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I've been playing around with Ansible, Terraform, etc to provision VMs, I was wondering what do you guys use to automatically configure brand new PCs to your liking?
Do you write powershell scripts or similar to install all the software and configure, shortcuts, environment variables, etc?
Is there a tool like ansible to locally configure a system based on a configuration file?
Also, out of curiosity, how long have been without formating a Windows computer? My current record seems to be around 3 years.
Note: I'm only refering to literal personal computers. Not the ones provided by your employer, VM in clouds, etc
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I have loooooonnng done no format.
When I get a new pc / laptop, I install windows offline. Do an image #1.
I install my MUST software. Do an image #2.
I install all needed updates, windows included. Do an image #3
I install all my NICE software. Do an image #4
I install all the fast paced software (browsers, antivirus...). Do an image #5
Start using the computer.
Every time I feel like a good moment, I restore from image #5. Update what I have to update. Do an image overwriting #5
If I change some consumable hardware (i.e. printer). I restore from #4, do all updates, overwrite image #4. Install fast paced software. Overwrite image #5
Continue using the computer.
The only time I start over again is when something really serious happens or when I change the windows version. I do not like the version update, I prefer a "clean" install
with the VMs is something similar. I prefer to have minimalistic dedicated VMs for special software. So I have a VM like #1, #2, #3. Then a couple of VMs of #4 and several of #5
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
modified 11-Oct-23 16:32pm.
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For some reason, imaging my system didn't even cross my mind. I'll have to give that a try!
How to you make image 5? Do you format your pc, restore the image, update and create a new image? Or do you do it using a VM/second PC/other?
Also any software suggestions for creating the images?
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restoring image alrady overwrites the system partition. Format no needed
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Quote: How to you make image 5?Do you format your pc, restore the image, update and create a new image?
The first ime comes after all others from clean install. Then after some months of usage, I restore from old #5, update all what I want to update, make the changes I want to make and do an image overwriting #5. You can do a #6 first and if the process is OK, then delete #5 and rename #6 to #5
Quote: Also any software suggestions for creating the images?
I have used Norton Ghost from the beginning until Windows 10. I now use Macrium Reflect.
Installed it and created a bootable CD with it. I always do images and restoration booting from other device, so I can overwrite the whole System Partition
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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I don't think I've ever considered automating setup of a personal PC, or even my development machine at work. Neither case happens often enough to spend the time automating the process, especially considering most of the application installs aren't amenable to automation.
At the other end of the spectrum, at work I create the system images for our products, industrial PC's that control our commercial ink-jet printing systems. You start with a bootable USB Flash drive and a PC, and end with a Windows 10 or 11 system with appropriate device drivers installed and ready for the product application. This is fully automated since it's used most often by our service folks out in the field.
Creating the Windows 10 images took over a month given the relatively poor guidance from Microsoft for the process and the fact that I had four different models of hardware to handle. Windows 11 only took a week thanks to greatly improved Microsoft documentation and only two sets of hardware.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Quote: I don't think I've ever considered automating setup of a personal PC, or even my development machine at work. Neither case happens often enough to spend the time automating the process,
Me too, but something I didn't mention in my original post is that I have a website running on a Raspberry Pi (like a mini computer) and the install gets borked very often, either due to updates, the power going down and corrupts the file system, etc and creating images is a pain because I have to remove the SD Card, make a copy on my desktop and then put the SD card back. That was my main motivation for this post, to see if someone had comeup with a tool of sorts that I could point to a system (local or not) and it would just configure everything.
Quote:
especially considering most of the application installs aren't amenable to automation.
This is my biggest gripe.. Especially with "consumer" apps like Photoshop and the like.
Quote: Creating the Windows 10 images took over a month given the relatively poor guidance from Microsoft for the process and the fact that I had four different models of hardware to handle. Windows 11 only took a week thanks to greatly improved Microsoft documentation and only two sets of hardware.
Ouch! That's a lot of work for something that should be "simple" but yeah I agree, Microsofts documentation is a bit it or miss to put it mildly. Azure is great but older stuff...
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DeltaOrionis wrote: Ouch! That's a lot of work for something that should be "simple"
Microsoft's problem is that over time they've developed several systems to let IT manage their PC farm, and the number of tools for constructing system images have grown along with that. As a result for a given goal ("set the default wallpaper" for example) there are multiple ways to reach the goal depending upon the tools you are using and where in the image construction process you're using the tool. Some combinations of goal and tool simply don't work together, and those aren't documented. Also, updating images for minor tweaks is tedious and time-consuming. We have several configuration tasks that should be part of the image that we do in post-install script just because it's such a PITA.
Software Zen: delete this;
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"configure brand new PCs to your liking?"
All your questions seem like overkill - then again, I'm AR so take no offense. My current work laptop is pushing 6 years, no reformats. But it's mainly used for work - no games, random s/w, silly tests, etc.
