How to use the Customsettings.ini file like an installation profile ?

In this I will show you, how to use the Customsettings.ini like a profile for your master installation. 

Why a profile ?

This way you can create multiple INI file with different names, for insta,nce one with domain integration, one with workgroup integration, one with DHCP, one for a specific branch of your company...
Once, before starting the deployment, you just have to select the profile you want and all parameters will be set automatically.

How it works ?

Create your profiles

The first step is to create INI file. You can find a tool I created, MDT Profile Generator, that allows you to generate INI profile.

In my following example, I will create one INI profile with below configuration:
- Name: French and Domain
- Domain integration
- DHCP mode
- Language: French
- Computer name: TEST1

My second INI profile will have the configuration below:
- Name: French-StaticIP-Workgroup
- Workgroup integration
- Static IP configuration
- Language: French
- Computer name: TEST2

The third will have the configuration below:
- Name: German and Domain
- Domain integration
- DHCP mode
- Language: Spanish
- Computer name: TEST3

The latest one:
- Name: German and Workgroup
- Workgroup integration
- DHCP mode
- Language: Spanish
- Computer name: TEST4

So, now I have four Customsettings.ini with different names.

The next step is to allow MDT to let your choose which Customsettings.ini to apply.
Indeed, by default MDT will use only INI file with name Customsettings.ini, and you can't use multiple.



Create your wizard

To do that I have created a really simple MDT wizard that allows you to choose an external INI profile, see here my post about it.

The first step is to copy all your INI files in a folder INI_Profiles that should be located in the Deploy folder.

Then integrate the new wizard in your MDT deployment.

Selection profile wizard

Select your profile

The last step, is to run a deployment and select your profile :-).
The below example shows you my selection wizard that displays all my INI profile files mentioned previously.

Selection profile Wizard

Once you choose one of them, all configuration is automatically setted.