Windows 7 : Zero Touch Installations - Deploying Windows 7 (part 1) - Create a New Deployment Task Sequence

2/18/2013 6:36:59 PM

We have nearly reached the point where all the work you did to get ConfigMgr running and configured will reap a reward. It is time to see how to deploy Windows 7. Here are the required steps:

Import the reference image WIM file to create a new operating system image. This package will be installed on distribution points.
Create a new MDT settings package for an image deployment and install it on distribution points.
Create a new task sequence to deploy the operating system image.
Edit the task sequence.
Advertise the task sequence to the required collection(s).

As before, we will be kind on the mouse and keyboard by allowing the task sequence wizard to create the new packages for us. Once the advertisement(s) are created, you can sit back and watch the status of your deployments in the reports that ConfigMgr creates.

1. Create a New Deployment Task Sequence

A new task sequence is required to deploy the reference image and use a new collection of MDT settings. As you will see, this task sequence will do a lot more work for us. In the real world, you might find that you will need a number of task sequences. This is because you can take a single reference image and perform a number of steps that might be unique to a team, department, site, or division in the organization.

As before, start the Create Microsoft Deployment Task Sequence Wizard from Task Sequences in the Configuration Manager Console. You will be using the Client Task Sequence template once again. Name the task sequence something like Deploy Windows 7 Pro x64 Standard Image.
On the Details screen (Figure 1) enter the name of the domain and the credentials for joining the new Windows 7 computer to the domain. This exercise will use the dep1oy\configmgrjoin account that was given rights to join computer accounts to the domain.
Leave the Capture Settings screen with the default setting of "This task sequence will never be used to capture an image." This is because we do not want to run Sysprep on the resulting machine and create a reference image from it.
On the Boot Image screen, select the previously created boot image. You can select the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 package in the MDT package screen.
Figure 2 shows the OS Image screen. Here is where we will import the reference image WIM file to create a new OS image. Select Create A New OS Image. Enter the location and name of the file (D:\Images\Windows 7 Pro x64.wim) and the location where you wish to create a new package from it (\\deploysrv\packages$\Images\Windows 7 Pro x64).

Figure 1. Joining the new computer to the domain

Figure 2. Creating a new OS image
Name the image something descriptive in the following Image Details screen and give it a good description in the Comments box. Note that you can also perform this import action in the Configuration Manager Console in the OS Images folder in Operating System Deployment.
Select the existing ConfigMgr client package in the Client Package screen. You can also reuse the existing USMT package in the USMT Package screen.
A new CustomSettings.ini file will be required to deploy your image, because the capture settings will be inappropriate. This gives you an opportunity to use a different unattended XML answer file for your deployment task sequence.
Create a new package (\\dep1oysrv\packages$\Settings\Dep1oy Windows 7 Pro x64) in the Settings Package screen, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Creating a deployment MDT settings package
Name this package Deploy Windows 7 Pro x64 Settings in the Settings Details screen that follows.
Once again, you will not require a Sysprep package. The task sequence will create the packages for you in the \\dep1oysrv\packages$ share and the new task sequence will be created.
The CustomSettings.ini file in the MDT settings package (D:\Packages\Settings\ Dep1oy Windows 7 Pro x64) needs to be edited. Add the following settings to it:
```
[Settings]
Priority=Default
```
```
[Default]
DoCapture=NO
_SMSTSORGNAME=Deploy Inc. IT Department
```
Optionally, add the following line to the end of CustomSettings.ini:
```
MachineObjectOU=ou=computers,ou=deploy,dc=deploy,dc=com
```
This line will configure the domain join to create the computer account in the specified domain location. You should ensure that the join account (dep1oy\configmgrjoin) has the required permissions.
This is also your opportunity to edit the unattended installation XML file that is also contained within the package. You can alter how the Windows 7 image is installed.
Install these packages on the distribution point. You have to be careful:
- Do not install the packages on the PXE distribution point.
- The settings package will have to be updated on the distribution point after you install it. This is because of the previously mentioned potential of this package causing the task sequence to fail.