Initial Software Installation

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

IntelliMirror offers the ability to manage application software on a PC, but it is not able to install Windows on a PC. Many organizations have their own standards for how they want Windows installed and configured on PCs, and they often take all PCs coming into their organization, remove any operating system (OS) and application software installed by the OEM, and reinstall it according to their standards.

Administrators are looking for ways to take a new PC, including a bare-metal PC (one with no OS at all), and quickly and efficiently install Windows according to their standards.

Windows Server 2003 provides three ways to install the initial OS onto PCs without an OS:

Remote Installation Service (RIS)
System Preparation (SysPrep)
Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE)

Windows 2000 Server included RIS and SysPrep, but RIS was only able to install a client OSWindows 2000 Professionalon PCs. With Windows Server 2003, RIS can now install both client OSs (Windows 2000 and XP Professional) and Windows Server 2003.

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