Problems Ghosting Dell Optiplex 745

[6Foot2]

PC Wizard is a better choice.

 

OK, thanks for that. It is a go for tomorrow then.

 

Thanks also to everyone for their input on this. When I resolve it I will post back and let you know the outcome.

[6Foot2]

Ok I have been forced, by considerations of time, to admit defeat on this one. I have eliminated the problem with the ghpcw2k.sys file by deleting it from the image, but now the stations hang when loading the Mup.sys file. I get the feeling that if I copied a new copy into the image and sent it there would be another problem and then another,....

 

I have spoken to Dell and they are unable to help.

 

I have decided to cut my losses and create a new image from the 'ground up' I think that this will not be an easy task as the image was first created three years ago and has beem added to and tweaked over that period. Some of the changes are not documented having been made as needed and on the fly.

 

I guess I should look upon this as an opportunity to 'clean out' the image and address the issue of random crashes/error messages which have plagued earlier images on this campus and put a clean install of XP SP2 in place.

[maniac]

try changing the hard drive from one of the sucessfully imaged machines into one of the non-booting ones, and see if windows starts up. If it does, then see what hardware it finds, install drivers and take a new image of that workstation. With any luck this image will work on both.

 

I speak from experience with exactly the same sort of problem, and this was a work around which worked a treat. I also did it recently to get a WDS image onto a particular workstation type which WDS said a compatible image didn't exist for.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Mike.

[6Foot2]

try changing the hard drive from one of the sucessfully imaged machines into one of the non-booting ones, and see if windows starts up. If it does, then see what hardware it finds, install drivers and take a new image of that workstation.

 

Hi Mike,

 

I had thought of that and breifly looked into it, but these 745's seem to be less co-operative when trying to swap the HDD than earlier models. I can get the CD drive out without any problems, but the hard disk is mounted in a cage which is secured into the body if the PC with screws the heads of which I can't get to with a screw driver. Perhaps another look at the manual is in order.

[6Foot2]

Looking at the handbook it looks very easy, but what the handbook omits is that the floppy disk drive caddy sits above the hard disk. This prevents the hard disk being lifted out of the case once it has slid back out of its home position.

 

I have put an HDD from a working machine in place temporarily and started the station. It hangs at the ghpcw2k.sys file. When I delete this file and restart in then hangs at the Mup.sys file.

 

I think here is where I should retire hurt. Next action: Begin a new image.

[Hofmannm]

Dave,

 

Where you able to solve this problem? I have recently started to image Dell PC's here at work and run into one problem... The key... Do you know how Dell manages to have the serial key automatically entered during the installation of windows XP. Currently you have to activate windows. It's not a big deal until a PC has been imaged around 3 times, then you cant activate and that serial is useless. Sorry to say... we don't have a volume license key, we order our Dells with XP pre installed. We are using sysprep 2.0, for XP and Norton Ghost enterprise 11.0. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

[6Foot2]

Dave,

 

Where you able to solve this problem? .... we don't have a volume license key, we order our Dells with XP pre installed. We are using sysprep 2.0, for XP and Norton Ghost enterprise 11.0. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Hoffman,

 

No I have declared a truce on this issue and I am going to start creating a brand new image tomorrow. We use Sysprep 2.0, but our Ghost technology is version 7.5. We do not use the Ghost console, but rather Ghostcast Server. We have a volume licence agreement so the licence key coded for by Sysprep is always the same.

 

I am sorry, but that appears to be no help to you. I think that one way you could address your Ghost session problems would be to code in your licence keys into your unattended answer files: that is to say to tailor them to each station as you ghost them. It sounds like a bit of a mission to me but it might work.

[adamf]

Don't know if this helps but when we imaged 20 Dell Optiplex 745s evey single one blue screened on us. We found that changing the SATA operation mode to Legacy in the BIOS fixed the problem.

 

Worth a try if you haven't already changed it

[Hofmannm]

Thanks for the response guys... I appreciate your advice.

 

If you have installed windows XP onto a Dell machine using their installer CD, you never have to put the key in. Somehow it pulls the key from each machine...i think. Dors anyone know a way to replicate that or know where the code is to cause that to happen?

 

I thought when running sysprep, if you copy the "i386" folder from the CD that all that coding would be pulled over. Sadly enough it was not.

 

Unfortunately we do not currently purchase a VL key windows XP. So ordering machines with XP preinstalled is that way to go. Do anyone have any other suggestions how i should ghost these machines? I am trying to avoid inserting their key in for every machine by hand. [plus automation makes me look good... :-) ]

 

If anyone has other ideas...im up for anything.

 

I thank you all in advance for your assistance.

 

-Mike

[plock]

The Dell XP CD's are slipstreamed, similar to a Sysprep'd image.

 

Making the correct modifications to the 'Sysprep.inf' answer file will allow this process to be automated in the final Sysprep'd image.

 

The following article may help you automate the process:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302577

 

Good luck!

[Martin]

If you have installed windows XP onto a Dell machine using their installer CD, you never have to put the key in. Somehow it pulls the key from each machine...i think. Dors anyone know a way to replicate that or know where the code is to cause that to happen?

 

The DELL provided installation CD contains a "pre-activated" OEM version of the operating system - this locks the installation to OEM-specified BIOS information in the PC. Similar installation CDs are provided by other major manufacturers such as IBM, Stone, HP etc.

 

Thus an image taken from one of the OEM pre-activated installations should theoretically work on other PCs from the same manufacturer (assuming the relevant bits in the BIOS match).

 

However, i believe that Volume Licensing is the only "officially supported" method for use when deploying via cloning - so don't call Microsoft for help if you use other methods

 

mb

[6Foot2]

...We found that changing the SATA operation mode to Legacy in the BIOS fixed the problem.

 

Worth a try if you haven't already changed it

 

Just tried this and it didn't work. Back to the new image plan then.

[Guest aliv25]

at hoffman, davep put up this thread

 

http://www.edugeek.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=11767