Computer Name Selection in ZTI Deployments

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I've been asked by a few people about the RequestComputerName.vbs script that i use in the ZTI configuration demo video posted earlier. The script prompts the technician for a computername at the start of the deployment process and stores it as an OSD variable (OSDNEWMACHINENAME) for use by the ZTI scripts.

The VB script is as follows:

Option Explicit

Dim numCount
Dim strComputerName
Dim objOSD

Do While numCount = 0
strComputerName = InputBox ("Please enter a name for the new computer:","New Computer Name","Vista00",10,10)
If strComputerName = "" Then
Wscript.Echo "You must enter a computer name."
Else
Set objOSD = CreateObject("OSD.Environment")
objOSD("OSDNEWMACHINENAME") = strComputerName
Set objOSD = Nothing
Exit Do
End If
Loop

The script is copied to your ZTI distribution point scripts folder (and then copied over to the SMS OSD deployment point) and is called by entering a new task into the task suquencer in the NEW COMPUTER folder in the PREINSTALL phase. This task, after creation should then be moved to the top of the list in the NEW COMPUTER folder

It is also possible to use the BDD 2007 wizard framework to create wizards that prompt for information at build time and use the OSD variables. BDD already supplies a COMPUTERNAME wizard and this could be used instead of the VB script shown above - Ben has an excellent piece on how to do this on his blog