Mastering Windows 7 Deployment

Introduction xix

Chapter 1 • Does Your Hardware Measure Up? 1

Meet Windows 7 1

Windows 7 Hardware Requirements 3

Using the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 6

Planning and Installing MAP 6

Performing a Windows 7 Readiness Assessment 15

Produce MAP Reports and Proposals 24

The Bottom Line 30

Chapter 2 • Evaluating Applications for Windows 7 Compatibility 33

Application Compatibility 33

The Application Compatibility Toolkit 36

Choosing an ACT Architecture 36

Installing ACT 39

Using the Application Compatibility Manager 44

Resolving Application Compatibility Issues with Shims 55

Deploying XP Mode 70

Installing Virtual PC for Windows 7 71

Installing XP Mode 71

Advanced Deployment of XP Mode 76

The Bottom Line 77

Chapter 3 • Installing Windows 7: Meet the Panther 79

Choosing the Right Edition of Windows 7 79

Windows 7 Professional 80

Windows 7 Enterprise 81

Windows 7 Ultimate 81

The N, E, K, and KN Editions 82

Speaking the Language: Four Ways to Use Windows Setup 82

Deploying New Bare-Metal Computers 83

Upgrading Computers 83

Refreshing Computers 85

Replacing Computers 87

Windows Setup in Detail 88

Preinstallation Phase 88

Online Configuration Phase 90

Windows Welcome Phase 90

Performing the Windows 7 Installation 90

Performing a Clean Installation 91

Performing an In-Place Upgrade 94

The Last Step: Licensing and Activation 95

Understanding Windows Activation 96

Activating a New Computer 96

Discovering the Four Types of Licenses 98

The Bottom Line 100

Chapter 4 • Cloning the Panther: Automating Windows 7 Installation 101

Getting Familiar with Microsoft Images 101

Image Types: VHD and WIM 102

Creating a Bootable VHD Image 102

Creating a Bootable WinPE Image 105

Creating Operating System Images 105

Creating Your First Image 107

Using the Windows Automated Installation Kit 108

Creating Bootable WinPE Media 110

Preparing a System with Sysprep 113

Capturing an Image Using ImageX 115

Applying an Image Using ImageX 117

Customizing Images Using Deployment Image Servicing and Management 118

Viewing Information about an Image with DISM 120

Mounting an Image 121

Servicing Drivers in an Image . 122

Servicing the Operating System in an Image 124

Committing an Image 127

Using Windows System Image Manager 127

Exploring the Panes: An Overview of WSIM 128

Understanding Catalog Files 129

Exploring the Components of an Answer File 130

Creating an Unattended Answer File 134

The Bottom Line 141

Chapter 5 • Migrating the Existing User Data 143

Exploring User Data and Settings 143

User Data 145

Application Settings Data 145

Migrating User Data 146

Working with Windows Easy Transfer 146

Capturing Data with Windows Easy Transfer 149

Restoring Data with Windows Easy Transfer 151

Working with the User State Migration Tool 152

Using the USMT in Four Deployment Scenarios 154

Setting Up the Source Computer 157

Gathering Data by Running ScanState 158

Applying the Data and Settings Using LoadState 165

Getting Extra Mileage Out of the USMT 168

The Bottom Line 171

Chapter 6 • Windows Deployment Services: The Basics 173

Understanding WDS 173

The History of WDS 173

How Does WDS Work? 174

Deploying WDS 178

Designing a WDS Solution 178

WDS Requirements 180

Installing WDS 180

Configure the WDS Installation 182

Image Management 186

Managing Boot Images 186

Managing Installation Images 198

Exploring the WDS Image Store 202

Modifying PXE Client Response Policy 203

The Bottom Line 203

Chapter 7 • WDS from the Client’s View 205

Employing the PXE Client 205

Booting a PXE Client 206

Configuring PXE Response 207

Selecting a Boot Image 213

Customizing the PXE Boot Process 214

Creating a Customized Installation Image 215

Prepare a Reference Machine 215

Create an Image 217

Using Unattended Answer Files with WDS 218

Preparing WSIM 219

Automating the Boot Image 219

Automating Image Installation 222

Monitoring, Logging, and Troubleshooting WDS 223

Monitoring WDS Performance 223

WDS Logging 225

Troubleshooting WDS 227

The Bottom Line 227

Chapter 8 • Tweaking Your WDS Server 229

Using WDS to Name Machines 229

Developing a Naming Standard 229

Naming a Computer Using WDS 231

Manage Domain Membership Using WDS 235

Advanced Domain Controller Settings 237

Using WDS for Multicast Deployments 238

Why Multicast Deployments Are Needed 238

How WDS Multicast Works 239

Creating a Multicast Deployment 241

