Preparing for the new laptops!
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
A lot of people cannot understand how IT Professionals and enthusiasts can get excited about some things. I ordered my new laptops last week; however the most exciting part of that has nothing to do with new toys (ok, maybe a little) but how I will be setting them up when I receive them.
At TechEd last week I spent most of my time at the Windows 7 Deployment booth. Among the people I got to work with were old friends Mike Niehaus and Tim Mintner, the MDT/BDD gurus that I have admired for several years. They gave me (and just about anyone who came by the booth, in case the folks with the rattan cane come back) a sneak peak of the next bits of the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 beta 2 release. In my mind it is the biggest change to the product since BDD 2007 was released, and it is definitely a technology that you should be looking at if you are interested in deployment.
When I told Tim that I was getting my new laptops he asked me if I wanted to build a deployment kit USB key. Of course Microsoft Deployment Toolkit has had the ability to create these for some time, but I couldn’t believe how easy it was. We took a 16 Gig USB key and created a Media Deployment Point. Creating a Media DP is something I have been doing for years… but not like this. You boot your computer to the USB key and the first thing you are prompted for is what OS you want to install. On this key our options are:
- Windows 7, x64
- Windows 7, x86
- Windows Server 2008 R2, x64
- Windows Server 2008 R2, x86
So once you select the operating system, you then have the option to select the applications you install. I am keeping it simple by deploying only the Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition, but you can install any applications you like.
One tool that I use a lot is the SysInternals BGInfo program which allows me to see some information about the system on which I am working. Like most SysInternals tools it does not need to be installed, only placed in a directory on the computer. I did that, but also created a shortcut and placed it into the StartUp folder under the Start pearl <All Users>. That way when I start my new system it will ask me to configure the application for first use, and then run every time I start up.
I mentioned before that IT Professionals and enthusiasts do things differently… and because of that reality I often find myself reformatting my systems… either because a new release of the pre-release OS is out, or because I want to demonstrate something on a different platform. In truth that is one of the reasons I am buying a netbook, so that I can wipe and reinstall as the need suits me. Its solid state hard drive isn’t really big enough to support multiple boot scenarios. With the super-deployment key that Tim and I created I can do it with little or no effort… poof, what was Windows 7 x86 is now Server 2008 R2 x64.
I have written in several articles about how convenient it is for companies to install a deployment infrastructure… and have spoken to over 50 groups around the world on SMB deployment scenarios (Desktop Deployment for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses). This simplified technology will take it one step further, offering deployment scenarios to companies without a server, or even homes with multiple PCs whose residents… shall we say tend to download more than their share of malicious code through dubious sites :)
In a follow-up article I will go through the steps to create one of these Super Deployment Keys… with screen shots and all. However before you get to follow along you will have to sign up for the beta for the Solutions Accelerator tools and download the new beta release of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010! Let me know when you have done that… I’ll be ready :)
For more information about the Windows Springboard Series visit http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8418918.
Read the complete post at http://mitchgarvis.com/blogs/mitch/archive/2009/05/23/preparing-for-the-new-laptops.aspx