Cloning

[amazzara]

What is the best way to clone a base windows image to be mass deployed onto different variations of PC devices without having to worry about driver compatibility; but being able to install the drivers within the masses automatically. The goal is to image multiple PC's without having to configure them individually a certain way; such as making changes to the group policy, services, registry, msconfig, firewall, task scheduler etc. I understand Windows offers WDS to capture and deploy windows images within the masses, but that only allows the same windows image to be deployed to the ONLY same type of PC based on motherboard specs.   

[jdaniele]

Well usually this is done with identical units but when using different computers throughout a huge work environment you either use terminal or have the system use a universal system like having everyone work through a web browser.  Why do you need every machine to share the same image?

[jdaniele]

Oh what about using a batch file with all the settings you want or setting rules via domain?

[amazzara]

This would be use for multiple customers that use different PC machines as digital media players The main purpose of these devices is to playback content onto a display to either the general public or internal company for advertising purposes. These players are usually on a closed network or client network, but on a different VLAN, but usually NOT part of the domain. The configuration of these devices (aka imaging) is the make them dummy devices without any interruptions.

The current process goes as followed:
1. Buy a PC player (i.e. Seneca Hdn, Intel NUC, Chromebox etc.)
2. Create image (i.e. disable firewall, disable updates, disable notifications, create auto login, enable RDP or NOT, disable certain services etc.) from one machine.
3. Upload/Copy image to WDS (Windows  Distribution System) that stores the image.
4. Deploy/Download image from WDS to the same PC machine (same hardware, drivers etc.) onto multiple machines
Note: This is to avoid having to manually configure each setting over and over again on each machines; especially when the client ordered over 1,000 players.

The Goal:
Is to deploy the same image onto other PC machines without having to worry about drivers being an issue. Online they state their is something called MDT (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit) that handles the drivers, but not sure if this is the best practice?

[jdaniele]

...
The Goal:
Is to deploy the same image onto other PC machines without having to worry about drivers being an issue. Online they state their is something called MDT (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit) that handles the drivers, but not sure if this is the best practice?

Assuming you're talking about this: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn475741.aspx

Well from what I know about Windows 10 is that it does very well with drivers.  It basically does everything.  This could work but I've never tested this personally.

[amazzara]

yes that is correct, but the issue is related on how to create and reuse a single image for Windows 7 and Windows 10 for all windows machines  without having to worry about drivers, where a service or server can provide them for you when deploying the images onto any windows device.

[andyassur]

in linux i use the dd command to make disk images. its simple to use, but if the partition is 2tb and nothing is used. the disk image will be 2tb

[andyassur]

ddrescue command in linx is a bit better they give you a status bar. in debian distros you would use sudo apt-get install ddrescue  as it doesn't come standard in any distro i have used.

btw windows 10 does have some sort of bash shell that can be installed. never used it because i only have one virus infected microsoft system in my house that is air gapped.