VISTA HOME BASIC INSTALL DVD FOR AN 8 PC NETWORK SETUP

[Andylxi]

In our Language School we have a Multimedia Language Lab (allowing the school
students to access through user name and password an internet platform to do
the exercise work after each class lesson).
This system uses Windows Vista Basic as operating system and is based on a
802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN.

I wonder if:
1. It is possible to create a Vista Install DVD allowing – in case of
serious problems with the hardware on one PC – to format the hard disk and
reload the Operating System, Configuration, Programs and LAN configuration
(not exceeding 2 or 3 GB of disk space for the image) just by loading the
Install DVD, without the need for calling any expert to solve the situation.
I have to explain that recently a similar situation occurred and it took
three hours of an expert’s time to reload the whole configuration and
programs on the PC concerned.
2. If the answer to the above point is yes, what are the simple steps to
follow to achieve what described at above point 1.

Thanks to everybody for your help.

 

[Malke]

In our Language School we have a Multimedia Language Lab (allowing the
school students to access through user name and password an internet
platform to do the exercise work after each class lesson).
This system uses Windows Vista Basic as operating system and is based on a
802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN.

I wonder if:
1. It is possible to create a Vista Install DVD allowing ? in case of
serious problems with the hardware on one PC ? to format the hard disk and
reload the Operating System, Configuration, Programs and LAN configuration
(not exceeding 2 or 3 GB of disk space for the image) just by loading the
Install DVD, without the need for calling any expert to solve the
situation. I have to explain that recently a similar situation occurred
and it took three hours of an expert?s time to reload the whole
configuration and programs on the PC concerned.
2. If the answer to the above point is yes, what are the simple steps to
follow to achieve what described at above point 1.

You're going about this the wrong way. What you want to do is create an
image of your perfect install, with all your programs, printers, network
stuff, etc. Then all you need to do is restore the image when things go
wrong, making the fix a matter of minutes.

Store the image(s) on a server or an external hard drive, whichever suits
your situation. I like Acronis True Image products. Look at their
Enterprise products if the workstations have different hardware and/or if
you want to restore from the server.

Malke

 

[IkidUnot]

That is definitely good advice. I believe that Norton offers very good
academic pricing on their Ghost product. This may also be an option to
consider.

 

[Andylxi]

I have been given the information that Vista has a somehow hidden utility
that avoids the use of external software for image making like Norton Ghost
or ather SW.
This is the reason why I am trying and finding some specific instructions to
use the Vista IMAGEX COMMAND.
Thanks for your help anyway.

 

[Steve Pearce]

I have been given the information that Vista has a somehow hidden utility
that avoids the use of external software for image making like Norton Ghost
or ather SW.

That information is wrong.

 

[Malke]

I have been given the information that Vista has a somehow hidden utility
that avoids the use of external software for image making like Norton
Ghost or ather SW.
This is the reason why I am trying and finding some specific instructions
to use the Vista IMAGEX COMMAND.
Thanks for your help anyway.

That isn't true. Imaging Vista with TI works just fine. I can't speak for
Ghost since I don't have it but I expect the latest version works well,
too.

Malke

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Ghost works fine.

 

[Andylxi]

THE POINT I AM TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT I CAME ACROSS A MICROSOFT TECHNET
REPORT WITH TITLE "IMAGEX AND WIM IMAGE FORMAT" BY JERRY HONEYCUTT THAT
STATES PRIMARILY THAT "File based disk imaging is a core capability of
Windows Vista" AND AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT "...Windows Vista ... will come
with a built-in disk-imaging tool: ImageX".
THE SITUATION OF MY NETWORK IS THAT IS A WIRELESS NETWORK WITHOUT SERVER, SO
FOR MY CASE THE IDEAL SOLUTION WOULD BE TO MAKE AN IMAGE ON DVD OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL PC WITH THE CONFIGURATION OF THE PC AND OF THE WIRELESS NETWORK
POSITION WITH ADDRESS, ETC., AND OF THE FEW PROGRAMS LOADED ON THAT
INDIVIDUAL MACHINE, SO THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE MACHINE, AFTER FIXING
THE PROBLEM I WILL BE IN THE POSITION OF RELOADING THE DVD IMAGE GETTING BOTH
THE PC RECONFIGURED, THE PROGRAMS RELOADED AND ITS NETWORK LOCATION
RECONFIGURED AS WELL, HOPEFULLY SAVING A LOT OF TIME.
IF THE ABOVE IS FEASIBLE (WITH WINDOWS VISTA HOME BASIC) - GIVEN THE FACT
THAT I AM NO COMPUTER EXPERT - I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS ON
HOW TO DO THE ENTIRE DVD IMAGING WORK.
THANKS.
___________________________________________________________

