Easy duplicate configs on multiple PC's!?

[ruffneck119]

I have a potentially good question about duplicating a systems configuration.

I used to run an IT department and to duplicate system configurations (I.E. have windows setup with all the same programs and settings) across different systems we used to use Norton Ghost but we had all of the same kind of systems setup so it would basically be a hard drive image and the computers would work or be rebooted in minutes.

I am wondering if there is a way to do that with different types of systems?

I want to setup windows the same way on multiple computers (windows xp, with office, Nero, bit defender, Photoshop and a couple of other things) so how would I go about doing that?

Can I setup one system and make some type of install DVD with Norton ghost or an external hard drive or something?

I want to be able to restore multiple systems configured exactly the same way if they crash or if we get a new system without spending a few hours configuring everything.

Thank you guys!!

 

[KSoD]

Your best bet would be Ghost. As hard as this trick is Ghost is more forgiving when it comes to hardware rather than something like Acronis. So that might be your only option.

 

[Jorsoft]

I would agree with using Ghost. Probably the best route to go hear. We use it at work to create images from scratch for several differently configured machines and it always does fine.

 

[americanskin]

I use Ghost here where I work. The problem you're wondering about the HAL can be fixed by running Sysprep. I set up my PC's with 2 partitions, a system partition [C:] and a user partition [D:]

Since the hard drives on different systems are probably different sizes I always just Ghost the system partition (which will never exceed a computers hard drive space). After you do the Sysprep config format the remaining space to NTFS.

As for custom settings, you may need to reconfigure the 'Default User' NTUSER file, but with the process documented it shouldn't be that hard.

 

[ruffneck119]

May I ask what sysprep is?

 

[KSoD]

How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP

It is a tool that is used to help automate the XP install.

 

[ruffneck119]

Awesome you guys rock it has been a while since I have done all this stuff