Making a Pass at image management
Posted by kyle on October 8th, 2008 filed in Vista DeploymentIn a previous post I refered to creating an xml file using System Image manager and in particular discussed that you can add the various settings to different locations in the answer file and in different Passes.
One of the questions that I often get asked is – what do the different passes do?
So – here is the list of passes and their meanings – taken from TechNet.
auditSystem – The auditSystem pass processes unattended Setup settings in system context in audit mode. The auditSystem pass runs immediately before the auditUser pass, which is used to apply settings in user context.
Typically, auditSystem is used to add additional device drivers and assign a name to the system specific for audit mode.
Audit mode enables OEMs and corporations to install additional device drivers, applications, and other updates. When Windows boots to audit mode, the auditSystem and auditUser unattended Windows Setup settings are processed.
By using audit mode, you can maintain fewer Windows images, because you can create a reference image with a minimal set of drivers. The image can be updated with additional drivers during audit mode. You can then test and resolve any issues related to malfunctioning or incorrectly installed devices on the Windows image.
auditUser – The auditUser pass processes unattended Setup settings in user context in audit mode. The auditUser pass runs after the auditSystem pass, which is used to apply settings in system context.
Typically, auditUser is used to execute RunSynchronous or RunAsynchronous commands. These commands are used to run scripts, applications, or other executables during audit mode.
Audit mode enables OEMs and corporations to install additional device drivers, applications, and other updates. When Windows boots to audit mode, the auditSystem and auditUser settings for unattended Windows Setup are processed.
By using audit mode, you can maintain fewer Windows images, because you can create a reference image with a minimal set of drivers. The image can be updated with additional drivers during audit mode. You can then test and resolve any issues related to malfunctioning or incorrectly installed devices on the Windows image.
generalize – The generalize pass of Windows Setup is used to create a Windows reference image that can be used throughout an organization. A setting in the generalize pass enables you to automate the behavior for all deployments of this reference image. In comparison, a setting associated with the specialize configuration pass enables you to override behavior for a single, specific deployment.
When a system is generalized, specific configuration data for a given installation of Windows is removed. For example, during the generalize pass, the unique security ID (SID) and other hardware-specific settings are removed from the image.
The generalize configuration pass runs only when you use the sysprep /generalize command. Answer file settings in generalize are applied to the system before sysprep generalization occurs. The system then shuts down
offlineServicing – Use the offlineServicing pass to apply unattended Setup settings to an offline Windows image. During this configuration pass, you can add language packs, updates, or other packages to the offline image.
The offlineServicing pass runs during Windows Setup. Setup extracts and installs the Windows image, and then executes Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe). Packages listed in the servicing section of the answer file are applied to the offline Windows image. The Unattend.xml settings in the offlineServicing pass are applied to the offline Windows image.
Additionally, you can use Package Manager with an answer file to install packages.
oobeSystem – The oobeSystem pass configures settings that are applied during the first-boot experience for end users, also called Windows Welcome. oobeSystem settings are processed before a user first logs into Windows.
Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE) runs the first time the user starts a new computer. OOBE runs before the Windows shell or any additional software runs, and performs a small set of tasks necessary to configure and run Windows.
specialize – During the specialize pass of Windows Setup, machine-specific information for the image is applied. For example, you can configure network settings, international settings, and domain information.
The specialize pass is used in conjunction with the generalize pass. The generalize pass is used to create a Windows reference image that can be used throughout an organization. From this basic Windows reference image, you can add further customizations that apply to different divisions within an organization or apply to different installations of Windows. The specialize pass is used to apply these specific customizations
windowsPE – The windowsPE configuration pass is used to configure settings specific to Windows PE as well as settings that apply to installation.
For example, you can specify the display resolution of Windows PE, where to save a log file, and other Windows PE-related settings.
Enjoy!
Kyle
Leave a Comment