Slightly Off Topic : Windows Imaging

[Craig White]

On Fri, 2006-02-10 at 15:52 -0700, Derek Neighbors wrote:
> I am curious what people out there are using for Windows Desktop 
> Imaging.  We sadly still have about 25 windows desktops to support (we 
> are halfway off the evil empire).  One issue is that Windows degrades so 
> quickly that it becomes easier to re-install every few months than try 
> to support the craziness that ensues.  We have been looking at something 
> like Ghost, but aren't much impressed.  Someone mentioned G4U which 
> looks promising, but it would be great to hear what others are using.
----
What? the Linux guy is taking on Windows System Administration?

References to the evil empire are rather pointless - if you are gonna
tame the beast, you are gonna have to learn the rules and love it.

Ghosting images isn't gonna work for a number of reasons...you are going
to have to add a step before you 'Ghost' the image...that is available
from Microsoft called SysPrep - find it at Microsoft.com and it's
generally in Win2K & WinXP Service Packs and CD's

The point of SysPrep is to remove the identifications such as SID's and
installation codes so that you have an install that doesn't have the
same serial #'s on things because that isn't going to work.

Probably the better idea is getting closer to a Linux loop mount of an
install image that is slipstreamed (has all updates) because unlike an
image that has been 'SysPrepped' and then 'Ghosted', you can have a
variety of hardware (motherboard/video/audio/RAM/etc.) combinations that
will be installed.

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

Check this out.

My suggestion is that if you don't know how to do this stuff, hire
someone to set it up for you...it will be worth it.

Craig