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I've been searching for a solution where I can configure a server to host all the setup files, PXE start my PC and do Windows XP installation. I dont want imaging, sophistication, complication, etc... pure OS installation nothing else. Could someone please lead me to a place where I can learn to do just this? or someone kind enough to tell me how to do it?
I can also setup windows 2008 server if you prefer.
Thanks
The first thing that new Server 2008 users will notice is the new look and feel of Windows Server 2008. If fact, if you have used Windows Vista, you will notice how similar it is to Windows Server 2008.
This new look and feel is something that will take some getting used to. As Windows system admins, we are used to going to the same place, over and over, to accomplish the same task. Because of this, initially, you may feel a little lost in Windows Server 2008.
For example, one of the first things I noticed is that the Run command was missing from the Start Menu. Now you just have to click on the Start Search area of the Start Menu and type in the command that you need.
The Windows Deployment Services server role in Windows Server 2008 is the updated and redesigned version of Remote Installation Services (RIS). Windows Deployment Services enables you to deploy Windows operating systems, particularly Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Deployment of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are also still possible, but only through the use of the Windows Imaging (.wim) format, since there is no more WDS-mixed mode.
WDS Server components
These components include a Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) server and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server for network booting a client to load and install an operating system. Also included is a shared folder (reminst) and image repository that contains boot images (from within boot.wim), install images (from within install.wim) and files that you need specifically for network boot (pxeboot.com, pxeboot.n12).
There is also a networking layer, a multicast component (Transport Server) and a diagnostics component.
More about that later below...
WDS Client components
These components include a graphical user interface that runs within the Windows Pre-Installation Environment (Windows PE). When a user selects an operating system image, the client components communicate with the server components to install an available image.