Cloning Netbooks

[cookie_monster]

We don't tend to use a disk cloning solution here as we have a WDS in place but we've just got some Netbooks that won't be on the domain and I need to image them. I have a copy of ghost and BartPE that I use for ghosting our Citrix boxes but these Netbooks don't have CD drives so I'll have to use a USB one...Unless anyone can tell me if Fog or similar has a USB or PXE bootable option.

 

I think you can use a USB drive with BartPE so I'll look into that in the mean time any better suggestions?

 

 

EDIT

 

Oooh just having a read up on Fog " Fog doesn't use any boot disks, or CDs; everything is done via TFTP and PXE" very handy. How does the PXE part work if there is already a TFTP PXE server (our WDS) on the network.

 

Cheers.

Edited September 30, 2009 by cookie_monster

[strawberry]

bartpe does run from a usb, very well infact. i would have recommended it anyway. if you use driveimage xml it could read the image from a network share.

[john]

Why can't you use WDS Grant? You always could do RIS without joining the domain so surely you can do the same with them. Ive done an NC10 fine with it.

[cookie_monster]

You know I've just not tried it when not joining a domain and I was remembering something from ages ago that said you couldn't do this with XP Home. I'll give it a try tomorrow.

[john]

oh its XP home, you didn't say that before, I assumed you were XP Pro'ing them and leaving them off the domain still, can you WDS an XP Home image? I've never tried but my instant thoughts are you probably could....

[cookie_monster]

oh its XP home, you didn't say that before

 

They all come with XP Home on and we're using them to connect to Citrix so I was going to leave them as they are. I might try WDS with XP Home if it doesn't work I might give BartPE a try.

 

Thanks.

 

EDIT

 

Seems you can but it's not supported I might have a go.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305308

Edited October 1, 2009 by cookie_monster

[p858snake]

We don't tend to use a disk cloning solution here as we have a WDS in place but we've just got some Netbooks that won't be on the domain and I need to image them. I have a copy of ghost and BartPE that I use for ghosting our Citrix boxes but these Netbooks don't have CD drives so I'll have to use a USB one...Unless anyone can tell me if Fog or similar has a USB or PXE bootable option.

 

I think you can use a USB drive with BartPE so I'll look into that in the mean time any better suggestions?

 

 

EDIT

 

Oooh just having a read up on Fog " Fog doesn't use any boot disks, or CDs; everything is done via TFTP and PXE" very handy. How does the PXE part work if there is already a TFTP PXE server (our WDS) on the network.

 

Cheers.

 

You can do ghost from a usb drive.

[sted]

look at http://www.vistape.net i used it to create a wim file that has ghost on it then shoved that onto wds so i can network boot pcs into vista pe and then run ghost on them saves boot cds/pens all i need is a network cable (and to hope the drivers are in there are can be added).

[strawberry]

or look at mdt 2010, create an image with applications and deploy via usb or cd (although cd is useless for this its a decent option if you want to use the image elsewhere)

[richardp]

What version of ghost do you have ? The latest version will install to a usb stick straight from the wizard no problem at all.

 

Richard

[cookie_monster]

As I have a WDS I might try that but we currently only use flat installs of XP SP3, can you capture images to a WDS in legacy mode? Will RIPrep be required.

 

EDIT

 

I'm seeing problems the using it with XP Home I think i'll stick with BartPE/Ghost or another method.

 

To store a RIPrep image on a server, you must also have a CD-based image that is the same version and default language stored on the same RIS server. This is because the answer file used for the RIPrep image also refers the client to the CD-based image for access to network adapter and text-mode boot drivers, in case the drivers required for the client installing the RIPrep image are different from those in the system used to create the RIPrep image.

Edited October 1, 2009 by cookie_monster

[cookie_monster]

@ richardp

What version of ghost do you have ? The latest version will install to a usb stick straight from the wizard no problem at all.

 

 

It's an old version, I could buy the new version will it allow you to install network drivers so you can image over the network from a USB drive?

 

Thanks.

[p858snake]

@ richardp

 

 

It's an old version, I could buy the new version will it allow you to install network drivers so you can image over the network from a USB drive?

 

Thanks.

You don't need the latest version, have a look at the following threads:

* http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/18836-creat-bootable-usb-ghost-drive.html

* http://www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/41003-boot-ghost-usb.html

* http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/15011-bootable-usb-drive-ghost-possible.html

* http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/10668-ghost-usb-sticks.html

[OutToLunch]

You could have a look at Clonezilla instead of FOG - get that booting from a USB stick and it will happily back up to SMB shares