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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCING WINDOWS VISTA
New Deployment Tools
Creating and managing setups for a large organization is time consuming to say the least. When
working with previous versions of Windows, organizations often need to buy third-party imag-
ing tools to create an image of the operating system for slipstream installations. Vista overcomes
many of these old problems by providing new deployment tools and a new technology called
Windows Imaging (WIM) format. This new technology helps you create a modular image of
Vista that gives you better control over the installation scenario on multiple machine types with
full language support. Using WIM, you can add drivers, perform updates, and change Windows
components without ever booting the operating system image. The following list describes five
new or updated utilities that Vista provides for making your deployment easier (you can learn
the details in Chapter 2).
Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) This utility checks your system for potential prob-
lems before you upgrade to Vista. It also helps you understand how your system will perform
with Vista installed. For example, your system might not run a game very well, but it may run
Word just fine.
Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) Trying to migrate settings in the
past was extremely difficult. Some people performed the task by hand, others tried the some-
what usable Microsoft utilities, a few tried third-party products, and a few just consigned
themselves to performing all of the required configuration from scratch. Although USMT
isn’t perfect, it does do a lot better job of helping you migrate user state information that
previous tools.
ImageX You use this tool to create and manage WIM images.
Windows System Image Manager This utility helps you configure Vista without having to
perform the task manually. You create a Unattend.xml file that contains the required instruc-
tions instead.
Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) You use this utility to modify the system
information and perform tasks such as formatting drives without booting the operating
system.
Command-Line Changes
Vista includes some changes at the command line, where many administrators still spend a lot of
their time. Some of the changes are simple. For example, the Choice command used in batch files
requires use of different switches in Vista. The changes actually break batch files, so you’ll need to
perform updates with this and other commands that you might not have thought much about in the
past. Chapter 28 describes many of these changes.
You’ll also find some new utilities. For example, Vista doesn’t rely on the Boot.ini file
any longer to make boot selections. Consequently, editing this file doesn’t buy you anything,
even when you do find it on the hard drive. The new Boot Configuration Data Store Editor
(BCDEdit) utility provides the functionality to change boot settings and you’ll find it discussed
in Chapter 25.
A few of the new utilities aren’t actually new; they used to appear in the Windows Resource Kit. For
example, AuditPol and RoboCopy used to appear in the Windows Resource Kit, but now you have
them at your disposal when using a default Vista installation. You’ll find that Microsoft has enhanced
these utilities as well. Make sure you check out Chapter 21 for changes in the security utilities.
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