts (this was my first time using WDS, prior to the project i never heard of it before so had to do some extensive research as well as test environments).

Just a couple questions to get a starting point.

1. What version of windows server are you using?
2. Is the server configured as the DHCP for that network?
3. How many servers will be in the network?
4. Will there be multiple images or just one? (Please note that you WILL need multiple images if the computers being imaged are of different brands or versions eg. Lenovo E520 vs Lenovo E530 will need two images as different drivers will be present or Dell vs HP PCs)
5. Are the computers OEM (HP, Dell, Lenovo etc) or custom built orders? (This has to do with maintaining OEM/Retail activation)

[jamerican]

1.Windows server 2008

2. server isnt config as dhcp as we have a dchp server for the network

3. one server will be in the network..depends how well it works could be expanded to more.
4. will be multiple images.
5 computers are OEM hp and dells...some have custom built orders...we have a volume license for windows 7 and office 2010

[King_Jay16]

1.Windows server 2008

2. server isnt config as dhcp as we have a dchp server for the network

3. one server will be in the network..depends how well it works could be expanded to more.
4. will be multiple images.
5 computers are OEM hp and dells...some have custom built orders...we have a volume license for windows 7 and office 2010

Ok server 2008 will make your life much easier than 2003.

Ok great, when configuring WDS you will need to ensure that you select the appropriate options so that DHCP requests are forwarded to that DHCP server on the network

I have some stuff that I can pt together and forward to you. However I am currently on vacation and don't have access to that info right now.

[King_Jay16]

I am in the office today so drop me a line when you are available.. also empty your inbox