How to Install Windows on Multiple Computers at the Same Time?
In this week’s Tech 911 advice column, a Lifehacker reader wants to automate a tedious and annoying process: installing a fresh copy of Windows (presumably Windows 10). Trick? They don’t want to install the OS on just one system.
Lifehacker reader Billy writes:
“How do I install Windows on eight other computers from the hub?”
I suspect that most people don’t have eight Windows systems at home that need a brand new version of the operating system. However, you can have two: a desktop computer and a laptop. And your spouse may have two: another desktop computer and a laptop. And perhaps your child has a desktop computer or laptop.
Computers are formed, and if in front of you (unenviable) task of patch management, troubleshooting, and re-installation of all systems in your home, not so crazy to think that you might want to do everything in large quantities in one day. …
The easiest way to do this is to use the Windows Media Creation Tool to copy the Windows 10 image to a flash drive (or several) and use them to install the OS. Unless you’re talking about the other eight computers that are fairly far apart, going from system to system with one OS installed while you go through the basic setup steps shouldn’t be too difficult. with another.
Assuming all of these systems are the same, you can also install and configure one (without activating Windows), create a disk image , and then clone that image onto the disks of your other systems. I have not followed this process, but I know that you will have to run the Windows Sysprep tool, available in audit mode, to first generalize the image (which will then allow you to get a unique computer security identifier, or “ SID ,” for each machine). Then you will need to capture the image and use it to clone Windows on your other systems.
What I would probably do is all the way down to the “image capture” part of this paragraph. Then I would use a tool like Clonezilla – technically Clonezilla Live – to create a disk image and clone that image to your other systems. I believe that after that, you should be able to boot into the regular version of Windows 10 when you turn on those systems. (At least that was Josh’s experience when he tried it out and documented the process.)
Again, with only eight systems to process, the time you spend doing this is probably equal to (or more) the time it takes to manually install using a flash drive. But let’s get on with it. There are two other options you can try to install Windows on other systems from the center (from a different computer, I suppose).
Clonezilla has a server version that you can play with (like a Live CD) and you can use it to install Windows on a networked system. If I’m right, the Live CD is best for a custom install, not a custom install. I am assuming you are happy with the previous installation, as instead you will need to install and configure the server version of Clonezilla on your Linux desktop if you want to deploy Windows on multiple systems at the same time. (And you need to make sure your client machines support network booting through BIOS, otherwise this whole process will be useless.)
If you are having problems or need alternatives, you can try using FOG or CloneDeploy . I love CloneDeploy, especially because its documentation is easy to follow – you’ll need to read a little to get things set up correctly. You can also configure your clients (systems getting Windows) using Live CDs or flash drives, which is useful if the network boot (PXE) process is too confusing.
That’s all. It’s a tricky process, but it can be done with a little research (and trial and error). Resist the urge to add a “dedicated IT professional” to the skills section of your resume after you’ve done all of this, no matter how tempting it may be.