Microsoft developed the Windows NT Zero Administration Kit (ZAK) to help system administrators manage large numbers of client applications efficiently. Going way beyond the step-by-step procedures typical of most books, Zero Administration for Windows provides the understanding and techniques required to automate manual configuration, customize the scripts, prevent users from creating configuration problems, and more.

While most network administrators in the real world will not find the Zero Administration Kit's TaskStation and AppStation scenarios usable in their unmodified state, the manual devotes more space to the steps involved in deploying them than to the process of adapting them to an existing network environment. By exploring areas of the Windows NT infrastructure that have been neglected by most other books, Zero Administration for Windows demonstrates how to use the Zero Administration Kit as a potent system administration tool. This book concentrates on the techniques used by the ZAK, rather than on procedures specific to the scenarios the kit provides. For example, while there is coverage of the policy templates included with the ZAK, a significant amount of space is devoted to the syntax for creating customized policy templates that can be used to automate the registry changes necessary for applications not supported by the ZAK. The book also covers other techniques for building custom workstation configurations, such as the system differential files, registry dumps, and the syntax for installation and logon scripts and CMD files. Topics include:

• Planning a Zero Administration strategy
• Zero Administration tools
• Installing Windows NT clients
• Securing the file system
• Installing applications
• Creating user profiles
• Using system policies

Zero Administration for Windows is a vital tool for Windows NT network administrators who are responsible for the deployment and maintenance of large numbers of client systems.