220-1102 Question 35
Single answerImage deploymentA technician needs to deploy Windows 11 to 40 identical new laptops for a training lab. The laptops all use the same hardware model and must have the same company-approved applications and settings. The goal is to reduce deployment time and ensure consistency across all systems. After installing Windows, updates, drivers, and required applications on one reference laptop, which action should the technician take NEXT to prepare that system for mass image deployment?
- A
Run Sysprep with the generalize option on the reference laptop, then capture the image for deployment
- B
Join the reference laptop to the production domain, then clone the disk to the remaining laptops
- C
Enable BitLocker on the reference laptop, then create a full disk backup and restore it to each laptop
- D
Create local user accounts for each future trainee on the reference laptop, then capture the image
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best next step is to run Sysprep with the generalize option on the fully configured reference computer and then capture that image for deployment. In real-world image deployment, technicians first build a clean reference installation, add approved applications, updates, and drivers, and then generalize the system so it can be duplicated without carrying over unique identifiers. Microsoft documents Sysprep as the supported method for preparing a Windows installation for imaging and deployment. This helps avoid issues with duplicate identities, domain conflicts, and inconsistent deployments. For A+ Core 2, candidates should recognize that imaging is most effective when used on standardized hardware and that proper image preparation is required before cloning or deployment.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Before capturing a Windows image for deployment to multiple devices, the reference system should be prepared with Sysprep using the generalize option. This removes system-specific information such as the computer SID and hardware-specific details, allowing the image to be safely deployed to other machines. This is standard Microsoft imaging practice for creating a reusable master image.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Joining the reference system to the production domain before cloning is a common mistake. Domain membership and machine-specific identity information should not be duplicated across deployed systems. Cloning a domain-joined system without generalizing it can cause naming and trust issues in Active Directory.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. BitLocker is used for drive encryption, not for preparing a reusable deployment image. A full disk backup also is not the same as a properly generalized deployment image. Restoring an encrypted backup to multiple systems would create unnecessary complications and would not remove unique system configuration data.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. User-specific accounts should generally be created after deployment or managed centrally, not embedded into a master image for multiple users. Including future trainee accounts in the reference image creates security and management problems and does not address the need to remove unique system identifiers before imaging.