To install the SMS client on a SteadyState PC simply follow these steps:
1. The first step is to reboot the computer so that any recent changes are undone.
2. Next install the SMS client on the machine as you normally would.
3. Change Windows Disk Protection Settings on the PC to "Save Changes with Next Restart"
Note: For more information see Chapter 6: Windows Disk Protection at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457134.aspx
4. Restart the computer. At this point the SMS client should be permanently installed on the machine.
5. Change the Windows Disk Protection Settings on the PC back to undo the changes on restart to make the state on the PC remain intact:
For machines that are joined to the domain, the same settings could be implemented using the group policy adm template SCTSettings.adm located in Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit\bin directory. To configure disk protection settings through a script we also have a diskprotect.wsf that comes with the install.
For reference please see the following: Utility Spotlight The Shared Computer Toolkit http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc160970.aspx
Note: This information was originally contributed by Anjana Kaku Tyagi on the WSUS Support Team blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/sus/archive/2008/12/17/tips-for-installing-clients-to-windows-steadystate-pcs.aspx
Ed Price - MSFT edited Revision 1. Comment: Title casing and tags
As far as I know, Windows Steady State is no longer available: what about alternative tools like that?