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Any one on here done any windows 7 (or any OS) deployment in a corporate environment? Have a few questions...

I watched a small deployment (60 users) go very badly wrong. So can provide pointers on what not to do if that helps.

Fire away with any questions though, I work on the server side but might be able to help.

WDS is the way to do it.

What do you need to know?

This is the tutorial I used last time I did it- rolled out to ~100 machines without a hitch. Nice plain English.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg293118.aspx

What are you using to deploy? We use SCCM here which works nicely.

We are using SCCM, its about 400 users. Im just after some tips on the actual roll out. How many is a good number to tackle at a time, what to do and what not to do really. The image itself is all under control.

Yeah we use WDS as well, it just works as it should.

My last job in England I worked on a project deploying Windows 7 throughout a multinational company. Unfortunately, I know nothing about computers, I was only really there to organise.

We rolled out up to 20 a day, split morning and afternoon, not including satellite locations once things were up and running smoothly. That was with a team of 6 most days, although that many wasn't always needed. I'd say be careful of compatibility issues, especially if you have people using unusual software, and apart from that the biggest issue is getting people to agree to a time for it to be done!

You want to do it when the network is the quietest. How many you do is dependant on the network infrastructure. Are there gig switches?

Yea will most likely be done out of hours, so network will be free.

Cheers for the advice, its the first time ive done a massive deployment and i think im just overthinking it.

Be careful with any locally stored data. Users are fucking stupid and will save in all sorts of mental places you wouldn't think to look.

Are the PC's all the same make? Don't forget all the drivers.

The images are all in hand, im not worried about that...its the physical deployment that im specifically  leading.

Yep, the TEF seems a logical place to ask this question.

Like that time I asked the tef for mortgage advice eh Sam :)

There's a difference between asking for help with a personal thing and asking for help in a professional sense.