Now, I've had great success with Windows 7, but I'm not comfortable assuming that I'll never need to reinstall these servers, especially now that I can "seed" replication groups with good data.
So before the servers arrive, I've gone through the process of re-familiarizing myself with various parts of the Windows AIK (Automated Installation Kit).
My primary goal is to get a bootable CD that I can boot the servers from ON FIRST BOOT and create an image of C:\, still prepped in the OOBE. That way, if (when) I do need to reinstall in the future, I can wipe out the C:\ and push this image back onto it, allowing me to start over with initial setup again. Essentially, I'm creating my own installation media, though I won't be including it in the normal setup routine.
The tool Microsoft has developed for capturing a disk image is called ImageX, and the bootable CD environment it will run in is called WinPE. Here's how to make the disk you need:
- Install WAIK
- Download installation DVD from (currently) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=696dd665-9f76-4177-a811-39c26d3b3b34
- It's an iso file
- This is the version that was updated 11/15/2010
- Create the installation disk
- On Windows 7, you don't need a separate ISO burner
- Can also just mount it as a disk (find tool)
- Install WAIK by choosing "Windows AIK Setup" from the disk menu
- Now you can unmount or eject the WAIK disk
- Create a WinPE Disk (documentation)
- Start->All Programs->Microsoft Windows AIK->Deployment Tools Command Prompt
- copype.cmd amd64 c:\winpe_x64
- Windows Server 2008 R2 is 64-bit only
- copy c:\winpe_x64\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x64\ISO\sources\boot.wim
- copy "c:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\amd64\imagex.exe" c:\winpe_x64\iso
- oscdimg -n -bC:\winpe_x64\etfsboot.com C:\winpe_x64\ISO C:\winpe_x64\winpe_x64.iso
- exit
- Burn the CD
- File is at c:\winpe_x64\winpe_x64.iso
- On Windows 7, you don't need a separate ISO burner
- Label it "WinPE and ImageX"
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