The first step in using Sysprep to create a disk image is to setup up the reference computer. This entails installing the operating system, any service packs, software applications, and configuring settings that you want applied to the target computers. Once you’ve tested the image to and confident that it’s configured the way you want it, you are ready to being the cloning process.

At this point you are ready to run Sysprep. In order for the utility to function correctly, the Setupcl.exe file, the Sysprep.exe file, and the Sysprep.inf file must all be in the same folder. So your first step will be to create a Sysprep directory in the root folder of drive C on the reference computer. You can create the folder using Windows Explorer or the command prompt. With the second method, open the command prompt and change to the root folder of drive C. Type md Sysprep to create the new directory.

Your next step will be to copy the files required to run the utility from the Windows XP CD to the Sysprep directory you just created. Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive. Open the Deploy.cab file located in the Support\Tools directory and copy the Sysprep.exe file and the Setupcl.exe file into the Sysprep folder.

[tags]sysprep, System Preparation tool[/tags]