After imaging HD with Ghost2003, Windows won't boot! Am I missing something obvious?

[Mike Sampieri]

Hello. I manage 50 computers, and I'm starting to use Ghost 2003 to
"rebuild" them, when they need everything installed from scratch.

Here's the method I'm using:
-I have all Dell Optiplexes, but different models. Everything is XP XP2
on NTFS.
-I made a good image file, stored on C: drive of computer "X".
-I'm not using Sysprep or any fancy tools. I'm aware that some drivers
will need to be reinstalled on the imaged computers, since they are diff
models.

-Computer "Y" needs a complete rebuild.
-I take Y's hard drive, pop it into X as a slave drive (F, and restore
my Ghost image from X's C: to Y's drive. Then I put the drive back into
Y, jumpering it for "Master" again. And then, on Y (the PC with the newly
imaged HD)....

WINDOWS WON'T START. On EVERY computer, it does the same thing - windows
boots into that mode "WINDOWS COULD NOT START LAST TIME, WOULD YOU LIKE
TO BOOT NORMAL, SAFE MODE, ETC". No matter which I choose, safe or
normal, the PC just freezes after that. Nothing happens. Won't even go
into safe mode.

I found a workaround, but the amount of time the workaround takes sort of
defeats the purpose of Ghost. If I perform a "Repair" reinstall of XP,
everything works beautifully. Everything else in the image works great -
all the programs, settings. Then I upgrade it to XP SP2, apply all
patches, and all is well.... but I would have spend the same amount of
time just reinstalling everything, without using GHost!

Thanks for any thoughts...

-Mike

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Sysprep removes all of the unique configuration information
about a machine prior to imaging. You need to use it prior
to using Ghost.

The Microsoft Policy Concerning Disk Duplication of Windows XP Installations
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314828&Product=winxp

Support WebCast: Microsoft Windows XP: Deployment Methods
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;3248­74

Windows XP Professional - Deploy
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/default.mspx

Deploying Windows XP Professional in a company
http://labmice.techtarget.com/windowsxp/Install/deploy.htm

Summary of the limitations of the System Preparation tool
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;830958

Unsupported Sysprep scenarios
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828287

Updated System Preparation tool for Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];838080

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Deployment Tools
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...91-ac56-4665-949b-beda3080e0f6&displaylang=en

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Hello. I manage 50 computers, and I'm starting to use Ghost 2003 to
| "rebuild" them, when they need everything installed from scratch.
|
| Here's the method I'm using:
| -I have all Dell Optiplexes, but different models. Everything is XP XP2
| on NTFS.
| -I made a good image file, stored on C: drive of computer "X".
| -I'm not using Sysprep or any fancy tools. I'm aware that some drivers
| will need to be reinstalled on the imaged computers, since they are diff
| models.
|
| -Computer "Y" needs a complete rebuild.
| -I take Y's hard drive, pop it into X as a slave drive (F, and restore
| my Ghost image from X's C: to Y's drive. Then I put the drive back into
| Y, jumpering it for "Master" again. And then, on Y (the PC with the newly
| imaged HD)....
|
| WINDOWS WON'T START. On EVERY computer, it does the same thing - windows
| boots into that mode "WINDOWS COULD NOT START LAST TIME, WOULD YOU LIKE
| TO BOOT NORMAL, SAFE MODE, ETC". No matter which I choose, safe or
| normal, the PC just freezes after that. Nothing happens. Won't even go
| into safe mode.
|
| I found a workaround, but the amount of time the workaround takes sort of
| defeats the purpose of Ghost. If I perform a "Repair" reinstall of XP,
| everything works beautifully. Everything else in the image works great -
| all the programs, settings. Then I upgrade it to XP SP2, apply all
| patches, and all is well.... but I would have spend the same amount of
| time just reinstalling everything, without using GHost!
|
| Thanks for any thoughts...
|
| -Mike

 

[Guest]

Are you reformatting or repartitioning the "Y" drive, first?
Are you choosing "Make/Set Drive Active" in the method you are using?
Could you use "Copy Drive", instead of restoring an Image?