- Installing an Operating System and Entering Audit Mode
- Installing Software and Running Sysprep
Overview
A reference computer is a pre-prepared computer that will be used for golden image creation. Generally, this reference machine will contain a Sysprepped operating system, relevant configuration, and applications that will be copied to the target endpoints during golden image deployment.
What is Sysprep?
Before a computer image is captured and deployed to other computers, Microsoft recommends that the image is generalized in order to remove PC-specific information from the Windows installation so it can be deployed to multiple different PCs. To do this, Microsoft includes a tool called Sysprep which can be run to generalize the image.
Installing an operating system and Entering Audit Mode
The first step, when preparing a reference computer to be imaged, is to select an operating system. This is the operating system that will be deployed to the endpoints.
When an operating system starts for the first time, it will enter a first-time setup. This is known as the out Out-Of-Box-Experience (OOBE). The OOBE is used to configure a Windows operating system the first time that it runs. Since the reference machine is being used to create a golden image, it should be put into 'Audit Mode' without completing the OOBE. The first page of the OOBE is the 'Region' page. As soon as the OOBE starts, it should be skipped using the key combination CTRL + SHIFT + F3.
The function key may be required if a laptop is being used as the reference machine.
This will enter the standard desktop experience with the 'System Preparation Tool' window open, this window can be ignored for the time being:
Installing Software and Running Sysprep
Now that the system is in 'Audit' mode, the reference machine can be configured with the settings and applications that will be deployed to the target endpoints.
Once the reference machine has been fully configured, ensure that Sysprep has been set to 'Enter System Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE)' and that 'Generalize' has been checked similar to the example below:
The 'Shutdown Options' can be set to 'Reboot' if the golden image will be created immediately, or 'Shutdown' if the golden image is being created later.
It is important that the system is not allowed to boot back into the Sysprepped operating system before the golden image is created. If the system does accidentally boot into the Sysprepped operating system, Sysprep should be run again.
Creating the image
Once the computer has been prepared with the operating system and software that will be deployed, the golden image can be created. For further information about creating a golden image, please read the article found here.