Running a partial Sysprep when deploying in the field

Question

is it possible for me to run a partial sysprep portion onto a baseline Windows 2012 R2 image? The servers that ship to my customers are WIN2K12R2 ready with proper product key, but the field technician who arrives onsite has about an hour of additional prep
work once, ie, compueter name, security settings, UAC, firewall rules, etc. I don't see a need to reimage the server, I would just simply run a settings change type of script. Is Sysprep the way to go? Thanks,
gman225

Answer 1

It's hard to state a definitive 'yes' from your brief description, but it sounds like it would be the way to go.  You can build a lot of preconfiguration into an image before it is sysprepped for the out-of-the-box experience.  Once on site, depending
on how you have tailored the image, it is possible to complete things automatically, even things like computer name and security settings.  Or, you can create a PowerShell script to handle many of the settings.  Lots of ways to speed the process.
The key is that you have the proper license from Microsoft that allows you to distribute software in this manner - not any license works legally.  That generally means an OEM version of the software.  In fact, that is often how OEMs provide a tailored
experience for their startup.
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