Building a Common Image - Developing a common software image for the HP dc7900, Elite 8000 and 6000 Pro desktop models

Summary .......................................................................................................... 21
Appendix A: Sample Answer Files ..................................................................... 22
Windows XP sysprep.inf ................................................................................ 22
Cmdlines.txt .................................................................................................. 23
Oobeinfo.ini ................................................................................................. 23
Introduction
The goal of this document is to guide IT professionals through the process of
creating a Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 image that can
be deployed across the various platforms within an HP product family; specifically
the dc7900, 8000 Elite, and 6000 Pro platforms. Due to the high level of testing
and qualification that goes into the image preinstalled on HP products; HP
recommends the following:
 The assumption is an image for the dc7900 already exists.
 Begin with the dc7900 preinstalled image as a base on which to build a
customized common image.
 If the pre-install image has been modified since delivery, use the provided
―RestoreCD Plus!‖ (Windows XP) or ―RestoreDVD Plus‖ (Windows Vista /
Windows 7) solution to restore the factory image to the hard drive. In addition,
if the operating system is Windows Vista or Windows 7, the product family
may support an F11 feature that will also restore the factory image to the hard
drive.
 If the first two options are not possible or preferable, a clean installation may
be performed using the method and media of choice.
This white paper will not guide you through this process of creating a new
operating system installation; instead, you should refer to Microsoft documentation
obtained through appropriate channels. This information can be obtained from the
appropriate Microsoft Windows operating system Resource Kit, Microsoft‘s website,
or other Microsoft subscriptions.
This document will not cover image capture, deployment, or management. Due to
the high number of infrastructures available for these processes, it will be left to
each customer to decide, research, and implement these portions of the imaging
process.
With Windows Vista, Microsoft delivered a set of tools to update images without
having to install them. Below is a synopsis of the changes for Windows 7.
 ImageX allows multiple images to be modified simultaneously. The Windows
Imaging API (WIMGAPI) is still available and is included in every Windows 7
edition.
 DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is the consolidation of
the offline management tools (including pkgmgr.exe and intlcfg.exe) into a
single tool, known as DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management).
DISM supports logging, inventory commands, offline INF driver package
installation, direct application of MS update packages, international settings,
and PEImg support for WinPE.