How do I prepare a Windows 7 image for cloning onto 200 unmanaged machines?

Question

I'm deploying about 200 laptops at a school, with a custom Windows 7 image. The supplier can clone the disk of the 'source' machine onto all 200 target machines. This allows for the pre-installation of required software. However, this does not adequately allow for the create of individual user accounts. At this point we are not running AD, and the machines are essentially unmanaged. I would like the following things:

• When the student first turns on the laptop, they will be presented with a screen asking them to enter their username.
• A new account will then be created for that user.
• There are certain settings (e.g. desktop background, taskbar applications) that I would like to pre-configure for the newly created user.

Any pointers to any info about this would be great.

Answer 1

If setting up a domain isn't something you want to do you could probably achieve this in your Master image. However once it is in the students hands aren't going to have any control over it.

You can achieve your first two requirements using Sysprep before the supplier loads it on to one of the netbooks.

Your third requirement will require updating the default user profile, which will mean all new users will inherit the settings you update.

Hope that helps

Answer 2

This is the exact use case for setting up a domain. I would HIGHLY recommend you do so. You'll be a much happier and saner admin when you do.

I take that back, since the students do own the laptops forcing them on the domain isn't such a good idea.

What I would do in your situation is this:

In the image setup a common admin UN/PW combo so that they all have a common admin account coming from the factory. Then, when you distribute the machines - and this is where it could get sticky as far as manpower - give a class on basic administration. Things like:

• How to change the admin password
• How to create your own limited account - and why it is a good reason to use that day to day
• How to setup file sharing
• How to access the school's student resources from the laptop
• Depending on the age of the students - where to get free development tools
  • Visual studio express
  • Eclipse

I would also talk to some of the more tech savvy students to see if they would be willing to volunteer time after school to help other students - basic tech support, re-image as needed, general help. Not only does that take some of the work load off you - but gives the students something to put on their resume / college applications if they choose to go into IT (or preferably go to college THEN into IT)

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To address the control comment, just because they are on a domain doesn't mean you can't make the students group power users or local admins. In fact it would let you only set that on certain machines - so you could have a set they couldn't mess up.

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For the user creation on login - you'd have to write some sort of hook into MSGINA i think - i've been out of education tech too long to know if that exists.

In any case, I would suggestion you look into something like deep freeze to prevent the machines from getting tooo messed up.