Ghost Restore Failure. Aaaagh!

[Gongalong]

Hi folks,

 

I've just used Ghost to try and restore a Windows 7 image to our latest batch of PCs, and the PCs are restarting on boot up. Startup Repair doesn't work. Safe Mode reboots after loading the CLASSPNP.SYS file.

 

Are there any other options to try and recover these PCs? The build takes about 3 weeks to create because these are for the student PCs and include a LOT of software. This image has worked for a couple of years.

 

(This will teach me not to sort out Config Manager)

 

TIA

[Phrygian]

Is there any additional hardware you've installed that you can take out? PCI-E cards or anything of that nature? Failing on ClassPNP.sys seems to suggest a hardware conflict.

[Gongalong]

Nothing at all. These are a very basic (new) desktop, basically a motherboard, SSD, card reader, and that's it.

[x22]

IF the image was previously created on an IDE hard drive with IDE set in the bios,

 

You need to set them to IDE in the bios then apply the SSD reg fix which you can then change them to AHCI mode

[Gongalong]

I've disabled automatic restart and get a STOP BSOD.

[Gongalong]

x22: It was set on IDE, but I switched off a whole bunch of things in the BIOS, and set it to AHCI, and it's booting. WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

That's saved us a world of problems, so thanks lots for the nudge in the right direction.

[x22]

Glad it worked for you, We had similar problems when we we're ghosting to SSDS.

[Gongalong]

I ought to sort out Config Manager, but is it going to cope with our huge mish mash of applications we need to install?...

[Yeo695]

I ought to sort out Config Manager, but is it going to cope with our huge mish mash of applications we need to install?...

 

 

 

What are some of the things you need to install? Are we talking about applications as in the whole CS6 collection or something just like Google Chrome and a few educational programs?

[Gongalong]

All sorts of things. Office, CS6, Chrome, but also lots of educational programmes (lots on CDs, some on our network). Would Config Manager handle those sorts of things?

[Gongalong]

If we have a dramatic change in hardware then we have to get a new PC ahead of the main order, build it and test it (takes 3-4 weeks), image it, and then use that for the rest of the PCs.

 

The worry is that our current image won't work at some point, which was today's scare. But if Config Manager can't handle the bulk of this software then it won't be a great deal of use either.

[datar]

Can I just ask, why Ghost? and Why not use WDS or SCCM to deploy Windows? It's far easier as you deploy a single image to different hardware using this method. It wouldn't be hard to Migrate from it. You could actually deploy the ghost image to a working computer and capture that to WDS after you Sysprep it.

[free780]

Use a virtual to capture and don't capture the virus checker.

[Gongalong]

datar: essentially because Ghost was in place when I joined 2.5 years ago, and I haven't had a moment since to even contemplate setting up SCCM. As above we have a large number of applications that need to go on our student PCs at least (and there's a lot of old apps, so they won't all be neatly packaged MSIs). Would CM cope with them all, or at least the bulk of them? If not it won't be much use.

[free780]

Doesnt matter if they are not msi's. As long as they can run silently sccm can install them. Depends if all your applications need to be in the image. I only do it if its office or a really large program.

[Gongalong]

The manual install of 150 apps takes about 3 weeks for one PC, and they definitely need to all be in the image (to avoid the 3 week thing).

[free780]

Well I would probably get started on making them install silently. Then move to mdt or sccm which will allow you to create an automated task sequence. This can be run in 6/12 months when the image needs updating.