Ghost works fine.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/

That isn't true. Imaging Vista with TI works just fine. I can't speak for
Ghost since I don't have it but I expect the latest version works well,
too.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

 

[Malke]

THE POINT I AM TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT I CAME ACROSS A MICROSOFT TECHNET
REPORT WITH TITLE "IMAGEX AND WIM IMAGE FORMAT" BY JERRY HONEYCUTT THAT
STATES PRIMARILY THAT "File based disk imaging is a core capability of
Windows Vista" AND AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT "...Windows Vista ... will come
with a built-in disk-imaging tool: ImageX".
THE SITUATION OF MY NETWORK IS THAT IS A WIRELESS NETWORK WITHOUT SERVER,
SO FOR MY CASE THE IDEAL SOLUTION WOULD BE TO MAKE AN IMAGE ON DVD OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL PC WITH THE CONFIGURATION OF THE PC AND OF THE WIRELESS NETWORK
POSITION WITH ADDRESS, ETC., AND OF THE FEW PROGRAMS LOADED ON THAT
INDIVIDUAL MACHINE, SO THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE MACHINE, AFTER
FIXING THE PROBLEM I WILL BE IN THE POSITION OF RELOADING THE DVD IMAGE
GETTING BOTH THE PC RECONFIGURED, THE PROGRAMS RELOADED AND ITS NETWORK
LOCATION RECONFIGURED AS WELL, HOPEFULLY SAVING A LOT OF TIME.
IF THE ABOVE IS FEASIBLE (WITH WINDOWS VISTA HOME BASIC) - GIVEN THE FACT
THAT I AM NO COMPUTER EXPERT - I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS
ON HOW TO DO THE ENTIRE DVD IMAGING WORK.
THANKS.

Shouting doesn't change my answer to you. Make images of your systems with
True Image or Ghost, store the images on a hard drive (you don't need a
server) and you'll be able to restore your computers in a matter of
minutes. Mr. Honeycutt's article apparently refers to deployment in a large
organization and in addition is not applicable to Windows Home Basic.

End of story, end of thread for me since I'm not interested in being shouted
at.

Malke

 

[Stephen Petrowski]

anylxi with out any hasle just go get a work order to buy a copy of windows
vista basic and use it when the computers get mess up

Stephen Petrowski

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Sorry, you're misreading the article. This is NOT a command you can use as
a Vista user. If you're part of an OEM or corporate environment you need to
check with your Microsoft source to obtain the toolkits that contain it.

 

[IkidUnot]

Shouting doesn't change my answer to you. Make images of your systems with
True Image or Ghost, store the images on a hard drive (you don't need a
server) and you'll be able to restore your computers in a matter of
minutes. Mr. Honeycutt's article apparently refers to deployment in a large
organization and in addition is not applicable to Windows Home Basic.

End of story, end of thread for me since I'm not interested in being shouted
at.

Good advice indeed!
You don't need anything special. Carry the external drive around to each
computer, and make an image (or use a DVD, like you said you would). I've
not used TrueImage before, but I'll assume it is functionally similar to
Ghost. Here's why this is simpler than using Vista's built in capabilities:
When a computer goes down, if you had used Vista to make the image, what do
you have to do?
1) Perform a basic install of Vista, so that you have access to its restore
function,
2) then perform the restore - yuk!
Compare this to...
If you had used another package to create your system images (and I know
this is true with Ghost), all you do is:
1) plug in the external drive,
2) put in the CD and let the PC boot from it,
3) restore the image of that PC from the external drive (you choose "where"
the backup is stored when the software runs from the CD).
Done. How easy is that? You wanted minutes? Go ahead and count how long a
basic install of any version of Windows takes. Now thank the man for good
advice. IMO even if you don't choose to use it, it's good advice, and is
truly quick and easy.

More reasons that this is useful:
Using a hard drive also allows you to renew your images of each station.
Their configurations (and certainly their contents), won't be static, so
instead of writing a new DVD each time, use a hard drive. You can overwrite
each PC's image, or (and this is smart), maintain two or three levels of
images before overwriting them. This way, if the latest image is bad
(unusual) you have the next to last one to fall back on. Also, as I said
before, Norton does give generous discounts for Ghost to academic
institutions. If you're eligible, you can get yours for $10 each. This is
quite a bargain, and makes it easy to be legal! Add to that a 500Gig
external drive for around $140 and you truly have a low-budget-compatible
solution. Even if you need more storage, a 1TB drive is in the $200-&-change
range. And it's more flexible and less wasteful than using DVDs (got to be
green). You don't need an ultra-reliable drive. Most of the time it will be
off, so the failure likelihood is VERY small.
Please let us know what you think.