A system and method for purposing a computing device is disclosed. A management controller system is used to copy a system image from a library of system images to a target partition of the computer to be repurposed. The system image may include a configured copy of an operating system and an application program. The system image may also include logic for generating and assigning a unique security identifier to the computer. The invention includes a managed node service for monitoring the status of the computer and for performing some of the necessary steps in purposing the computer. Additionally, the invention includes facilities for loading a default operating system on the computer when the computer is first connected to a network.