Troubleshooting a Multicast Deployment 244

The Bottom Line 245

Chapter 9 • Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 247

Setting Up Your Deployment Server 247

Hardware Requirements 248

Software Requirements 249

Supported Operating Systems 250

Installing MDT 2010 Update 1 250

Meeting the Deployment Workbench 251

Exploring the Active Parts of the Deployment Workbench 253

Creating and Populating a Deployment Share 253

Creating a Deployment Share 253

Populating the Deployment Share 260

Creating a Task Sequence 274

Updating the Deployment Share 278

Deploying Your First Image 281

The Bottom Line 289

Chapter 10 • MDT’s Client Wizard 291

Customizing the Deployment Share 291

Operating System Properties 299

Application Properties 302

Driver Properties 306

Package Properties 307

Task Sequence Properties 309

General Tab 309

Task Sequence Tab 310

The OS Info Tab 318

Automating the MDT Deployment Wizard 318

The Bottom Line 320

Chapter 11 • Fine-Tuning MDT Deployments 323

Discovering Selection Profiles 323

Creating a Linked Deployment Share 325

Understanding Linked Deployment Shares 325

Maintaining Linked Deployment Shares 326

Securing Linked Deployment Shares 330

Deploying from DVD 331

Working with the MDT Database 332

Creating the MDT Database 333

Using the MDT Database 334

Filling the MDT Database Using PowerShell 343

Extending the MDT Database with Custom Settings 345

The Bottom Line 347

Chapter 12 • Zero Touch Installations 349

Understanding Configuration Manager 349

Introducing Configuration Manager 350

Why Use Configuration Manager for OSD? 353

Understanding the ZTI Flow 354

Installing Configuration Manager 2007 355

Prepare for a ConfigMgr Installation 356

Install the Site Server 362

Configure the Site Server 365

Preparing and Configuring Boot Images 371

Creating Boot Images 372

Adding Drivers to a Boot Image 374

Creating and Capturing a Reference Image 379

Install Packages on the Distribution Points 387

Create a Collection and a Computer Association 389

Advertise the Reference Image Task Sequence 392

Run the Reference Image Task Sequence 394

Identifying and Targeting Machines for Rebuilding 395

A Deployment Strategy 396

Creating a Collection for Windows 7 Deployment 397

New Computers 399

Deploying Windows 7 400

Create a New Deployment Task Sequence 400

Edit the Deployment Task Sequence 403

Advertise for Bare-Metal Installation 406

Performing the Zero Touch Installation 406

Monitoring Deployment Progress 409

The Bottom Line 411

Chapter 13 • Taking Advantage of Volume Licensing 413

Choosing the Right Volume License Key for Windows 413

Tracking Your Licenses with the Key Management Service 416

Learning the KMS Process 416

Choosing Your KMS Host 417

Selecting the KMS Host Manually 418

Installing and Initializing KMS 418

Configuring DNS to Let KMS Clients Find the KMS Server 419

Uninstalling KMS 421

Troubleshooting the KMS and the KMS Client 421

Configuring KMS for Activation of Office 2010 422

Monitoring the KMS Servers 423

Using Asset Intelligence Reports in SCCM 2007 423

KMS and the Client 423

Using a KMS Client Key and MAK During OS Installation 424

Changing the Client License Type After Installation 425

Postponing Activation 426

Recovering from a Nongenuine State 427

Understanding the Windows Software Licensing Management Tool 428

Configuring Windows Firewall Settings When Using SLMGR Remotely 429

Allowing Standard Users to Perform Activation 430

Controlling Activation Notifications and Timing 430

Using Group Policy to Control Activation Behavior 431

Tracking Your Licenses: The Volume Activation Management Tool 432

Understanding the VAMT Requirements 432

Exploring What the VAMT Can Do for You 432

The Bottom Line 434

Appendix • The Bottom Line 437

Chapter 1: Does Your Hardware Measure Up? 437

Chapter 2: Evaluating Applications for Windows 7 Compatibility 438

Chapter 3: Installing Windows 7: Meet the Panther 439

Chapter 4: Cloning the Panther: Automating Windows 7 Installation 440

Chapter 5: Migrating the Existing User Data 442

Chapter 6: Windows Deployment Services: The Basics 443

Chapter 7: WDS from the Client’s View 444

Chapter 8: Tweaking Your WDS Server 445

Chapter 9: Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 446

Chapter 10: MDT’s Client Wizard 447

Chapter 11: Fine-Tuning MDT Deployments 448

Chapter 12: Zero Touch Installations 449

Chapter 13: Maintenance and Monitoring 450

Index 453