Updated: July 11, 2020 (April 24, 2000)

Automated Deployment Methods for Windows 2000 Professional

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration and content management. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s technology... more

Companies can speed deployment of Windows 2000 Professional by automating the process. Several methods are available. Key criteria for choosing between them include speed, support for in-place upgrades (some methods only support clean installs), and network and software infrastructure requirements.

Method	Description	In-Place Upgrade?	Benefits	Issues
Unattended setup script	Run a setup script from a network share.	Yes	Supports broadest range of hardware and application configurations.	Slow.
Bootable CD-ROM	Run setup script from a bootable CD-ROM.	No	Doesn’t require previous operating system or network share (good for isolated branch offices).	Slow; doesn’t support in-place upgrades.
Disk cloning (sysprep)	Copy a complete disk image (including operating system and applications) to the target machine.	No	Fast; establishes a standard configuration.	Target machines must have similar hardware;

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