Re: RIS? SYSPREP? SMS? DEPLOY.CAB? ACRONIS? MY HEAD HURTS!!

Install all apps on one machine.

Using sysprep, sysprep the machine. YOu will probably want to have it run
through a mini setup wizard when you reboot the image...you can auomate most
of that. REad the sysprep docs

Using Ghost. create a ghost image.

Thne ghost the image down to another machine, boot it, walk through the
minis setup wizard. and then TEST the apps to make sure they all work. We
find some do not ghost too well....





"Kimberlyrox" <Kimberlyrox@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C0B64FC8-B612-4B24-A1F3-DEF7562926D3@microsoft.com...
> This SHOULD be simple enough..... but in everything I read I don't get an
> EXACT answer.
>
> I need a way to "clone" one pc to another. The biggest question that
> hasn't
> exactly been answered is this... My company uses a hundred different
> software programs. Which means I have to spend an entire day getting
> everything installed and configured on ONE pc. For the most part, the
> computers are EXACTLY the same. What is the best/easiest solution to
> clone a
> pc (with even the smallest detail being the same)... WITH THE EXCEPTION
> of
> the windows serial number, computer name, and the SID?
>
> I don't care if I have to attend the machine or not. I don't care whether
> or not it has to be on a CD/DVD or a network share. I just want to clone
> the
> stupid thing. Acronis seems to work, but it copies the serial and sid
> (the
> name isn't a bid deal).
>
> Can someone be nice enough to tell me EXACTLY what will work. If you have
> a
> step-by-step link that would be great too, but I can always search for
> that.
> I just have too many options! *sniffle*
>
> p.s. all machines are windows xp sp2, have 1gb ram, 2ghz proc, hp/compacs.
>
>

Should I sysprep AND ghost? or is that an either or?

"Betelgeuse" wrote:

> Install all apps on one machine.
>
> Using sysprep, sysprep the machine. YOu will probably want to have it run
> through a mini setup wizard when you reboot the image...you can auomate most
> of that. REad the sysprep docs
>
> Using Ghost. create a ghost image.
>
> Thne ghost the image down to another machine, boot it, walk through the
> minis setup wizard. and then TEST the apps to make sure they all work. We
> find some do not ghost too well....
>
>
>
>

If the hardware is identical don't bother with any of that, just remove
it from domain if you have a domain environment, ghost it, dump on
destination machine and use one of the zillion and one sid changers such
as sidgen from sysinternals to change the sid. Dishes are done, no fuss
with Sysprep.

Only reason for Sysprep is hardware independence, and getting that right
can be a shitload of work.


Kimberlyrox wrote:
> Should I sysprep AND ghost? or is that an either or?
>
> "Betelgeuse" wrote:
>
>> Install all apps on one machine.
>>
>> Using sysprep, sysprep the machine. YOu will probably want to have it run
>> through a mini setup wizard when you reboot the image...you can auomate most
>> of that. REad the sysprep docs
>>
>> Using Ghost. create a ghost image.
>>
>> Thne ghost the image down to another machine, boot it, walk through the
>> minis setup wizard. and then TEST the apps to make sure they all work. We
>> find some do not ghost too well....
>>
>>
>>
>>