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Installing Windows Vista SP2 with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit using an Existing Image

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If you are like me, you already have your Vista image built and applied to your MDT installation. Now that Windows Vista SP2 has been released, you are wondering how best to deploy it. With MDT you have several ways to do it.

You could apply your image to a computer, install the service pack and recapture the image. You can do a fresh install from a Vista with SP2 media, add your apps and capture. I decided on a third way of doing it. Add the service pack to the applications. Call the executable and run the update in silent mode.

In my screenshot below, you see how I added the application as part of my MDT install. 

MDT - Microsoft Deployment Tookit Screenshot

I call the the command – Windows6.0-KB948465-X86.exe /quiet /norestart /nodialog

Add the application install as task sequence in your deployment or check it off with your litetouch install and away you go. It runs the update on the computer as it is deploying and now you have a machine, running Windows Vista SP2 right off the hop.

Eventually down the road, I plan to rebuild my image and capture it. But for now, this works fine for me.

Windows Vista SP2 – How To Update Existing WIM Files

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I am looking at updating my Vista images to SP2 today. I have existing WIM files I use for my deployments using MDT.

I was wondering, can I service these images offline. Meaning, can I add Vista SP2 to my WIM file without having to boot them, add the service pack and then re-sysprep and capture the image file.

 The answer is no according to TechNet. Their instructions is to bring the WIM file online. Then install Windows Vista SP2. Finally, sysprep the image again and recapture. Once the image is recaptured, re-import the image into MDT.

The full instructions for installing SP2 for Vista can be found on TechNet at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335037.aspx#Scen4

I was really hoping for an offline method for updating, but this will give me a chance to freshen the image as well with newer versions of some of the other applications.

Windows 7

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Windows 7 now has its official name, they called it Windows 7. The information can be found on the Vista blog at http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/default.aspx.

I am intrigued to see how this version will play out as Windows Vista added lots of new features. In Windows 7, what will they keep from Vista, what will be improved upon, what will be added new and what will be dropped. There will be plenty to come over the next year with the start being the unveiling of Windows 7 at PDC in a couple of weeks, so I’ll  be getting ready to start absorbing the information.

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