Q. How can I use Microsoft Remote Installation Services (RIS) to offer the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) OS Deployment Feature Pack Deployment CD-ROM content to new machines?

A. You can use RIS to push out the content to new machines instead of inserting the SMS OS Deployment Feature Pack Deployment CD-ROM into each new computer. You simply boot the new machines by using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE). The PXE boot lets the new machine contact RIS to get the OS image. To use RIS to push the OS to new machines, perform these steps:

1. Create a new RIS client deployment of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) slipstreamed into the source. For details about configuring RIS and adding new client OSs, see other FAQs in the Installation department of the Windows FAQ.
2. When the system asks for the name of the new OS, enter "SMS OSD Deployment". After you create the new OS, you'll see a folder under the RemoteInstall root (e.g., D:\remoteinstall\setup\english\images\smsosddeploy).
3. Take the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) file that you created, as described in the FAQ "How can I create an OS deployment package by using the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) OS Deployment Feature Pack?" deploy the selected OSs, and copy its entire contents over the content that the RIS client-creation process created. In other words, copy the ISO file content to the D:\remoteinstall\setup\english\images\smsosddeploy folder.
4. You'll either need to mount the ISO file by using a utility or burn the file to CD-ROM before you can extract its content. After you copy the content to the folder, navigate to the \i386\templates subfolder, as the figure shows.
5. Open the ristndrd.sif file in Notepad.
6. Under the \[SetupData\] section, add the /minint switch to the OsLoadOptions, as follows:

   
   \[SetupData\]
   OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect /minint" 

7. Scroll down to the \[OSChooser\] options section and make the following changes:

   \[OSChooser\]
   Description ="WinPE 1.5"
   Help ="Windows PE 1.5 Source"
   LaunchFile = "%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%\templates\startrom.com"
   ImageType =WinPE
   Version="5.1 (0)" 

8. Save the file.

You could now edit the .osc files in the remoteinstall\oschooser\english folder to avoid having to enter user credentials. The OS Deployment Feature Pack documentation walks you through this process. At this point, you can boot a machine via PXE, and at the main RIS menu select "Maintenance and Troubleshooting." You'll now have a "WinPE 1.5" option that will start the SMS OS Deployment Feature Pack deployment.
To avoid needing to select the "Maintenance and Troubleshooting" menu item, disable all the Choice Screen Options for the Remote Install Group Policy Object (GPO) except "Tools" for the default domain GPO (or whatever GPO applies to the RIS servers), as the figure shows. In my configuration, the only item I had to enter for a brand-new computer is the computer name; everything else is automated.