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making multiple copies of OS

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ElroyCarbon

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2002
Location
Racine
OK here's the scoop, I am building and installing OS's (XP Pro) on 85+ machines. I am doing a generic admin build and then will go forth and create everyone's profile's accordingly. I have completed the first 30 and am looking at another method of going about this. I have heard of and used Norton Ghost, is there anything else out that has the ability to "bake" a copy or image of a completed hard disc?

Thanks EC!
 
well, Symantec, the makers of Norton Ghost, recently aquired Powerquest, the makers of Drive Image.

So in your case I would go for Drive Image, as it comes in a few differnet flavours.

An alternative, if you're working on a network, I would setup a windows 2000 or windows 2003 server and use RIS, which is a service for installing PXE compliant computers based on different images and profiles.

There are lots of ways to go about this, feel free to drop me a PM if you want more advice. I've done this the last 5-6 years, and should have a few tips up the sleeves for ya.

Cheers, Flix

P.S. One of the neater things about the new Drive Image, is the ability to make bootable copies directly to cd/dvd. The only thing you have to do when making a new machine is litterally chuck in the burned image, and the continue with the next one.. minds itself.

P.P.S. In short, Drive Image for computers with indentical hardware and software setups, RIS for multiple hardware and software configurations. As opposed to many of my M$ brethren, I love Remote Installation Services of 2000. A w2k install including office etc takes about 8 minutes on a 100 mbit lan. We've done full scale deployment of up to 100 machines at a time, no problems at all.
 
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Hey Flix, my fellow folder....good to hear from ya! Yeah the hardware in these machines is going to be the same across the board. I was hoping to "cook" an image onto a drive and then just insert it into the new machine and call it a day. I will PM you ya ;)

Thanks a million EC!!!!!
 
i recently learned to ghost, if tehy sarte identical that sounds like hte way to go, but maybe not. i was thinking RIS, i did an RIS lab a few months back here in VOC, worked...okay.
 
if you are ghosting, then you should be sysprepping the systems BEFORE ghosting. This removes all SID's and removes the computer names. They will run through a mini setup (supply computername, and local admin pass) and then you are done.
 
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