How to setup identical computers? (1 Viewer)

[NewlyRetired]

At the part time job I work at we will be getting in 12 new computers. All will have a basic configuration of windows 11 and Microsoft Office.

I want to take the first one and make a master configuration from it where I install some programs, setup profiles and passwords etc.

After testing the first computer and making sure it works like I want, I then want to make an exact copy of it for the remaining 11 computers so that all 12 computers have the same look and feel.

What is the best way to make a copy of the master computer so that it can be installed whole on the remaining 12 computers?

 

[Runkle]

You can image the drive and restore it back to multiple computers, but, I think the issue is going to be the Windows license. Unless you have a volume license?

 

[Mister CIA]

Not for the faint hearted, PartEd Magic with Clonezilla baked in for your cloning pleasure. I've had good experiences a couple of times.

 

[NewlyRetired]

You can image the drive and restore it back to multiple computers, but, I think the issue is going to be the Windows license. Unless you have a volume license?

I don't think we will have a volume license. Each machine will be purchased with windows already installed.

 

[3C's]

Back in the day, like way back, we used Ghost. Only problem with that is back then it was free but then Symantec bought it and it was no longer free. Then about a decade ago they killed it entirely. But if you search for 'Ghost drive image' there are instructables on how to do what you're wanting to do. If you don't have a Windows volume license I would boot up each would boot up each computer and save the license key (unless it happens to be on a sticker/elsewhere) before cloning from another. If needed you can use Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to get the keys.

 

[NewlyRetired]

Back in the day, like way back, we used Ghost. Only problem with that is back then it was free but then Symantec bought it and it was no longer free. Then about a decade ago they killed it entirely. But if you search for 'Ghost drive image' there are instructables on how to do what you're wanting to do. If you don't have a Windows volume license I would boot up each would boot up each computer and save the license key (unless it happens to be on a sticker/elsewhere) before cloning from another. If needed you can use Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to get the keys.

ty.

I need to be careful here as these are public computers purchased with public money (they will be computers used by patrons of a library), so I need to make sure everything I do is legal and not skirting things.

I am not looking to save any money, I was just hoping to save time but maybe the safest thing to do is just create a master check list and hand configure every computer the same way instead of having a master image.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

we used Ghost

Yep. First thing I thought was Ghost.

 

[need2know]

ever look into VMware horizon client or something like that? make one image and use it for as many as you need?

 

[belljr]

Back in the day, like way back, we used Ghost. Only problem with that is back then it was free but then Symantec bought it and it was no longer free. Then about a decade ago they killed it entirely. But if you search for 'Ghost drive image' there are instructables on how to do what you're wanting to do. If you don't have a Windows volume license I would boot up each would boot up each computer and save the license key (unless it happens to be on a sticker/elsewhere) before cloning from another. If needed you can use Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to get the keys.

ty.

I need to be careful here as these are public computers purchased with public money (they will be computers used by patrons of a library), so I need to make sure everything I do is legal and not skirting things.

I am not looking to save any money, I was just hoping to save time but maybe the safest thing to do is just create a master check list and hand configure every computer the same way instead of having a master image.

Since you don't have a volume license where you can create a windows images and just drop that on everyones PC - sounds like you need to manually set these up one by one imo

 

[[scooter]]

If you're just doing 11 computers, then you can use a cloning program such as Clonezilla (open source) or Macrium Reflect (requires license). After you create the master computer, you pop out the drive and put it into an external enclosure that is attached to your computer, then you use the cloning program to copy an image of the master to your computer. Then use the same enclosure to burn the image to the other 10 drives.

If it's a newer machine that came with Windows, then it should have the Windows license embedded in the firmware. So it will automatically pull the unique license upon first boot.

One potential issue is that all the machines will have the same "Device ID" -- which may or may not be an issue, depending on your software. You can avoid this by running a program called sysprep.

Are you planning to join the machines to a domain? If so, I think you'll need to do that part after each cloned computer boots for the first time.