A standard installation of Windows 7 is sufficient for most computers used in a home or small office environment. A custom installation of Windows 7 can save time and provide a consistent configuration across computers on a large network. When deploying Windows to multiple computers, technicians may elect to use a pre-installation environment such as Windows PE. Pre-installation environments are basic operating systems that enable a user to partition and format drives, or start an installation from a network.
Windows 7 has several different types of custom installations.
- Network Installation - Requires all setup files to be copied to a network server
- Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) Installation - Uses a PXE boot program and a client’s network card to access the setup files
- Unattended Installation - Uses a network distribution point that uses an answer file
- Image-based Installation - Uses Sysprep and a disk-imaging program, such as ImageX, that copies an image of the OS directly to the hard drive with no user intervention
- Remote Installation - Downloads the installation across the network. The installation can be requested by the user or forced on to a computer by an administrator.
NOTE: To simplify OS deployment across an organization, consider using an OS Deployment Feature Pack using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).
Network Installation
To install Windows 7 or Windows Vista over a network, follow these steps:
Step 1. Prepare the computer by creating a NTFS partition of at least 5 GB. You must make the partition bootable and include a network client. You can also use a boot disk that contains a network client so that the computer can connect to a file server over the network.
Step 2. Copy the installation media to the network server. Make sure to share the directory so that clients can connect and use the files.
Step 3. Boot the computer and connect to the shared directory.
Step 4. From the shared directory, run the setup program, setup.exe, located in the directory called Sources. The setup program copies the installation files to your hard drive. After the installation files have been copied, the installation continues.
To install Windows XP over a network, follow these steps:
Step 1. Prepare the computer by creating a FAT or FAT32 partition of at least 1.5 GB. You must make the partition bootable and include a network client. You can also use a boot disk that contains a network client so that the computer can connect to a file server over the network.
Step 2. Copy the Windows XP installation files (the I386 folder from the installation disc) to the network server. Make sure to share the directory so that clients can connect and use the files.
Step 3. Boot the computer and connect to the shared directory.
Step 4. From the shared directory, run the setup program, WINNT.EXE. The setup program copies the installation files from the network onto your hard drive. After the installation files have been copied, the installation continues.
PXE Installation
A PXE installation uses a method similar to a network installation. The only difference is that a PXE installation uses a PXE boot file instead of a boot disk. The PXE boot file allows the network interface card (NIC) to communicate with the server and obtain setup files. After a client has access to the setup files, it boots to a command window where the user is prompted for the network username and password.
Unattended Installation in Windows 7 and Vista
An unattended installation using an unattend.txt answer file or an autounattend.xml file is the easiest alternative installation method to perform on a network. To customize a standard Windows 7 or Windows Vista installation, the System Image Manager (SIM) is used to create the setup answer file. You can also add packages, such as applications or drivers, to an unattended answer file and an autounattend.xml file.
The figure shows an example of an answer file. After all questions have been answered, the file is copied to the distribution shared folder on a server. At this point, you can do one of two things:
- Run the unattended.bat file on the client machine to prepare the hard drive and install the OS from the server over the network.
- Create a boot disk that boots the computer and connects to the distribution share on the server. You then run the batch file to install the OS over the network.
NOTE: Windows SIM is part of the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK). You can download it from the Microsoft website.
NOTE: In Windows XP, you can create an answer file with the application setupmgr.exe, located in the deploy.cab file on the Windows XP media.
Image-based Installation
When performing image-based installations, begin by completely configuring one computer to an operational state. Next, run Sysprep to prepare the system for imaging. A third-party drive-imaging application prepares an image of the completed computer, which can be burned on to a DVD. You can then copy the image on to computers with compatible Hardware Access Layers (HALs) to complete the installation of multiple computers. After the image is copied, boot up the computer, but you might have to configure some settings, such as the computer name and domain membership.
Remote Installation
With Remote Installation Services (RIS), the process is similar to an image-based installation, except you do not use a drive-imaging utility. You use an RIS network shared folder as the source of the Windows OS files. You can install operating systems on remote boot-enabled client computers. You can also start user computers that are connected to the network with a remote boot disk or network adapter capable of booting the computer. The user then logs on with valid user account credentials.