Set computer name from BIOS on first boot?

[Kelemvor]

When we image our computers at work, we need to have all the computer names get set to whatever the BIOS has as the Service Tag (Dell Laptops).

We currently have a bunch of batch files someone wrote once upon a time that do this but he didn't really know what he was doing when it was written so I'm wondering if there's an easier way.

Anyone know how this can be accomplished by something and incorporated into the image so that the first time the laptop is booted up after being imaged it will go into the BIOS, get the Service Tag number, and then set that as the Computer name in Windows 2000?

Not sure if there's some freebie utilities that can do this or if Sysprep can handle this (no ide ahow it gets setup) or what.

Thanks.

 

[mikecel79]

Sysprep can do this. However you have to specify a username and password in a clear text file for it to join the domain. I would lock this account down so that it can only add computers to the domain and do nothing else.

The Sysprep documentation explains how to do this.

 

[Kelemvor]

We actually don't need it to get added to the domain or anything else. It's just a simple Computer Rename that we need to do and that's it. However I've never used SysPrep before, I just know the name.

Anywhere that has it for download and real basic instructions on how to use it?