Imaging onto network

[witch]

I have searched but can't find what I want although I thought I had seen it somewhere!
I have to build a machine and then image it up onto the network using Ghost. The problem is, I haven't done it before and it is an XP machine which is a bit 'new tech' for an unreconstructed 98 techie!
I have read the tutorials on the CD but I still don't really think I have a proper understanding of quite what I am doing (sysprep?)
Any advice would be useful.
Getting the image down off the network onto machines is not a problem
Thanks

[mrforgetful]

You need to run the sysprep program to make the image work on other hardware.
You're used to imaging 98 where you could just take an image and stick it on any other PC and it'd be fine right? Well XP won't, you'll get blue screens and constant reboots with the slightest hardware change.

First you need to make a folder in C: called 'sysprep' and create a sysprep.inf (unattended answer file) using setupmgr.exe

Make a copy of this folder somwhere on your network as it will get deleted on the first boot after re-image.

Start > Run > cmd

Change directory to C:\Sysprep folder

Run sysprep in the following ways

sysprep.exe –bmsd
sysprep.exe –clean (wait until HDD LED no longer flashes, or just two minutes)
sysprep.exe –quiet –mini –reseal

The machine will shutdown

Image HDD and distribute, mini-setup should take around 5-10 minutes

I have found the above switches work for me, other people use different combinations.

I hope this helps, I'm sure others will elaborate on things.

[Netman]

This may help..
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302577

[ChrisC]

What version of ghost are you using?

Chris

[bossman]

Have just recently been to a symantec livestate backup and recovery seminar up north and what they are selling is a one stop do everything package from imaging to pushing out packages to livesate backup anywhere to anything even virtual machines and servers. This looks a pretty impressive package but have not got the costs as I use acronis at the moment which does my recovery and livestate backups. But i wondered if anyone else has come across this livestate enterprise suite from symantec and if they have had any experience of it. sorry to hog your thread witch but thought this might be relevant to the question in a manner of speaking.

[witch]

Thanks for the wisdom Mr Forgetful
I am not even sure that I have the right Ghost stuff - I have Ghost 9?
Where do I get the setupmgr.exe you speak of? Can you pm me on how to do it from the start?

This has all come about because of Dell who have sent us 28 towers instead of desktops. I was due to build a machine, and then an engineer from our system people (schoolcare) was to come in, check it and image it onto the network for me. I am then able to re-image the other 27.
BUT now I won't have a machine ready and so may have to do it myself in the holidays.

[contink]

Thanks for the wisdom Mr Forgetful
I am not even sure that I have the right Ghost stuff - I have Ghost 9?

That version of Ghost usually comes with version 2003 on disk and quite frankly that's the one you want... Ghost 9 is not one that's going to be of any use for distributing across a network or via DOS (which is easiest IMHO).

What you do is install Ghost 2003 on a machine that you don't need to image and then use it to create book disks for your particular setup.. eg: I ghost my systems over the network which requires network cards (NICs) that have DOS compatible drivers. The help file will tell you how to create these disks and your NIC manufacturer should help with the DOS drivers (not all are compat though).

Once you've created the disks you just pop them in your source and your target systems, reboot using the disks and off you go following the prompts.

Where do I get the setupmgr.exe you speak of? Can you pm me on how to do it from the start?

Check the Microsoft KB arcticle linked above.. the info is in there...

[mrforgetful]

If you're using Server2k3 and the PCs are new I suspect the easiest boot method would be PXE booting and loading the ghost client that way, much faster and nicer than floppy disks!

I believe sysprep should be in the deployment tools found in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows CD. Make sure you use the correct version of sysprep depending whether you have XP Service Pack 2 installed.

Check out this page for some Microsoft info on making an image though there are probably better guides on the net, to be found using Google.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

[Inox]

CONTINK - I think u may have that backwards m8 - ghost with a date, (i.e.2003) after it is a standalone package (mostly used for home pc's) with 1 licence.
Ghost with a number (i.e.8 or 9 etc) or now rebranded to be called ghost solution suite is the enterprise deployment package which sits on your server and you can pull and push images out via DOS, PXE boot or whatever you method.

Dont forget you need 1 licence PER IMAGE that you have deployed.

[plexer]

At the moment the system I use while maybe not being the best is one that works and took me some time to get it all to work is this.

I have a windows 2000 server with a shared folder that holds all of my tools and images.

The clients are booted from a http://www.netbootdisk.com/ which has soo many drivers that it works on all my different hardware.

This loads and connects the client to my shared folder on which resides a small menu app that then gives 2 options ghost or fdisk.

The fdisk option runs aefdisk that deletes all the partitions and recreates new ones then formats them as fat32 all in about 6 seconds I use this option if I need to but most of the time don't.

The ghost option just runs ghost from the network share and then this is a manual process to pick the multicast session and initiate it.

Ghostsrv runs on the server and from there you pick what image etc.. to deploy.

Like I say I do it this way because it works for me.

Ben

[witch]

Thanks chaps:
I have Ghost 2003 as well. So which is it? I have looked on both but cant see what I should do. And do I do sysprep first?
I think I am more confused than ever

plexor: you are talking about getting the images off the server - as I said - I can do that no problem (same method as you) but it is getting the damn thing up there that I am finding difficult.

I am worried about damaging the machine I am imaging.
I have a 2000 server and all machines come with XP pro so licences are not a problem.
Sorry to sound so stupid, but this is something I just don't get and there is noone here to ask !

Definitive list of EXACTLY what to do - from the beginning - written for a moron - would help!!

[ChrisC]

Create qa ghost network boot disk with a folder on the server mapped by ghost, boot the station to be imaged using the disk(s), then it's pretty much just image disk > to network mapped drive.....

Or so I thought???
I am using ghost 8 btw

Chris

[ChrisC]

Also with the above, you might need to download the dos NIC drivers for it to work....

Chris

[mrforgetful]

Definitive list of EXACTLY what to do - from the beginning - written for a moron - would help!!

And unfortunately would take all day, maybe if there was nothing to do here but I don't have the time to write a walkthrough I'm afraid. There'll be plenty around on the internet.
If you can get images onto PCs using Ghost the prodecedure for getting them off is the same, only select 'Dump From Client' on the server.

Also, if this is all for a new batch of PCs, they'll all be identical so in the short term you may get away without sysprep at all if you're lucky.

[contink]

CONTINK - I think u may have that backwards m8 - ghost with a date, (i.e.2003) after it is a standalone package (mostly used for home pc's) with 1 licence.
Ghost with a number (i.e.8 or 9 etc) or now rebranded to be called ghost solution suite is the enterprise deployment package which sits on your server and you can pull and push images out via DOS, PXE boot or whatever you method.

Actually in this instance I don't have it backwards... Ghost 9.0 and 10.0 are both home/sme products and they usually come with 2003 on a seperate disk because 9.0/10.0 don't come with the network stuff that 2003 has.

However we may both be right in that Symantec haven't bothered to differentiate properly between the enterprise and home types...

So, to clarify I've been referring to the home/sme version.. Hope that helps..