The System Preparation (Sysprep) tool prepares an installation of Windows for duplication. Duplication, also called imaging, enables to capture a customized Windows image that it can reuse. It is for automated Windows installations that allows unique SIDs to be created.
This document consists of Pre-requisites, Installation steps and Post-configuration steps.
Pre-requisites:
1. Take full backup of server.
2. Log into Windows server and take the backup of IP settings and route print on another machine.
By running the command ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt and routeprint >c:\routeprint.txt
3. Login to the server and create a local user and add into Administrator Group.
4. Select the VM in Virtual center server and right click on VM and select Edit Settings and uncheck the network cards.(Make sure server don’t have network access before running the sysprep).
5. Re-validate in windows server in network connections whether all the network cards are disconnected or not.
Installation steps:
6. Login to the server with local user and run the command sysprep and double-click the sysprep.exe file.
7. It will appears the below window and select Enter System Out-of-Box Experience and select Generalize Option.
i. Audit mode is a networked-enabled environment that does not require settings in Windows Welcome to be applied. Every single time the computer boots it will re install all the drivers and bring the sysprep tool back up.
ii. OOBE, it will require to create a user account during the process and it is a recommended
iii. The sysprep /generalize command removes unique information from Windows installation.
8. After it boot the server and below screen will appears.
9. We have to select the below options on welcome screen
10. Accept the License Agreement
Post Configuration steps:
11. Login with the LocalUser which we have created before running sysprep.
12. And change the Administrator credentials
13. Rename the computer name and reboot the server.
14. Enable the network cards from vCenter(By right click on VM and select Edit settings)
15. Provide the IP details according to MAC address.
16. Rejoin the server to domain and remove the localuser.
