At this point, you are ready to run Sysprep. This may sound like a daunting task but it actually takes less than a minute to run. From the command prompt, change to the Sysprep directory. The xml file you created earlier will already be in the directory.

From the command prompt, run the following command:

sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:sysprep.xml

The switches included in the above command are summarized below:

• /unattend - uses the sysprep configuration file you created (be sure to include the correct file name in the command)
• /generalize - cleans up the computer such as deleting event logs
• /oobe - starts the computer in Windows Welcome mode the next time it is booted up. The settings in your sysprep.xml file will be used to answer the questions that are normally entered manually during Windows Welcome.
• /shutdown - shuts down the computer once Sysprep has run.

The exact command you run may vary depending on the options you include. Below you’ll see descriptions of some of the additional parameters that you can use with Sysprep.

• -quiet: Sysprep runs without displaying onscreen confirmation messages
• -reboot: Forces the computer to automatically restart after Sysprep is complete.
• -audit: Restarts the computer is Factory mode without having to generate new security IDs (SIDs).
• -factory: Restarts the computer in a network-enabled state without displaying the Windows Welcome or mini-Setup. Use the parameter to perform configuration and installation tasks.
• -nosidgen: The Sysprep.exe file is run without generating new SIDs. Use this parameter if you are not cloning the system
• -reseal: Prepares the destination computer after performing tasks in factory mode
• -forceshutdown: The computer is shutdown after the Sysprep utility is finished.

After running Sysprep, you can run Imagex, a new tool included with Vista, to capture the image and copy it to a network location.