Performing a Bare Metal Deployment
Starting a bare metal deployment using DeployR involves booting the device using PXE or a boot ISO containing a pre-generated Windows PE boot image containing the DeployR client. After a task sequence is selected, the individual steps are executed. These steps are customizable, but typically consist of formatting a disk, downloading and applying a Windows image, injecting any needed drivers, and then booting into the new OS to customize it by applying apps and other tweaks.
Note that there are multiple ways that a task sequence can continue itself once in the new OS. These are specified in the "Apply operating system" or "Apply operating system from cloud" steps, in the "Continuation method" drop-down list. The available options are:
Use SetupComplete.cmd (1). When choosing the SetupComplete.cmd option, the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) process will be completely automated using a provided unattend.xml template. The DeployR client will resume executing after OOBE completes by placing a SetupComplete.cmd file on the device that contains the necessary commands. Note that this is only supported with Windows volume license (VL) media. (This is similar to the mechanism used by Microsoft Configuration Manager.)
Use Specialize phase RunSynchronous command (2). When choosing the Specialize option, an unattend.xml template will be used that runs the necessary commands to run the DeployR client to continue the task sequence while WIndows is still in the Specialization phase, prior to OOBE starting. Note that there may be some restrictions in this phase because Windows is still considered to be in "setup mode" at this point. For example, Windows Update processing will not work during the Specialization phase.
Use AutoAdminLogon and RunOnce (3). When choosing the AutoAdminLogon, the local Administrator account will be enabled and its password will be set via the provided unattend.xml file, and the OOBE process will be automated. After OOBE completes, the local Administrator account will log on and the task sequence will resume via a Windows "RunOnce" registry entry. There are no restrictions on what can be done in this way. You can configure the password that is set on the local Administrator account via a task sequence variable (AdminPassword). (This is similar to the mechanism used by Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.)
Use OOBE (4). When specifying "Use OOBE," DeployR will complete the task sequence while in Windows PE; it will not resume in the new OS. This is designed primarily for Windows Autopilot scenarios where customizations in the new OS are to be performed through other means (e.g. Intune). The task sequence should complete while still in Windows PE.
Use Audit mode (5). When specifying to "Use Audit mode," Windows will start up and immediately boot into Audit mode, which was initially designed for OEMs and distributors to customize the OS before it goes through the OOBE process. In audit mode, Windows will automatically sign into the computer's Administrator account (even though that account has not been enabled and no password has been set); customizations such as installing apps and other tweaks can then be performed. Once the task sequence completes, the device will boot back to the full OS to go through the OOBE process. Because this OOBE process will not be automated, this is an ideal scenario for Windows Autopilot. Note that there may be some restrictions in this phase because Windows is still considered to be in "setup mode" at this point. For example, Windows Update processing will not work during the Audit mode.
Use provided unattend.xml (0). If you want, you can specify your own unattend.xml to use. Depending on how you choose to resume the task sequence, it is then your responsibility to run the needed command line to resume the DeplyR client.
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