Create a task sequence to "Deploy Windows Operating System"

The below post explains the steps to create a Task Sequence for Deploying Windows 7

1. In the SCCM 2007 Console, navigate to Site Database / Computer Management / Operating System Deployment and right-click the Task Sequences node and select New – Task Sequence.

2. On the New Task Sequence Wizard, in the Create a New Task Sequence screen, select Install an existing image package and then click Next.

3. Task Sequence Information: On this screen, enter the appropriate task sequence name, comments and select the Boot Image that has to be used. Here, I am deploying 32 bit OS and I have selected X86 boot image as shown. 

Click Next to proceed.

4. Install Windows : On the Install the Windows Operating System screen, at the Package field, select Browse.Select the Operating System Install Package i.e. Windows7 32 Bit OS 1 en-US ( here).

On the Edition field, use the drop-down to select image :  1-Windows 7 or appropriate edition.

Product key can be entered later and this can be left empty.

Select the option Always use the same administrator password ; enter and confirm a password.

Click Next to continue.

5. Configure Network: On this screen, select Join a Domain and Click on Browse to select the domain( here it is contoso.com). 

Considerations:

• Don't use in-built containers
• Use OU's instead of containers like "Computers"
• Leave the OU field blank if you are not sure, it will add the computer to Computers container.

Here, I have created a  separate OU named " OSD Computers". I have entered this in the field of OU.

6. Install ConfigMgr: On this tab, click on browse and select the Configuration manager 2007 Client package that was created previously as per this link.

Click Next and uncheck the capture user setttings on the state migration tab since it is not an upgrade but a bare metal deployment

7. Include Updates : On the Include Updates in Image screen, select Don’t Install any Software updates and click Next.

Note: Unless the Software Update Point role has been installed, and Software Update deployments and packages have been created, the Install Updates task will not do anything.

8. Install Software: On this screen, click on the yellow star button to add software packages if needed. Here, I am adding KB977384 Package as part of the task sequence. Other packages or organization specific or custom softwares can be added here in order to customize the OS.

Click Next, Next and click on close to complete  the Task sequence wizard.

The task sequence is now created and we need to make some minor modifications to this task sequence to suit our requirements.

Editing the Task Sequence:

1. In the SCCM console, select Task Sequences and locate the task sequence just created in the Details pane. 

2. Right-click the task sequence Windows7 OSD and select Edit.

3. In the task sequence editor, select the task: Partition Disk 0 and in the Volume section, highlight the Default (Primary) volume and select the Edit button.

4. On the Partition Properties screen under Formatting Options, check the box: Quick format and then click OK to save it.

The next task is to  advertise the Task sequence to unknown computers.