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(clean) Win10 Free Upgrade: Multiple systems?
We have ~40 Windows 8.1 Pro OEM workstations, which should qualify for the free upgrade to Windows 10.
However, I do not wish to do an upgrade. I would much rather re-image their disks. (All user data is stored in roaming profiles, and we have software to automate installing the few user applications we use.)
So, from what I've read, our only option is this:
1) Install the Win10 upgrade on an individual workstation (which will then register it in whatever database MS is using to keep track of this stuff)
2) Create restoration media for that workstation
3) Use said restoration media on that workstation to do a clean-install
4) Re-install applications / join domain / etc
5) Repeate steps 1-4 for each and every workstation
That last bit is where I'm getting hung up. Requiring me to do an upgrade install on a workstation just to build restore media for that workstation, and do this for each and every workstation... even with only 40 workstations, that gets time consuming, fast.
Ideally, what I'd like to be able to do is: Get a clean install of Windows 10 on one system, image the disk to the other workstations, and then change their product keys and SIDs as necessary. However, if my understanding of the upgrade options MS has handed us is correct, this is not an option.
Does anyone have an alternative that would allow us to utilize the free upgrade path, and do a clean-install, without having to jump through quite so many hoops?
Thanks