Computers

Apr 7 2009

The Build Disc – Part 5a (Extras)

copyA standard install is all very well but you reach a point, at least at the home user/small business level, where standardization falls down.  Not every computer is going to have the same version of MS Office installed (or even have Office), some computers will not already have Acrobat Reader (or have an older version pre-installed).

Having already dealt with service packs, Windows/Microsoft Updates and standard utilities, now it’s time to come up with a good way of handling these extra items.  I’ve set this up with our typical customers in mind and it handles the stuff we usually need.  Obviously once you get to this level there is almost infinite scope for how you might handle things.

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By David • Build Disc • • Tags: , , , , , ,

Apr 6 2009

The Build Disc – Part 4b (wrap-up)

Next ButtonOver the past week or so I’ve posted separate articles on each of the standard utilities that comprise the unattended installs portion of my standard build disc. Now I’m going to build on the starting point of unattended installs and talk about how to implement these installs as a component of the overall standard build.

The benefit of using unattended installs is that all of these tools get installed with no interaction required on my part.  Just set it going and come back when its done.  How did I do this?  Largely be combining each silent install into a single batch file that does the whole install process.

Unfortunately, it’s not just a matter of doing a cut and paste on each item.  In order to do this properly I need to work out which operating system I’m dealing with.  For example, there’s no point trying to install Sidebar Gadgets under Windows XP.

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By David • Build Disc, Unattended Installs • • Tags: , , , , , ,

Mar 29 2009

The Build Disc – Part 4 (Standard Utilities)

Next ButtonStandard Utilities:

A standard build needs to be able to be standardised.  This means installing the same programs every time.  With a standard install, you have to hit the “Next” button regularly and make other selections to get the software installed. This can become long and involved, it takes time.  When you get busy, things get missed.

The goal for getting this installation standardised was to have all of these tools work as a silent/unattended install.  The combination of this, and a scripted install, means that you can get through the complete install with minimum interaction.

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By David • Build Disc, Unattended Installs • • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Mar 29 2009

The Build Disc – Part 3b (Heise)

imageUsing Offline Update:

(This article is written in reference to Offline Update v5.1 – it should remain relevant for other versions.)

It’s a two step process.  First, you need to run the Offline Update tool, tell it what updates you’re interested in, and tell it to go and download them from Microsoft.

This process can take quite a bit of time, but you only need to do it once (or, at least, once for each new version of the Offline Update tool – about every 3-5 months or so).

At the end of this first step, Offline Update produces .iso image files (you’ll find them in the “ctupdateiso” directory) that you can burn to disc.  Because I’m extending this I usually extract the created .iso images to combine with the other things I use on my build disc.

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By David • Build Disc • • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Mar 24 2009

The Build Disc – Part 3a (Windows Updates)

Vista UpdatesIn previous articles, I looked at the overall concept behind the build disc, it’s aims and goals. Then, in part 2, it was Windows service packs. Now, in this installment it’s time to look at Windows Updates.

Why does it matter?  As previously discussed, a fresh install of Windows might need hundreds of megabytes of downloads before it’s fully updated.  Also, unless you take precautions, the time it takes you to download and install those updates might be all the time needed for your computer to be compromised.

For me, running a busy workshop, the final consideration is that downloading updates for every repair on every computer would mean a significant increase in our Internet needs.

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By David • Build Disc • • Tags: , , , , , ,

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