Hello,

I am deploying new systems on my network and I built my reference computer by installing the OS the manufacturers (Dell and a custom built system from some local business) gave with all drivers, installed all the desired applications. As for the settings part, I'm doing most of it thru GPOs. I want to image my reference computer and deploy it with WDS. i found several links on how to sysprep, but they're all doing it with some differences without explaining them.

My questions :

• How do I manage (into sysprep) the domain join/computer naming part since (from what I understand) WDS manages that?
• How do I know/determine what I need to setup into my sysprep.xml?
• Can you sysprep a first time, try and if it fails, do some modifications and try again? I am thinking of doing a basis sysprep, checking what info can be automated and correct that in the answer file.
• What do I miss if skipping the "audit" mode? I don't plan on re-doing the reference computer...
• I read that when sysprepping, it resets settings from the reference computer like the computer name, activation/key and such... what setting is sysprep resetting by default that I should be aware of?

I must admit I am quite lost about Win7, sysprep, RIS, MDI toolkit, WDS.. I understand the way of doing with XP, but it changed so much with Windows 7!

The links I am reading are :

http://far2paranoid.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/prep-for-sysprep/

http://blog.brianleejackson.com/sysprep-a-windows-7-machine-%E2%80%93-start-to-finish-v2

http://www.ehow.com/print/how_5392616_sysprep-machine-start-finish-v2.html

Thank you VERY much for any answers, they are much appreciated.