Imaging Machines Over Network

[EricB]

is this sysprep?

http://www.hytekcomputer.com/Articles/XPInstall/2.shtml

 

[Win2kpatcher]

is this sysprep?

http://www.hytekcomputer.com/Articles/XPInstall/2.shtml

Only way to be sure is to get it off your XP CD. If you need help finding it let me know. Be sure to copy over all the sysprep items you will need...

As for the cloning over network question... As Inaris said this is a vey tough subject. I personally have not had the time to dedicate to a fully automated system working, so I am stuck in the same boat as you with needing to physical touch each machine to insert the boot disk and start the initial setup of the image.

What I am currently working on though (If I could ever get dedicated time to this it would rock!! But in I.T. this is unreal) is implementing a Wake On Lan technology setup housed with a side of PXE booting technology..the end result? Able to boot up a PC that is turned off by sending a network signal to it and using a PXE capable NIC to boot a ghost cast session server and deploy the image. What does this equal? Full Automation!

 

[Inaris]

Yea, This is some more info from MS...

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=838080

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/duplication.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/introductoin.mspx

Sysprep is designed for distrubuting an OS to a lot of machine in an auto/semi auto manner. It also gives you access to the RIS and unattended install process.

If you just want it to work on one machine type, it's really simple, but if you want to get it to work on multiple machines, you have to configure the sysprep.ini a bit, but it's not too bad. Like I said, we have 11 machine types that are supported on one build. Just so you under stand, this is the supported hardware:

IBM M42 Netvista Desktop
IBM R40 Thinkpad
IBM X31 Thinkpad
IBM R51 Thinkpad
Dell Latitude D600
Dell Latitude D610
Dell Latitude D640
Dell Latitude C800
Dell Latitude C840
Dell Latitude C810
Dell Optiplex GX400

It covers a lot of machine/chipset/processor/video/etc differences. Works very well, with a little extra work on the back end to make all the machines work perfectly.

Good luck

 

[EricB]

so let me get this straight. if I make an image of a machine (on one of the ones mention above? funny, I just sold a IBM r51 and a dell d600 yesterday) with ghost, I can deploy it to a machine with different hardware?

I assume that sysprep is on the xp disc or a system folder. right? where is it?

How to prepare a master installation for cloning

1.


Install Windows XP on a master computer. As a best practice, Microsoft recommends that Windows XP be installed from a distribution folder by using an answer file to help ensure consistency in configuring the master installation, so that iterative builds can be created and tested more readily. See Unattend.txt for information about automating Windows Setup using an answer file.

2.


Log on to the computer as an administrator.

3.


(Optional) Install and customize applications, such as Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer favorite items, and so on.

4.


(Optional) Install any device drivers not included in Drivers.cab and not installed by the answer file.

5.


(Optional) Run audit tests.

6.


(Optional) If you want, create a Sysprep.inf file manually or with the aid of Setup Manager. This file is used to further customize each computer for the user and helps to set the amount of information for which the user will be prompted during Mini–Setup.

7.


Run Sysprep.exe. Make sure that both the Sysprep.exe and Setupcl.exe files exist together in the %systemdrive%\Sysprep folder on the local hard disk. When used, the Sysprep.inf also needs to be in the same folder or on a floppy disk that is inserted when the Windows boot menu appears.

Important If Setupcl.exe is not in the same directory as Sysprep.exe, Sysprep will not work.

8.


If the computer is ACPI–compliant, the computer will shut down by itself. If not, a dialog box appears stating that it is safe to shut down the computer.

9.


Take out the system drive and follow the steps for duplicating the system on other computers. You must have special equipment or software for duplicating hard disks.

After a duplicated hard disk is inserted into a computer, when the user turns the computer on, the following occurs:

1.


Plug and Play detection occurs – this takes approximately three minutes.

2.


Mini–Setup prompts users to:
•

Accept the EULA.
•

Specify their name and organization.
•

Join a domain or a workgroup.
•

Specify regional options information.
•

Specify TAPI information.
•

Specify the networking protocols and services to install.
Note If a Sysprep.inf file was used when running Sysprep.exe, only the dialog boxes omitted in the .inf file are presented to the user. If display settings are omitted, the default settings are used instead.

3.


The local Sysprep folder containing Sysprep.exe and Sysprep.inf in %systemdrive% is deleted.

4.


The computer restarts and a logon prompt displays.

 

[Inaris]

Should be in Support/Tools, but one of the links I gave you has an update file for this. The files are in a deploy.cab, kind of like a zip. Extract them to C:\sysprep.
Like I said, in order to make it work consistently across diferent hardware we had to do some custom settings. One of the big ones is using a custom HAL. This is done when installing the OS, when you see the f6 prompt for drivers, press f5 to load the hal list. Then select Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC. This will allow the OS to move from Laptop to desktop to tablet and back without any bluescreens. Then we had to include drivers for all the hardware in the struction on the disk. For us, we use C:\drivers. Then it was split by vendor and then by type. In the sysprep.ini, you specify the path to these files, every folder and then the machine will find all of the drivers during the mini setup. There are some other stuff, like building the disk lists and that too... All of it is in the links I provided. If you have questions, PM me with the specifics.

 

[EricB]

ok. I will give a try. I will ask questions later if needed. thanks

 

[Osiris]

here is the deploy file if you need it

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KM87WDRH

 

[EricB]

here is the deploy file if you need it

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KM87WDRH

thx