Over the past few years, I have been migrating to virtual machines. The Xp one I have has been in use for over 10 years. Rock solid. The beauty of VMs is that you just don't give a flying elephant about images or backups. It's a control C/control V to an external drive and you go get a beer.
Scripts, esp powershell? ewwwww.
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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Quote: All your questions seem like overkill - then again, I'm AR so take no offense
None taken  but what does AR mean?
My work laptop is about the same age but it hs so much corporate crap that formatting probably wouldn't change much anyway...
And it's definitely overkill but I work on DevOps all day so it would be cool to have something that could do that for personal computers. I want to format my desktop but I dread having to find all the configurations, env variables, installed software, custom shortcuts, etc :S
Quote: Over the past few years, I have been migrating to virtual machines. The Xp one I have has been in use for over 10 years. Rock solid. The beauty of VMs is that you just don't give a flying elephant about images or backups. It's a control C/control V to an external drive and you go get a beer.
The thing with VMs is that sometimes there's problems with USB devices, especially embeded suff :/
Quote: Scripts, esp powershell? ewwwww.
Let's not go there ehehe 😝
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DeltaOrionis wrote: Also, out of curiosity, how long have been without formating a Windows computer? My current record seems to be around 3 years.
I've just checked and my current Windows 10 has been on the PC since June 2015!
This was an in-place upgrade from Windows 7 which I installed in May 2014 when moving to 64 bit.
For those of you who are cringing already, please note that I have changed mobos twice in that period.
So old that I did my first coding in octal via switches on a DEC PDP 8
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Ok that's way more than I ever expected xD Nice!
I don't think I ever did an in-place update. I just love the feeling of a completely new install with no left overs 
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After 4 years of using Proton Mail I have never had a Spam Email
Till today
My process is a bit Odd I create a Proton Mail email address for suspect companies
In this case it was a Chinese company Banggood. Yes bought a few clamps and a T Square
that was about 4 months ago
Well today that account which only communicates with Banggood had a Spam Email
Blocked the sender which was just a couple of clicks so very easy.
I am curious. Have any of you who use Proton Mail ever had spam ?
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No, but the 2 accounts are used very carefully, never exposed on line (one is a domain). I use their VPN and password manager as well.
>64
Some days the dragon wins. Suck it up.
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Edumacate me.
Proton mail is an email service. How is an email account "never exposed online"? I suppose if you've never actually used it, that might count...?
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Proton Mail has a function where you can HIDE your email address
Not sure how it works.
but because I only use said email address with one company
I am guessing the company is not secure or someone internally has sold my email address
or has used it to send spam
All my other Proton Mail accounts have never had a spam email in 4 years of use
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Ah. So it acts as a proxy.
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Only use it business to business on domain account, and personal on other. Do not post it anywhere. I do forward duck.com mail to one. If you do Proton account to Proton account, it is encrypted all the way. If I do bitcoin transactions of over 100 bitcoins, I use it. 
>64
Some days the dragon wins. Suck it up.
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My ISP is so worthless and slow I have concerns using any VPN
I live in a ISP desert which is very remote Mountains of Arizona
When I moved here 20 years ago we only had Home Depot but Lowe's
could not stand one Big Box store in town so 5 years ago they built across the street
from HD Wal-Mart has built BIGGER at three different locations in that time span
Progress is nice but we now have 20 new traffic lights
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I was in AZ earlier this year, Scottsdale then Sedona by way of Jerome. If it had a little more water I might be convinced to move there, Northern Arizona I mean.
I’ve given up trying to be calm. However, I am open to feeling slightly less agitated.
I’m begging you for the benefit of everyone, don’t be STUPID.
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Sadly Lake Mary just south of Flagstaff is gone
I live in Lakeside just really part of Show Low, Arizona
We have lakes all around that support fishing and boating
About an hour away is Roosevelt Lake and Sunrise Lake near the New Mexico broader
When I moved to Arizona I lived inside the Grand Canyon Park it took some getting use to
I grew up in Canton, Ohio The biggest joy was and still is the Low Humidity
We are growing which is good for the economy and expanded services but it is still
a small town with small town politics
All the gas stations are owned by 5 people if one changes price they all agree to change the price
up or down. They gather at the coffee bar where I have breakfast now and then.
They are quite the crew
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I've been using it for a year, but haven't encountered it yet
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Nope. Then again, it is only used for DigiD and important stuff, the rest goes to GMail.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Thanks Eddy
Took a look at DigiD might give that a spin around the block looks neat
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I don't know if DigiD is available outside the Netherlands; it is used as a proof of identity and required to do taxes. I doubt that companies outside NL accept it. It is like a validated and verified SSN.
For each email adress, spam isn't a function of the provider, it is where you leave and use your adress. 50% of the time they only aks your mail to subscribe you to some mailing list. That is what GMail is for.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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