You mention an example below about branding and logos. Curious I went through the "MCS Hydration Branding Kit" used by Microsoft Consulting Services, it will touch everything from: Sample Pictures, User Logos, OEM Logos, Wallpapers, Themes, OEM Info, Screen Saver, Logon UI Background, Start Screen Colors, and IE branding. So what is the difference between versions as you mention below? Between Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, for example, the only changes are to the colors and accent colors for the Start Screen, understandable since these are new features for 8.1. However, Most features have not changed between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 including OEM Logos, WallPapers, Themes, Screen Savers. Etc.
That's not to say that Microsoft doesn't like to mess up with people now and then. I was complaining just yesterday about the breaking change to the Hyper-V WIM Provider in Windows Server 2012 R2. <argh!> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh850318(v=vs.85).aspx :( However, generally I do think that there are some areas for improvement in deployment and management. Right now Microsoft provides dozens of frameworks and tools for OS deployment and management, and most applications provide documentation on installation and configuration, but it's generally up to the IT pro to add each package/application/registry setting. There are great sites like ITNinja.com that provide installation examples (although my eyes get glazed over when I see almost a hundred entries for .NET frameworks :(). Right now they are the only solution(s) that contain instructions (download, type, script). IT would be nice to have a repository of Canonical modifications/enhancements/additions to Windows in an easily importable format (into MDT,SCCM,App-V,VMM,Group Policy, whatever). I've seen several Hydration Kits that attempt to consolidate knowledge, but each their own fiefdom (I'm no saint here either). There are some not so obvious reasons why I personally don't think MSFT is ready to take on this problem in MDT and/or CM in the near future. I think you would get more traction with community efforts, perhaps an open "codeplex" repository? -k From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charles Moore Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 2:46 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MDT-OSD] Rant/ Suggestion for OSes of the future and MDT / CM OSDing Sorry to do this via the MDT Forum but I have to say.. It has become increasingly harder and stranger to deploy an OS to an end user and customize said image to end user when MS keeps changing the way you customize said OS. Here is what I am getting at. being an OSDer in today's world, I have an expectation ( I know it's my fault to expect) but, my expectation is that things either get easier or stay the same. I am all for change ( I think you have to be, to work in IT) but so far I am not very impressed with Windows 8.1. I am not impressed with the OSD using MDT or CM to perform this task, don't be confused here, I appreciate everything anyone has done with MDT or CM, they are big changes and welcomed. My issue is with the something changing in the OS which has caused MDT or CM to stop working in said OSD scenarios. So how do I know this, because I have a Deployment Share dedicated to Windows 8 solely. All of the Deployment Share is dedicated to Windows 8 and it's specific customizations. Which by the way are different from Windows 7 ( I know, for good reason) Windows 8.1 gets released, I update my MDT and ADK to the appropriate versions and my Windows 8 image still works as expected. However, the same customizations I used for Windows 8 DO NOT work for Windows 8.1... WHY???? OK, so I am not a complainer, without a solution. So here is the solution MS if you are listening.. Every company I have ever worked for (8 now in 17 years), wants their image customized with branding of their logo and their support info and their colors and so on. How about adding a TS in MDT and CM that does just that. You create the TS group and all the steps to perform the branding and we (MDTers and CMers) input the pictures and relevant info and color schema and walla a machine is born with the default image with the customizations the company wants and everyone is happy, and my job is easier. Hope I don't offend anyone, just trying to help really. _____ CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message and any attachments hereto are intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain information which is legally privileged, confidential and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, of this email message, you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination, distribution, copying, or use (including any reliance thereon) of this email message, and/or any attachment hereto, is strictly prohibited. Although this transmission and any attachments are believed to be free of any virus or other defect that might affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is free from virus or other defect and no responsibility is accepted by the sending company, its subsidiaries and affiliates, as applicable, for any loss or damage arising in any way from its use. If you have received this email message in error, please immediately notify the sender by return email and permanently delete from your system, the original and any copies of this email and any attachments hereto and any printout hereof. Unauthorized interception of this email is a violation of federal criminal law.
