Create self installing Ghost image for XP?

[Josh]

I currently use Norton ghost to make backup images. Can I use it to create
self installing backup images so that a user can just pop in a disk and sit
back and let it install?

if not is there a product out there that will do this?

 

[Smowk]

I currently use Norton ghost to make backup images. Can I use it to
create self installing backup images so that a user can just pop in a
disk and sit back and let it install?

if not is there a product out there that will do this?

good question.

i work for a hotel that wants to put some pcs in the rooms, but we're
afraid of what people could leave on there.

I'm looking for a bootable disk that will "self-install" a disk image.
Such as the housekeeper just popping it in the drive while she's cleaning,
letting it run, then moving onto the next room.

Smowk

 

[HillBillyBuddhist]

i work for a hotel that wants to put some pcs in the rooms, but we're
afraid of what people could leave on there.

I'm looking for a bootable disk that will "self-install" a disk image.
Such as the housekeeper just popping it in the drive while she's cleaning,
letting it run, then moving onto the next room.

Smowk

Look into deepFreeze.

http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp

--
D

I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
I was just trying to help.
Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or
advice herein.
No warranty is expressed or implied.
Your mileage may vary.
See store for details.

Remove shoes to E-mail

 

[Guest]

Try a product called Deep Freeze.....very good for lab or public PC
environments. What it will do is set a roll back point and every reboot will
take the PC back to that point. It will drop all added files, programs, and
viruses. not too expensive either.

http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp

Hope it helps...Napnut

 

[MoiMeme]

Why not try simple autorun for the CD calling a batch file calling ghost
with the appropriate parameters, then perform a reboot ?

 

[Josh]

HTat would be great do you know where I can find an example batch file to do
this?

Thank you

 

[george]

maybe this (http://www.rjlsoftware.com/software/utility/autorun/) can help
you.
creating the batchfile that is kicked off with the autorun should not be a
big problem.
ghost documentation surely has an example of runing it from a batch.
probably something along the line:
ghost <imagefilename> <parameters>

george

 

[MoiMeme]

Ghost switches for command line are listed here ( long URL ! copy all of it
and paste into adress bar of browser) :
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPOR...03 for Windows 2000/NT/Me/98/XP&osv=&osv_lvl=

For creating a batch :
just create a text file with .bat extension
it should contain the instruction <ghost parameters > with parameters being
the swtiches needed and source of image file and destination partition ( try
first using GUI interface before to be sure to select correct partition !).
Put ghost files AND batch file AND image file into the root of the CD along
with contents of a DOS bootable diskette ( or at least command.com file)

Autorun can be done simply by putting in the ROOT of the CD an autorun.inf
file ( simple text file) with followinf format and contents ( assuming the
batch file used to restore is called RestPart.bat ( otherwise replace with
correct name)):
[AutoRun]
open=RestPart.bat

That should work.

Phil

 

[dg1261]

First, we're all assuming you're using a decent version of Ghost, such as
v2003 and not that dopey v9. If so, yes, you can use the DOS version and
script the command.

As for scripting the ghost command, study the switches MoiMeme referred you
to. Your command might look something similar to:




ghost -clone,mode=prestore,src=c:\img\FI.GHO:1,dst=1:2 -batch -sure -quiet

(This is just an example I cut-and-pasted from a batch file Dell uses in
their recovery partition. )

Forget the "autorun" CD--that's for launching the CD automatically after
you're already in Windows. Instead, you want a bootable CD--the computer
doesn't boot into Windows, it boots straight from the CD into DOS, where you
can have the autoexec.bat file launch the ghost command.

Will your Ghost image fit on a single CD? If not, swapping disks is an
issue you'll have to deal with. If you can count on DVD drives in all
computers, you could make a DVDR instead of a CDR.

Also, if you've never created a bootable CD, that's a whole 'nuther topic.

Take a look at http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi. That BBS is all
about Ghost and has lots of knowledgeable people who do the kind of thing
you want. Your question is really only peripherally about XP, so for an
extended discussion it will probably be more useful to take this to
radified.com.