SYSPREP for Dummies: Download and run process has me flummoxed

[beezer000]

Apologies to the assembled masses for asking what is likely a very
basic question:

I have been told to run sysprep as a prelude to cloning my hard disk.
My current HD is being replaced under warranty, and I want to shove
everything back onto the new HD the same way it was on the failing HD.
I am using Acronis True Image Home on my Dell 4700 running WinXP Home
SP2.

My feeble brain understands that the reason for running sysprep is to
remove specific identifiers which could hamper the ability to move an
image of my entire HD to an external USB HD, then back to the newly
installed HD

I am feeling like the idiot de jour in trying to do this. I have been
able to download the deployment tools CAB from Microsoft. But am very
about confused where to go from there. Some of the literature tells me
to create a Sysprep folder on my root C: drive and extract sysprep.exe
and setupcl.exe to that folder. Microsoft tells me to be certain that
sysprep.inf sits in the same folder as sysprep.exe. I am confused
about where to get or how to generate the sysprep.inf file.

At some point, my addled brain imagines that I double-click on
sysprep.exe and respond to some prompt with -mini. But that may not be
the path to true enlightenment. Another source tells me to Run-->cmd
and do everything in a DOS mode.

This can't be this hard. But it is for me. Any gentle advice on a
cookbook approach to running sysprep is most gratefully accepted.

Best for the season,
Brian
Beezer000thewordatgoesheregmaildotcom

 

[Bob I]

Read this article
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=418

 

[Cleve S.]

Brian,

First, make sure you really need to run SysPrep. SysPrep is usually used
with an image to prevent duplication of certain key identifiers, the
computer's SID for one. If you're only replacing the drive you should be
able to make an image of the old drive on your external drive, then restore
it to the new drive. Everything stays the same.

If you really need to run SysPrep: create a C:\sysprep folder and copy
factory.exe, setupcl.exe, setupmgr.exe, and sysprep.exe into it. Run
setupmgr.exe and answer the questions, this will create sysprep.inf. Run
sysprep.exe, this will setup SysPrep and shutdown your PC. The next time
you start the PC it will start the new setup.

You can run Sysprep on the old drive and make an image after it shuts down.
Or, this is the way I'd do it, make an image of the old drive, transfer it
to the new. Then make the SysPrep folder on C:\ and run SysPrep if
necessary. This way you have a clean image in case things mess up.

Cleve

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: <[email protected]>

| Apologies to the assembled masses for asking what is likely a very
| basic question:
|
| I have been told to run sysprep as a prelude to cloning my hard disk.
| My current HD is being replaced under warranty, and I want to shove
| everything back onto the new HD the same way it was on the failing HD.
| I am using Acronis True Image Home on my Dell 4700 running WinXP Home
| SP2.
|
| My feeble brain understands that the reason for running sysprep is to
| remove specific identifiers which could hamper the ability to move an
| image of my entire HD to an external USB HD, then back to the newly
| installed HD
|
| I am feeling like the idiot de jour in trying to do this. I have been
| able to download the deployment tools CAB from Microsoft. But am very
| about confused where to go from there. Some of the literature tells me
| to create a Sysprep folder on my root C: drive and extract sysprep.exe
| and setupcl.exe to that folder. Microsoft tells me to be certain that
| sysprep.inf sits in the same folder as sysprep.exe. I am confused
| about where to get or how to generate the sysprep.inf file.
|
| At some point, my addled brain imagines that I double-click on
| sysprep.exe and respond to some prompt with -mini. But that may not be
| the path to true enlightenment. Another source tells me to Run-->cmd
| and do everything in a DOS mode.
|
| This can't be this hard. But it is for me. Any gentle advice on a
| cookbook approach to running sysprep is most gratefully accepted.
|
| Best for the season,
| Brian
| Beezer000thewordatgoesheregmaildotcom

If you are merely cloning drive to drive fore the SAME computer there is absolutely NO
reason to run SysPrep !

SysPrep is a security Identifier (SID) stripper. It is meant to configure a source PC that
will be cloned to numerous other (same model) platform in an enterprise/corporate
environment. Thereby all cloned systems will end up with unique SIDs.

This is not the case in "...HD is being replaced under warranty...". Running SysPrep is NOT
warranted !