The “standard” setup (for WPS standard version)

This is the cheapest way to capture packages since you need only 2 PCs to build Packages. The fileserver is optional since you could have the SharePoint on a D drive on the Snapshot PC. You can also use any existing server for the SharePoint . You can install the Pro version this way as well but you miss out on the Client-Server benefits. (Also, if you do install the Pro version this way, you’ll have extra screens compared to what is shown here.)


The Snapshot PC

This is a “CleanPC” that runs the Wise Package Studio (WPS) software locally to capture the actions of a Setup.exe. This PC will need to be re-imaged after each package and therefore will need a D drive formatted in FAT32 to store the images. The fileserver is optional since you could have the SharePoint on the D drive as well to save your packages.


The Testing PC

This is another “CleanPC” that you can test your packages on. The idea is to keep the original installation intact on the Snapshot PC so that if your package fails on the Testing PC you can compare easily, change and compile again on the Snapshot PC while the Testing PC is being re-imaged. Once you are satisfied that your package works on the CleanPC, you can load the corporate image on the Testing PC and test again. As you can see this PC will need to be re-imaged after each test and therefore will need a D drive formatted in FAT32 to store the images.


Building the Snapshot PC and installing WPS

As hinted above, you create a “Clean PC” and install Wise Package Studio (WPS) on it:

  1. Partition into C: and D: drive (ie. 8GB for C drive and the rest for D drive)

  2. Format D drive as FAT32

  3. Perform install of Windows to C: (unattended if possible)

  4. Bootup with Windows 95/98 from a floppy

  5. Take image an image of C: and save it to the D drive (call it CleanPC.gho or CleanPC.PQI depending on your imaging software)

  6. Reboot and login as the local Administrator (Why? If you login as a network user that has local Administrator privileges you will probably also get a GPO applied. You don’t want your package to contain GPO settings. If you know better than me than suit yourself. )

  7. Wise SharePoint :

Option A: Create a folder on the D drive (call it WPS), share it (with change permissions) and map a drive letter (let’s say W) back to that folder. This will be for the Wise SharePoint . (Why? This way you won’t have to re-install the snapshot PC if you need to move the Wise SharePoint folder to another machine. Windows 2000/XP doesn’t care is you map to something you are sharing on the same machine. )

OR

Option B: You can map a drive letter (let’s say W) to a server with tones of drive space for the Wise SharePoint .

OR

Option C: If Option A & B are too hard to understand or doesn’t make sense to you then just accept the defaults. (BTW: You can also change this later.)


  1. Start the installation of WPS and enter the serial number(s) as needed. Follow the defaults except for the screen below.

If you use the default D:\WiseSharePoint

If you use a mapped drive letter like W:


Note that I changed Wise Share Point to WiseSharePoint. Removing the spaces helps for scripting purposes.

  1. Continue until completed.


Configuring WPS on the Snapshot PC

  1. Extract the merge modules to the Wise Share Point.(this is on one-time thing)

-Run the MergeModules.MSI off the WPS CD and point it to a sub-directory called MergeModules in the Wise Share Point. You will need your serial number to unlock it. (You may be able to get an updated file from Wise Solutions Technical Support Center as them come out.)

Or

-Copy the Merge Modules from the WPS CD to a sub-directory called MergeModules in the Wise Share Point. (Gotcha: You get fewer merge modules this way)

  1. From the Start Menu, Launch Wise Package Studio (WPS)

  1. In the Workbench, select the Edit menu -> Preferences

-Put a check in the box for “Run all tools in Full Screen Mode”

-Click Ok

-Exit WPS

  1. Bootup with Windows 95/98 from a floppy

  2. Take image an image of C: and save it to the D drive (call it Snapshot.gho or Snapshot.PQI)

  3. Your Snapshot PC is ready.


Building the Testing PC

As hinted above, you create a “Clean PC” and tweak it:

  1. Partition into C: and D: drive (ie. 8GB for C drive and the rest for D drive)

  2. Format D drive as FAT32

  3. Perform install of Windows to C: (unattended if possible)

  4. Bootup with Windows 95/98 from a floppy

  5. Take image an image of C: and save it to the D drive (call it CleanPC.gho or CleanPC.PQI)

  6. Reboot and login as the local Administrator (Why? If you login as a network user that has local Administrator privileges you will probably also get a GPO applied. You don’t want to test your package with GPOs all the time. If you know better than me than suit yourself. )

  7. Map a drive letter to the Wise Share Point the same way as on Snapshot PC. If you went with the defaults you’ll have to share the D:\WiseSharePoint. Since you already have a D: drive on the Testing PC you’ll have to map it to a different drive letter. (Options A & B for the Snapshot PC sure look good now.)

  8. Bootup with Windows 95/98 from a floppy

  9. Take image an image of C: and save it to the D drive (call it Testing.gho or Testing.PQI)

  10. Your Testing PC is ready.