Do you know the quickest way to get your Windows SOE up and running?

Your developers should be using the latest version of Windows for security, speed, and the latest features.

The next step is to get the Standard Operating Environment (SOE) installed. You have a few choices:

• Manually

  • It can take over a day to install your favorite 20 or so apps

• Windows Image

  • There is an overhead of maintaining the image as software changes
  • Recommended for large companies with company-owned devices

• Use a package manager (e.g. chocolatey/Winget)

  • Recommended for smaller companies, and anyone running BYOD

Use a package manager

Assuming that Windows is already installed, then get your SOE installed fast by following these steps:

1. Logon and configure Windows
2. (Optional) Join the Domain
3. Install Windows Updates
4. Install driver & firmware updates (Tip: use an app from the manufacturer, e.g. Intel DSA)
5. Run a script to get printers, Word templates, etc.
6. Install and run a Chocolatey script to get most of the software
7. Install any software not supported by Chocolatey
8. In case you lose your laptop, it is a good idea to stick a business card to the underneath
9. For branding, stick your company sticker to the laptop - or even better, a custom skin - see Do you brand your assets?

10. If you are preparing the machine for someone else or migrating an old PC, you could send an email based on the template below. Don't forget to change the names where necessary: