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I've always used Sysprep/image X to capture a Windows 7 iamge: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preparing-an-image-using-sysprep-and-imagex.aspx

However my new job uses SCCM Task sequence to capture the image and has never heard of using sysprep & imagex.

Before I try to justify sysprep & imagex way, is there something I'm missing ? Why use SCCM to capture a image? Is this just another option?

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    SCCM task sequences automate everything... You don't need to sysprep a WIM if it's only ever serviced offline. You can use SCCM and WDS to create an image without ever initially deploying it, preparing it and then re-capturing it...
    – Kinnectus
    Sep 8, 2015 at 16:01
  • I agree with what @BigChris said. Furthermore, if you're making changes to images by hand (whether B&C, sysprep, or image x) you're losing the ability to automate those things. That means you're not able to apply and report on those same changes on systems that are already deployed. What are you going to do with the systems that are already deployed when there's a new, critical, change that you normally bake into your deployment image? Bring all those systems back and deploy a new image to them?
    – alx9r
    Sep 9, 2015 at 0:28
  • That is incorrect @alx9r. SCCM can automate changes to a captured WIM offline the same as it can any other image. Additionally, deployed machines do not automatically pick up changes to an image regardless of how it was created. If you needed to make a critical change to already deployed computers, you'd be creating a package for it and pushing it out because that's what SCCM is for. Bringing a machine back to reimage it because of a change would be asinine, especially given that SCCM can reimage a deployed machine on-the-fly if that's what was needed.
    – Wes Sayeed
    Sep 9, 2015 at 16:23
  • @WesSayeed I'm confused by your comment. Those questions I asked were rhetorical. My only point was that if you are making changes to an image by hand you're going to have to reimplement those same changes in some other automated way to get those same changes out to deployed machines. And that same automation can be used on freshly-deployed machines anyway. So the work you put into making changes to an image by hand ends up being redundant.
    – alx9r
    Sep 9, 2015 at 18:00
  • Oh I see what you're saying. If you use the method @BigChris mentioned though, you lose a lot of control. Most desktop admins are going to want to customize the image with things that aren't easily scriptable (corporate branding, default user account settings, desktop icons, etc). The only way to do that is with a build and capture. All I was saying is that a WIM file is a WIM file as far as SCCM is concerned. It doesn't matter if it's custom, captured from a task sequence, or from the product CD. All your management options are the same.
    – Wes Sayeed
    Sep 9, 2015 at 19:15

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I am the SCCM administrator for my company, and I can tell you that I never use SCCM task sequences to capture an image. I still do it the "old-fashioned" way.

I prep the reference PC the way I want it, create an answer file, sysprep it, and capture a WIM. Then from the Operating Systems Images node in SCCM, I import that WIM file and base my task sequences on it. When I create the task sequence, I specifically check the box "This task sequence will never be used to capture an image."

So to answer your question, no you're not missing anything. SCCM just provides an automated way of capturing images, but there is no requirement that you use it. If the method you have always used is comfortable for you, you can continue to do it that way.

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  • @BenjaminJones one point I forgot to mention... do not install the SCCM client on your reference PC. The SCCM task sequences take care of this for you. If you sysprep an image with the SCCM client installed, you need to take extra steps to delete the SCCM client certificate and config files from the captured WIM. It's not fun. Just don't do it.
    – Wes Sayeed
    Sep 8, 2015 at 23:49
  • Have you had issue with sccm overwriting local admin password? I have with HP builds..only reason I still use sysprep and image x. Sep 9, 2015 at 2:41
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    When creating the task sequence there is an option for setting the admin password. That will overwrite whatever you had in your answer file. I leave it blank and let my answer file take care of it. Note that I use MDT task sequences for my images. I don't remember if the basic trash sequences have that (I believe they do)
    – Wes Sayeed
    Sep 9, 2015 at 2:47
  • It’s actually a recommended practice to not use SCCM to create and capture images, even if you’re using SCCM to deploy. We usually recommend to create and capture images using MDT when you’re looking for automation. We also recommend that you create your images outside your corporate infrastructure and in a virtual environment, the logic being that the less you put in your image, the more universal your image becomes. Joining the domain, installing apps and drivers, etc. are all recommended to be done with your automated deployment solution (SCCM or MDT). Sep 16, 2015 at 18:18

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