Disk Cloning and the System Preparation Tool One way to install Windows 7 is to use disk cloning software such as Norton

Ghost to create an image file. To use the disk cloning software, you use the installation disc to install Windows onto a master computer (also called refer- ence computer), update and patch the computer, customize Windows, and install any additional software. You then use the cloning software to copy the contents of a hard drive to a file. You use the disk cloning software to copy the contents of the image to a target computer.

If you create a cloned copy of Windows and apply the cloned copy to multiple computers, each copy of Windows cloned to a target computer using the same image has the same parameters, such as the same computer name and security identifier (SID). Unfortunately, for these computers to operate properly on a network, these parameters have to be unique.

To overcome this problem, you run the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep), which removes the security identifiers and all other user-specific or computer- specific information from the computer before you run the disk cloning software to make the cloned disk image. When you copy the cloned image to the disk image, a small wizard runs that enables you to specify the computer name and other computer specific information. The SID and other information is re-created automatically. The Sysprep utility is located in the

CHAPTER 2: Installing, Upgrading, and Migrating to Windows 7

c:\Windows\System32\sysprep or the c:\Windows\SysWOW64\sysprep folder. The disk structure is explained more in Chapter 9, “Managing Files and Folders.”

The syntax for the sysprep command is as follows:

sysprep.exe [/oobe | /audit] [/generalize] [/reboot | /shutdown | /quit] [/quiet] [/unattend: answerfile]

. /audit : Restarts the computer into audit mode. Audit mode enables you to add additional drivers or applications to Windows. You can also test an installation of Windows before it is sent to an end user. If an unattended Windows setup file is specified, the audit mode of Windows Setup runs the auditSystem and auditUser configuration passes.

. /generalize : Prepares the Windows installation to be imaged. If this option is specified, all unique system information is removed from the Windows installation. The security ID (SID) resets, any system restore points are cleared, and event logs are deleted. The next time the computer starts, a specialize configuration pass runs. A new security ID (SID) is created, and the clock for Windows activation resets, if the clock has not already been reset three times.

. /oobe : Restarts the computer into Windows Welcome mode. Windows Welcome enables end users to customize their Windows operating system, create user accounts, name the computer, and other tasks. Any settings in the oobe system configuration passed in an answer file are processed immediately before Windows Welcome starts.

. /reboot : Restarts the computer. Use this option to audit the computer and to verify that the first-run experience operates correctly.

. /shutdown : Shuts down the computer after Sysprep completes. . /quiet : Runs Sysprep without displaying onscreen confirmation mes-

sages. Use this option if you automate Sysprep. . /quit : Closes Sysprep after running the specified commands. . /unattend:answerfile : Applies settings in an answer file to

Windows during unattended installation. The answerfile specifies the path and filename of the answer file to use.

Deploying Windows 7

Disk Cloning and the System Preparation Tool One way to install Windows 7 is to use disk cloning software such as Norton