Examples of specific-purpose local clients are provided for self-provisioning of configurations and for obviating reinstallation of entire windows-based embedded images onto the specific-purpose local clients. Each local client may have a windows-based embedded image with a write-filter, and may include a configuration history memory unit configured to store a plurality of extensible markup language (XML) configuration files. The configuration history memory unit may be in a persistent storage area of the local client to allow the plurality of XML configuration files to be retained on the local client when it is shut down. The local client may include a retrieval module configured to facilitate automatically locating a remote repository server containing a new XML configuration file, to facilitate automatically obtaining the new XML configuration file from the remote repository server over a network, and to facilitate automatically obtaining a previous XML configuration file from the configuration history memory unit.