Imaging 28 laptops

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xpd

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#286064 3-Jun-2021 11:16

I have 28 laptops coming in at short notice, and they all need to be setup the same. I dont really have time to setup a deployment system so was wondering if a quick solution would this :

Take laptop 1, setup as wanted.

Image laptop 1 using Acronis/Reflect/Ghost

Apply image to laptop 2.

Theyre all the exact same model laptop so hardware wise it'll be fine, but what about activation - to my thinking it should pickup the key via the BIOS and activate happily - but will it ?

Anyone done something similar to this ?

TIA

XPD / Gavin

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#2717592 3-Jun-2021 11:18

When I last did something similar (desktop PCs) it was a sysprep thing that needed to be done before the clone that made it all work nicely. Not sure if thats still a thing with windows 10 tho.

Richard rich.ms

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#2717594 3-Jun-2021 11:27

Clonezilla if you do not have time to setup a deployment system.

Do whatever you want to do man.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2717599 3-Jun-2021 11:39

Got a nice fast file server? You can clone to a file, and then back onto the laptops.

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#2717600 3-Jun-2021 11:41

If they're all going to connect to the same domain controller / active directory then you definitely want to use sysprep before taking a copy.

If not then that's not really an issue and you should be fine with your method.
Windows should activate as you say by detecting the new key from the firmware/bios, that's what it has done for me in the past.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

xpd

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#2717603 3-Jun-2021 11:49

Soon as they arrive I'll grab a couple to try with Clonezilla.

Cheers

XPD / Gavin

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xpd

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#2717606 3-Jun-2021 11:57

richms:

When I last did something similar (desktop PCs) it was a sysprep thing that needed to be done before the clone that made it all work nicely. Not sure if thats still a thing with windows 10 tho.

Yeah that's if you're doing proper deployment :)

XPD / Gavin

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xpd

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#2717607 3-Jun-2021 11:58

SomeoneSomewhere:

Got a nice fast file server? You can clone to a file, and then back onto the laptops.

Storage isnt an issue, its more of how Windows will deal with the image and activation ;)

XPD / Gavin

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#2717648 3-Jun-2021 12:42

It sounds like you don't have re-imaging rights? OEM Windows licences do NOT allow for you to create a custom image (which is what you're intending to do), Only to use factory restore images. You need a commercial Win 10 Pro licence for re-imaging rights. See :https://download.microsoft.com/download/3/d/4/3d42bdc2-6725-4b29-b75a-a5b04179958b/reimaging.pdf

You must purchase at least one license of the Microsoft software that you want to reimage under your Open License
authorization number or Microsoft Open Value or Microsoft Open Value Subscription Agreement number. This
purchase is required to obtain the media and necessary Volume Licensing Keys (VLK[s]). You may use this media to
reimage as many devices as you have licenses for, subject to the reimaging eligibility requirements described above.

Assuming you're correctly licenced: Setup the 1st laptop, configure it to use your Win10 MAK licence, Sysprep it, Image, Then apply that to the other devices.
Not running sysprep can cause issues if they're on the same network (especially if AD joined) as the GUIDs and various other IDs will be identical.

<#
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Anything I post is my own and not the views of my past/present/future employer.
#>

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#2717651 3-Jun-2021 12:58

There is also..

1. Open a command prompt as an Administrator.

2. Enter slmgr /upk and wait for this to complete.
This will uninstall the current product key from Windows and put it into an unlicensed state.

3. Enter slmgr /cpky and wait for this to complete.
This will remove the product key from the registry if it's still there.

4. Enter slmgr /rearm and wait for this to complete.
This is to reset the Windows activation timers so the new users will be prompted to activate Windows when they put in the key.

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#2717652 3-Jun-2021 13:04

If you are including 0365 in your image there is some instructions about making sure it has not got a key or activated before you capture the image.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/deploy-microsoft-365-apps-operating-system-image

xpd

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#2717653 3-Jun-2021 13:05

Hmm so to keep it "within terms", I'll be best to do the systems individually........ damn it.

Guess Id better clear the meeting room and grab some staff with USB sticks and get stuck in soon as the courier arrives :D

XPD / Gavin

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#2717654 3-Jun-2021 13:16

This is where learning how to do some automation using unattend, 1st login setup batch files and powershells, and driver packs can come in handy.

You don't need to keep maintaining MDT or similar. But with the right pre-made $$OEM$$ folder structure and scripts, you can just use the latest flavour of install.wim and away you go.

I had one doing install, open the default/new user registry. Set default apps before Windows stole them all back to Edge for all future logins. Nuke all the online install MS store apps etc noone needs. Do an office install from designated network share

And partial OOBE.

When it was done, it wanted you to either enter a key for the machine. Or skip and join whatever you needed to join and let the licencing KMS sort itself out. Though only some of that is supported on OEM SKUs

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#2717676 3-Jun-2021 14:08

xpd:

I have 28 laptops coming in at short notice, and they all need to be setup the same. I dont really have time to setup a deployment system so was wondering if a quick solution would this :

Take laptop 1, setup as wanted.

Image laptop 1 using Acronis/Reflect/Ghost

Apply image to laptop 2.

Theyre all the exact same model laptop so hardware wise it'll be fine, but what about activation - to my thinking it should pickup the key via the BIOS and activate happily - but will it ?

Anyone done something similar to this ?

TIA

What type of license is it?

Fwiw I did this yesterday using Reflect and activation went OK.

As for Ghost...... one day we will see a successor to Ghost. That day has not yet come. Ghost was the BEST!

xpd

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#2717678 3-Jun-2021 14:12

Will be the OEM supplied (HP) 10 Pro.

This is only a one off exercise so going down route of full on deployment system is out of my scope - would get our support guys to do it but they'd need at least a month to kick things off, and I need solution "now".

XPD / Gavin

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#2717700 3-Jun-2021 14:50

xpd:

Will be the OEM supplied (HP) 10 Pro.

This is only a one off exercise so going down route of full on deployment system is out of my scope - would get our support guys to do it but they'd need at least a month to kick things off, and I need solution "now".

Should be fine.

One feature MR sorely needs is a Network Deployment option.

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