What OSD Does

OSD is more than just a ConfigMgr feature; it is a methodology, even a mind-set for deploying Windows. At its core, OSD is about delivering a new instance of Windows to Windows-compatible devices, en masse. Although that sounds simple, it isn’t always as easy as it sounds because of the philosophy and architecture of Windows—namely to support commodity hardware without restriction.

Mass delivery of Windows is nothing new. Organizations have been using third-party tools since the last century to capture an “image” of a single system and copy it to other systems. Windows is tolerant of this and starting with Windows Vista, Windows is even installed by the Windows setup routine using an “image.”

What sets OSD apart? What makes it ...

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