How To Do A Workstation Re-install.?.

[tickmike]

Hi.

To go with this W2K Server I'm building for this charity school, I was thinking of re-installing the W2k Pro. workstations.

Fresh start.

 

Please tell me if this method is ok .

 

1. boot up with WIN95 boot up disk. EDIT... WIN98 NOT WIN95.. EDIT

2. Format C:\

3. Remove boot disk.

4. Insert W2K CD Rom.

5. Run set-up. > install.

6. Service packs/updates.

7. Install any software etc. eg office.

8. Configure

9. Make a copy and save it on the server.

 

Questions.

I have Norton ghost 8 (home type) and I have had a go in a test set up to use it.

Will it be ok to use over the network ?.

Or do I use Ris on the server ?.to send it over the network.

 

Any help and advice please.

 

Michael .

[plexer]

I wouldn't say you need to boot from the 95 disk you can format the disk as part of the 2k install.

 

Ben

[MkII]

Ghost 8 home ed is only licenced to make copeis of a single PC, and no more. It will work but only one image at a time across a network.

 

You also need to run sysprep - Win2K version before imaging, as the server won't see the machines as unique, causing you all sorts of headaches. Someone has done a nice walkthrough of the procedure. Basically sysprep > turn off > send image to server.

 

Another way is to use sysinternals newsid. You image as you've said above > then boot into the PC and run newsid, giving the PC it's new name when generating the SID > re-boot. [not MS recommended but has worked fine for me in the past]

 

All the hardware has to be identical for imaging to work too. With non uniform hardware you can make it easier on yourself using an unattended CD with all the service packs slipstreamed, or use RIS as you've said, with a basic image to start your PCs off. There's a guide on MSFN on doing this: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=57941 or some thread here on edugeek using the vanilla method.

[tickmike]

Thanks.

I edited the above It should Have been win98 boot disk.

 

Re "plexer" I find that sometimes that If you have something nasty on the drive its best to use win98 boot via floppy /usb stick then 'FDISK' delete >install 'DOS' drive > re boot with boot disk in >Format C:\>take out boot disk >reboot with operating system cd > install> format NTFS>etc...

(Hope this is useful for other newbie's as well).

 

Also to 'Mark' great I will look in to the sites But your last one says its going to be Discontinued soon.

 

From Michael.

[plexer]

In that case rather than use a win95 disk etc.. I'd recommend a bootable disk with aefdisk on it fdisk's and formats as fat32 in about 10 seconds flat. I have that as an option in my network imaging menu.

 

Ben

[ITWombat]

Yikes! No.

Fat32 should not be used in a production environment.

Unless you are using some kind of disk rollback scheme (e.g. Deep Freeze, SCT, Centurion etc.) NTFS is a must. on Windows PC.

[tickmike]

Hi .

Re Itwombat .

If you read the last bit of the post....reboot with operating system cd > install> format NTFS>etc...

Important bit FORMAT TO NTFS not fat/fat32 .

I've just used what I had lying about.

 

From Michael . Ps... Plexer have you got a link please.

[ITWombat]

Aefdisk only appears to work with FAT so it's only of use for a quick and dirty builds in a test environment or where you are using rollback.

[ChrisH]

If you can use RIS and your NICs support it use that. If not there is a wealth of information on the http://www.msfn.org forums for making custom CD/DVDs that can install windows with little prompting and maybe although you will have to dig deep fully patch your source as well before it is installed.

If you cant use RIS you can always set it up a boot floopy or CD to boot to a source and start from there but CDs maybe quicker.

[plexer]

I wasn't advocating leaving them as FAT32 it's is just used as an ultra quick way of blowing the partitions away, repartitions as 1 and then formats as fat32.

 

The image that is subsequently installed on them is NTFS.

 

While it's not always needed as in theory you are dumping a cloned image that overwrites the hard drive anyway it can help with some issues.

 

http://www.aefdisk.com/

 

Ben

[tickmike]

Hello all.

 

So what I have done on one workstation is a full reinstall,then service packs updates etc. ,and installed office and other software, set up all my administration short cuts and desktop on my setting.

Then I have set-up one user account and set up firefox etc.

 

would that be the stage you ghost it to the server ( I've got one drive just for backup's / ghost image's).

 

I still have to install the DC / server yet, so when I have it installed in the school if I then try to install (one at a time) to three computers I have put new hard drives in and have basic W2K installed, is it at this stage I have to use 'ghostwalker' to change the sid's...(and do I give it the computer name at this stage) then I join them to the domain ...Then what ?.

 

Does anyone know the page on this site that gives a guide of setting up new user accounts ?..so you can configure them, save it and when you have a new user you do not need to go through all the setting again .

 

From Michael.

[ChrisH]

Just right click a user and select copy and fill in their name etc.

[plexer]

You have 2 options you can use sysprep and once that is run then you clone the image, this image is then copied onto a workstation and when it's restarted it will then go through a windows mini setup allowing you to choose a name and add it to the domain automatically.

 

A simpler way to do and probably what I'd suggest for you at the moment is to ghost it as you have now, then you copy the ghost image onto a new machine run ghostwalker to change the sids, rename the machine to whatever you want and add it to the domain.

 

Ben

[tickmike]

Hello all.

Re ChrisH. Thanks but I know that . What I want to say is if a new pupils comes to school and we want to log them on to the system, then I do what you said above, then you just put there name in fill a password in and log them on .then I do not want to spend the next half hour configuring there user settings.

The bit I wanted to know about how do I set up a default user account (with all the things set up?).

 

Re Plexer.. I think I will go for your second one It sounds easier to me .

( I've allot on my plate at the moment with at the mods I'm doing on the school network and I do it for free ..must be mad. :x )

 

I have tried to burn an ghost image to CD a few weeks ago but it would not fit on one CD and it would not let me put it on two disks. Did not try DVD because we do not have any DVD readers at school.

 

Just one thing 'Sysprep' what is it and were is it located ?.

From Michael.

[plexer]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302577

 

Ben

[john]

For your new users profiles, you are best setting up a Mandatory profile on the server for them to use, info on this is found in the edugeek wiki if I remember correctly (save me typign it all out how to do it etc, but its very simple, honest!)