what steps would i take to capture a custom Windows 7 image? I've tried using the Capture and Deploy method and it's just not providing the results i want. I want to install Windows 7, make any customizations i want, have those copied to the default user, sysprep and finally create image. Capture and Deploy isn't giving me a chance to make changes. Can anyone provide me with the steps to do this? thanks

Do a normal build, and then use the capture cd to sysprep/capture when you are done with the customizations... Or use MDT 2010 Lite Touch to generate your images for ConfigMgr, Lite Touch has support for this (Suspend) built in... As bonus, Lite touch will build the image in about half the time compared with ConfigMgr / Johan

Thanks for your quick response!! I have created a Capture USB Drive. At first i thought this was bootable media but see now it's not. I just want to verify some steps with you quick: 1. Install Windows 7 2. Configure it 3. Do not run sysprep manually, instead insert my Capture USB and run that utility which will sysprep and capture the image What .xml file does this Capture media utilize? i want to make sure certain options are in this file before i start. I have a feeling it's not 100% correct. Thanks again!

i'd use the Build and Capture method within SCCM myself to create the master image, that way it's predictable and easy enough to change. see below for how Using SCCM 2007 Sp2 to deploy Windows 7 Deploy 7 (4 parts) Once you have that image, deploy it with a separate Deploy Windows 7 task sequence, and that can be as dynamic and advanced as you wish, cheers niall My step by step SCCM Guides I'm on Twitter > ncbrady

Configure what? This is a red flag statement to me because you are introducing complexity into the deployment process as well as the after deployment support process. http://blogs.technet.com/b/fdcc/archive/2010/10/06/sticking-with-well-known-and-proven-solutions.aspxJason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys

here's my list of things i need done on this image... 1. Windows Updates - Yes i know i can inject into the WIM offline AND I can run a task during deployment, but I want it up to date to a certain point. 2. Remove Games folder from start menu 3. Pin certain common accessories used to the start menu 4. Disable firewall 5. Disable offline files 6. Turn off UAC 7. Show all Notification Area icons 8. In folder option uncheck 'use sharing wizard', 'hide extensions for known file types' and 'hide emtpy drives' 9. Never check for solutions in the Action Center (trying to effectively disable this darn thing) 10. Turn off system protection, allow Remote access 11. IE Settings: Add home page, set search to Google, Set tabs homepage, make sure temp inet files are deleted 12. Power settings 13. Add our custom BG file 14. Local policies: Set desktop wallpaper, turn off personalized menus, remove games from startmenu, remove help from startmenu,remove music from startmenu, remove pictures from startmenu,remove action center icon,turn off all balloon notifications, lock all taskbar settings, Remove frequent programs from startmenu 15. Set default action in start menu to LogOff instead of shutdown 16. Apply 2 hotfixes: Network location fix, desktop background fix Yes, i know some can be done with an .xml file, but unable to find ways on others unless i just do it manually. These are things i don't want on our base image before it's joined to the domain. Most of this stuff is covered by GPO. Anyway, it just gives me peace of mind knowing that if (for some reason) a machine is not joined to the domain these things at a minimum are built into the image. I will check out those links. but i like the ability to manipulate the image a bit to our specific needs if needed. I have no way of doing that with a straight up build and capture from what i've noticed. Thanks

Also.. i still need to know what .xml file the Capture media uses to sysprep the image? I don't want to have to start over 20 times before i get this figured out. Thanks

This is what worked for me (except for the auto login). The sysprep and capture works great even for x64. You just have to change everything to suit x64 if that's what you use. http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1543-how-can-i-capture-windows-7/

OK.. how do i get Sysprep to copy the profile??? I know about the line to put in the xml... which is why i was asking about which xml sysprep uses, but i cannot figure out which .xml file is being used? Can ANYONE help me with this?? Is it using the xml file when it captures or does it apply it when it deploys?? I tried one when it deploys, hoping it would overwrite the settings upon deployment, but I'm getting an error in the Specialize pass. I'm not really sure how anyone has any type of success with this product?? It just blows my mind how extremely difficult it is to get a good solid image and get it deployed!

Are you just simply trying to sysprep and capture? Or are you wanting to migrate user accounts? That would require you to set up USMT in the task sequence. If all you want is to sysprep and capture, my link above works. If you are trying to migrate user accounts, do you want to do hard link (all migrations stay local) or copy the user data to a server? I have a pre-configured hard link task sequence that includes all USMT steps if you need it.

No migration of user accounts. I just want to install Windows from scratch.. do a few customizations and then sysprep and capture. I don't want to mess with a build and capture as i always seem to have issues with it just never being configured right. I've looked over your link above but i don't have the SCCM client on this machine, it's a bare install, but it looks like it does the same as building the Capture media does. I can get it to capture just fine. I just can't seem to get the copyprofile=true section to work! I want the customizations that i made in the Administrator Account to be moved to the default profile. I've tried copying the ntuser.dat file (like you could in XP), but had horrible issues with settings from the Admin account coming over and i know that's not the best way to get it to work. I've gotten this way to work with absolutly no issues using a different deployment software product (NOT SCCM or MDT) and it works just fine. Problem is, it was for a friend at his company, we don't have the luxury of that software here.

Read the simple script i wrote here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/configmgrosd/thread/bd8866ea-efb0-4e4f-ad7e-019f0ab9d974 I found out this won't run during the task sequence as a software package, but you can make it run after you "deploy" the image. Although this is something I don't want to do either. I want to be able to customize the image during the build process. The only thing that was customized was my wallpaper. This is because I built an bginfo msi installer that run a custom backgroound on startup. So in theory, you could right a software installer (msi) with all the customizations script in it, then add it as a software package in SCCM and use it int the Task Sequence Richard J Tracy II