Imaging (or not!)

[chrbb]

Quick question, am I the only person that don't use any imaging software on edugeek?

 

I manage around 50 computers/laptops all that arrive with oem xp pro, then I install the software by script, gpo or using purgos. In 4 years I've only had to wipe one computer and reinstall windows, I run delprof half termly on the school computers, the staff laptops stay under one ownership until that staff member leaves then I delprof their profile and hand it to a new staff member. Am I the only one?

 

Just realised this sounds a bit smug, just the opposite actually feeling a bit lame because I don't image!

Edited June 18, 2009 by chrbb
read it through again!

[mossj]

We use imaging software on major outbreaks (conficker got through) reinstalling/wiping/cleaning every machine in the school just isn't feasible.

 

Also we image all IT rooms/laptops every summer just to make sure there in tip top condition.

 

Don't think we could survive without imaging, tbh... not when we have 400 machines

[wesleyw]

With a small ICT provision I don't think it's necessary it will make you life easier but whether or not you need to is a different matter.

 

Wes

[button_ripple]

We don't image here, but are looking into buying some software for it. We do reinstall laptops/computers roughly every term and it is getting a bit too much.

[mossj]

We don't image here, but are looking into buying some software for it. We do reinstall laptops/computers roughly every term and it is getting a bit too much.

 

have you looked at fog? its a OS imaging software, as good as the paid for alternatives

[p858snake]

Try having a look at a WinPE boot disc and inculde ImageX on it and then you can capture wim images of your systems.

[jamin100]

I image every pc/laptop in the school in about 2 weeks every summer.

 

I've just started creating the images this week ready to deploy them.

 

I'm on my own with just under 150 workstations.

[SYNACK]

I never used to image any of my stations instead having a really well automated and slipstreamed cd that could reinstall any machine in the school. I have switched over to WDS imaging though with Vista as it is much faster and easier. It also marked the biggest number of clients that I had had to upgrade at any one time so it was a good time to switch.

[ZeroHour]

We use Wininstall here but I am currently working with SCCM and it is looking interesting.

We have 650 clients now though so doing oem installs would be a problem. We rebuild pc's regularily as well to solve issues and as good maintence. When we get a weird fault and nothing is to obvious it can be faster just to rebuild and reset profiles and it usually goes away so in that sense it saves huge amounts of time.

[bio]

We use symantec ghost overhere. However we are looking into LAndesk, Altiris or KACE.

 

bio..

[ChrisH]

We have just started using FOG. Once you get your head around it, you wont use anything else.

[witch]

The question is - how long does it take you to reinstall all the software etc?

 

We have over 80 titles on the machines (101 machines) and so even with scripts, msis and goodness knows what (which don't always work and sometimes you just HAVE TO DO IT MANUALLY!!) it would take me a long time to reload everything. Which is why I image. I use Ghost and I am quite happy with it.

If you didn't feel that doing all that is worth the time and money, you could get a copy of ghost and just have the ability to ghost locally - copy one machine's hard drive to another to save all that reloading

 

BTW - I run delprof on log-off so I don't have to bother to do it regularly - doesn't slow anything down noticeably!!

[mac_shinobi]

There are a few threads on imaging will see if I can find it later on unless someone else posts them first but for free imaging comes down to clone zilla versus fog - think there are also a few youtube videos comparing the 2 and possibly how to setup / configure them

[Quackers]

We use a mix of Imaging and Automated Deployment of XP.

 

Even if the Laptop comes with XP Pro on out the box its still wiped, just for performance as OEM's have a habbit of putting so much junk on the machines its just not funny.

[jamin100]

All our software deployment is also managed through ghost.

 

A total rebuild of a machine from scratch including all software will take around an hour.

[elsiegee40]

With a small ICT provision I don't think it's necessary it will make you life easier but whether or not you need to is a different matter.

 

Wes

 

Having spent 13 hours over Tuesday and Wednesday rebuilding one Science PC (multiple viruses) that's one of a kind on our 40 PC network, I'd say imaging is necessary. This machine is unusual on our network in the quantity of software it has installed and it all took ages

 

Until Wednesday only our ICT Suite machines had an image (Ghost) and I think I've used it twice in 3 years to restore machines with dead hard drives.

 

As I am on my own and do a 20 hour week, I cannot afford to spend so much time re-installing stuff. Science PC now has an image. My holiday work is now to get the other machines as clean as possible and image them!

[R0M]

My predecessor used to install manually and I started off like that as well but I've just moved to FOG (I hope linking is allowed) and I love it. It was very easy to set up even for me and I'm not a Linux user. Now every time I rebuild a computer, I make an image of it and soon I will have the whole school on FOG.

[chrbb]

Thanks everyone for comments - currently a machine will take a couple of hours to reinstall, after windows is back on I do it remotely with purgos, so machine is in situ and I'm in the suite doing other stuff whilst installing software.

 

I've considered fog but don't have anywhere in school to physically locate it, my wsus server is a dual boot xp pro workstation that is used as wsus on a wednesday only! Unless ubunto can be on a dual boot.

[Dom_]

Grab the VMware copy, I've just installed it here and it took about 20 minutes. (fog)

[p858snake]

Yes ubuntu can run on a dual/tri/octo/whatever boot system.

 

Do you have a central file server? you could virtualize it on there.

[Guest coquet636]

We have just started using FOG. Once you get your head around it, you wont use anything else.

 

Have to agree with this comment. We used to use Ghost and it cost a fortune but was no where near as good as FOG.

 

We either couldn't set it up correctly, or it just wouldn't put the machines back on the domain after imaging.......

 

 

But with Fog it images and puts back on the domain ready for use straightaway without having to go back to it to do anything in 10-15 mins... cant praise it enough.

[chrbb]

Grab the VMware copy, I've just installed it here and it took about 20 minutes. (fog)

 

Sounds good, where from?

 

Yes ubuntu can run on a dual/tri/octo/whatever boot system.

 

Do you have a central file server? you could virtualize it on there.

 

Actually got a computer I could use and a spare hard drive, can you dual boot it using separate hard drives? Does it matter if xp is on first?

[Dom_]

Apologies - here's the link: FOG - Computer Cloning/Imaging solution Server (0.19) | Virtual Appliance Marketplace

[p858snake]

Actually got a computer I could use and a spare hard drive, can you dual boot it using separate hard drives? Does it matter if xp is on first?

It shouldn't, you just need to make sure you fix the bootloader up, theres a pile of guides on how to do it if you look around on google.