Fresh install of Win7Pro using OEM disk but Anytime Upgrade Key

I have never tested Anytime Upgrade in Audit Mode, prior to creating any user profiles. I have my doubts; it might work but I see no benefits in it.

gregrocker said:

I don't think there's any reason to SysPrep or do Adaptive Restore unless you're changing mobo. Win7 can handle other hardware changes.

As far as I have understood the OP's reasoning, he's creating a general image which can be then used for later deployment.

stevegnh said:

So I think maybe I'll skip that step, and just go straight into a clean install, and then just create a system image once in my account all set up. Simplifies it a bit.

In my opinion you were on the right path. A sysprepped general image, especially when made in Audit Mode without any user profiles really is a good alternative.

Of course you can get about the same by clean installing and then installing all software and and customizations but the one big difference remains: A customized and generalized image created in Audit Mode really is "virgin". It has no hardware dependencies, no user profiles, even the PC is not yet named. A sudden death of a HDD or even the whole computer is not a big deal, just install new HDD or get a new PC, restore the image in a few minutes and you are good to go.

Kari

Sysprep alone keeps the hardware drivers, Sysprep with the Generalize switch removes them. A sysprepped image is not hardware independent, a sysprep generalized image is totally hardware independent.

In other words, if creating and capturing an image which is never meant to be used in any other hardware setup than the one it is created in, the Generalize switch is not needed. If the Generalize switch is used the resulting captured image can be used in any hardware setup, be it the same PC with changed hardware components or a totally new PC.

gregrocker said:

Where in Reinstall or Imaging tutorials is SysPrep a step?

• New Installation: How to Create a General System Image in Audit Mode
• Windows 7 Image - Customize in Audit Mode with Sysprep