Setting up 10 computers the same

We are deploying 10 Toughbook H1's for doing electronic patient care reporting and interfacing with our dispatch center. They are running Windows 7 Professional and will have mobile broadband connections. We'd like to have them setup essentially the same, with all the same settings and restrictions. What is the best and fastest way to do this? I've used the local group policy editor but haven't been able to figure out how to copy those settings from one computer to another. Each computer will have a standard user account. We'd like to prevent the installation of programs (except by admins) and changing of most settings. We're also going to attempt to restrict most internet access except for approved sites. Any suggestions on further reading?

Thanks.

Create an image of one when you have it the way you want, and then use something like Acronis True Image to push the image out to the other 9. As each one boots up, change the computer name to something unique, and you are done.

Hello kymedic, welcome to Seven Forums!



Start by having a look at the program at the link below.

Paragon Adaptive Restore

DeaconFrost said:

Create an image of one when you have it the way you want, and then use something like Acronis True Image to push the image out to the other 9. As each one boots up, change the computer name to something unique, and you are done.

Click to expand...

I had wondered about this, but won't that affect the individual license keys we have for Windows and the other software? It also won't really allow us to push out changes any changes in policies or restrictions. I'm sure what we're wanting to do is possible but maybe it's not worth the expense and trouble with only 10 computers?

Bare Foot Kid said:

Hello kymedic, welcome to Seven Forums!



Start by having a look at the program at the link below.

Paragon Adaptive Restore

Click to expand...

Thanks, but I'm not sure how much that would help with what we're trying to do. We're dealing with all the same computers and we're not migrating from another system.

Norton Ghost also does the job.

You could also use PING, you create a syspreped image of one machine and deploy them to the 9 others. I use it in conjunction with FOG, but that might be overkill for your requirements.

To change your windows license key just follow this tutorial:-
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18630-product-key-number-change.html

I think we're all not getting what is being asked.

I don't think they're going to deploy a new image to the PCs, I think they just want an easy method to configure them all exactly the same without 'reinstalling' Windows.

I have two laptops total in my entire company, so I have two images I push out to every computer, depending on the model. I have a MAK key, but after I lay down an image with Acronis, the system doesn't have a license key entered, and gives me the 30 day window.

At that point, enter in the valid key for that system, and activate. Each computer will have it's own valid license, but yet the total software environment will be identical.

Acronis can get you started in terms of an initial install image and it would allow you to have these 10 machines set up with the same policies initially but if you want to push changes, your best bet to do this easily is to put them into an Active Directory domain and then manage the policies centrally for these machines so you can ensure changes are pushed when necessary to all the machines. This will allow you to use the Group Policy Editor for the domain and you can set a policies by machine, OU, or to the entire domain as needed all while managing accounts centrally as well.

You can also accomplish similar policies with machines in Workgroup mode with management software like BigFix, LanDesk, Patchlink, Shavlik and others.