Reply To: automate few post os install tasks

I have several questions\statements:

1. How are you deploying the OS? SCCM OSD? Disk Cloning? Cloning is a deprecated way to deploy and OS, you should really look into Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to capture and deploy an image if it's a small shop. Another important cloning step you have not mentioned is SYSPREP, so make sure you are doing that or you will run into issues with system having duplicate GUIDs.
2. Most of the items you are configuring are typically managed by Group Policy (e.g. firewall, startup and recovery,IE settings, etc. )
3. Setting the memory to 1.5 times the installed memory is a deprecated ideology from Window NT 4.0. Windows has gotten better at managing memory and it's recommended to let Windows manage memory. Do you really need to make that modification?

4. Windows is typically activated with a KMS server. If a client isn't activating, then you can reset the client KMS components with slmgr.vbs (see: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793406.aspx)

I've deployed OS's at a lot of companies and I think you should really look into MDT or other deployment technologies and group policy management. 90-95% of your item list would not be managed with a script when deploying an OS with a typical Operating System Deployment (OSD) infrastructure in place. MDT requires no licensing if cost is a consideration.