Preparing a Disk Image

There are two ways to build a disk image. You can sit in front of a sample computer, install the operating system and applications manually, configure settings manually, and then run Sysprep manually. This is an error-prone process that’s difficult to repeat if you must rebuild the disk image. I advise against any manual steps when building disk images.

The second method is to automate the process so that you run Windows XP Setup on the sample computer, walk away, and return to find that the disk is ready to duplicate. Keep the following in mind about automated disk-imaging when you’re deciding between manual and automated methods:

  • Stores master installation files in a central location. Installation files are transferred from ...

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