There are many different methods to automate the installation of Vista. One of the most popular and efficient methods is referred to as disk duplication where a pre-configured operating system is cloned and copied onto another computer. This method is an ideal choice when you need to install Vista on a number of systems that all require an identical configuration.

The System Preparation tool (Sysprep), included with Vista, can be used to clone a computer and automate the deployment of the operating system. One of the benefits of using disk duplication is that it simplifies the installation of Vista on multiple computers. It is a welcome alternative to manually installing the operating system on multiple computers and configuring identical settings. Instead, the operating system, any service packs, configuration settings and applications can be included in the image and copied to the target machines.

The System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) can be used to create an initial disk image. What Sysprep does is prepare the system running Vista to be duplicated. Once the image is created, you must then use another utility, such as Imagex, to capture the image.

Using a utility like Sysprep offers several advantages. Although some time must be spent preparing the image, it will obviously speed up future installations as well as reduce the amount of user interaction required.

The general steps that must be completed when using disk duplication to deploy an operating system include:

1. Install the operating system on the reference computer.
2. Configure the reference computer as required.
3. Create the sysprep.xml file
4. Run Sysprep.exe.
5. Capture and apply an image.