Symantec Ghost Dilema

Hello,
I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an answer. We just
installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client that would like to
refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an orginal version of that XP
PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the students will be
doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is over we would like to
restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The problem that comes
up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's own individual
product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem with symantec ghost.
The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16 different images to
load back especially when at some time I have to apply product updates or
add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep with ghost somehow
but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf files. Has anyone come
across this problem?
Thank You,

Henry
Fri Nov 28 18:27:45 CST 2003

You may want to look at something like the
HDD SHERIFF 2000

http://www.hallogram.com/hddsheriff/

Cheap and effective solution to Rolling back an O/S Setup.

Used them in dev/test Labs for a few years now and they work well.

--
Henry Craven.

========= Post It Appropriately: ============
SBS 4/4.5 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz
SBS 2000 : microsoft.public.backoffice.smallbiz2000
SBS 2003 : microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
=====================================

"Joe Bucar" <jbucar@marxware.com> wrote in message
news:e9iOJ$ctDHA.3144@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Hello,
> I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an answer. We just
> installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client that would like to
> refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an orginal version of
that XP
> PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the students will
be
> doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is over we would
like to
> restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The problem that
comes
> up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's own individual
> product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem with symantec
ghost.
> The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16 different
images to
> load back especially when at some time I have to apply product updates
or
> add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep with ghost
somehow
> but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf files. Has anyone
come
> across this problem?
> Thank You,
>
>

Mark
Sat Nov 29 11:02:37 CST 2003

If the machines are identical, then you only need 1 image....Bring it back
to virgin state and then sysprep and you can use it on all. It isn't a big
deal.

--
Sincerely,
Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I 4&2000
www.MCSE2000.com
www.AppLauncher.com



"Joe Bucar" <jbucar@marxware.com> wrote in message
news:e9iOJ$ctDHA.3144@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Hello,
> I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an answer. We just
> installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client that would like to
> refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an orginal version of that
XP
> PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the students will be
> doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is over we would like
to
> restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The problem that comes
> up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's own individual
> product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem with symantec
ghost.
> The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16 different images
to
> load back especially when at some time I have to apply product updates or
> add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep with ghost somehow
> but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf files. Has anyone come
> across this problem?
> Thank You,
>
>

dilltech
Mon Dec 01 14:09:42 CST 2003

Mark,

Is there an article where I can read about sysprep.
Currently I have created a "virgin" computer and need to
clone (6) more.

I have created a Symantec Ghost Enterprise image, but find
that ghost explorer errors out when trying to display the
contents of the image for verification.

Does Sysprep replace Ghost?

thanks

Rickd

>-----Original Message-----
>If the machines are identical, then you only need 1
image....Bring it back
>to virgin state and then sysprep and you can use it on
all. It isn't a big
>deal.
>
>--
>Sincerely,
>Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I
4&2000
>www.MCSE2000.com
>www.AppLauncher.com
>
>
>
>"Joe Bucar" <jbucar@marxware.com> wrote in message
>news:e9iOJ$ctDHA.3144@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> Hello,
>> I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an
answer. We just
>> installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client
that would like to
>> refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an
orginal version of that
>XP
>> PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the
students will be
>> doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is
over we would like
>to
>> restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The
problem that comes
>> up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's
own individual
>> product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem
with symantec
>ghost.
>> The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16
different images
>to
>> load back especially when at some time I have to apply
product updates or
>> add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep
with ghost somehow
>> but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf
files. Has anyone come
>> across this problem?
>> Thank You,
>>
>>
>
>
>.
>

Sean
Mon Dec 01 14:53:41 CST 2003

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/deploying/introduction.asp

This should have all the info you need for your sysprep questions.

HTH,

Sean


"dilltech" <support@dilltech.com> wrote in message
news:020b01c3b847$0e6eff50$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> Mark,
>
> Is there an article where I can read about sysprep.
> Currently I have created a "virgin" computer and need to
> clone (6) more.
>
> I have created a Symantec Ghost Enterprise image, but find
> that ghost explorer errors out when trying to display the
> contents of the image for verification.
>
> Does Sysprep replace Ghost?
>
> thanks
>
> Rickd
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >If the machines are identical, then you only need 1
> image....Bring it back
> >to virgin state and then sysprep and you can use it on
> all. It isn't a big
> >deal.
> >
> >--
> >Sincerely,
> >Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I
> 4&2000
> >www.MCSE2000.com
> >www.AppLauncher.com
> >
> >
> >
> >"Joe Bucar" <jbucar@marxware.com> wrote in message
> >news:e9iOJ$ctDHA.3144@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> >> Hello,
> >> I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an
> answer. We just
> >> installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client
> that would like to
> >> refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an
> orginal version of that
> >XP
> >> PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the
> students will be
> >> doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is
> over we would like
> >to
> >> restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The
> problem that comes
> >> up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's
> own individual
> >> product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem
> with symantec
> >ghost.
> >> The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16
> different images
> >to
> >> load back especially when at some time I have to apply
> product updates or
> >> add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep
> with ghost somehow
> >> but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf
> files. Has anyone come
> >> across this problem?
> >> Thank You,
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Mark
Mon Dec 01 21:01:58 CST 2003

sysprep is used with ghost, not in lieu of it. Also, the drive needs to be
basic (at least the version I have). The order is setup a computer (no
accounts created!) and run sysprep /noreboot and then image the drive.

--
Sincerely,
Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I 4&2000
www.MCSE2000.com
www.AppLauncher.com



"dilltech" <support@dilltech.com> wrote in message
news:020b01c3b847$0e6eff50$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> Mark,
>
> Is there an article where I can read about sysprep.
> Currently I have created a "virgin" computer and need to
> clone (6) more.
>
> I have created a Symantec Ghost Enterprise image, but find
> that ghost explorer errors out when trying to display the
> contents of the image for verification.
>
> Does Sysprep replace Ghost?
>
> thanks
>
> Rickd
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >If the machines are identical, then you only need 1
> image....Bring it back
> >to virgin state and then sysprep and you can use it on
> all. It isn't a big
> >deal.
> >
> >--
> >Sincerely,
> >Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I
> 4&2000
> >www.MCSE2000.com
> >www.AppLauncher.com
> >
> >
> >
> >"Joe Bucar" <jbucar@marxware.com> wrote in message
> >news:e9iOJ$ctDHA.3144@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> >> Hello,
> >> I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an
> answer. We just
> >> installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client
> that would like to
> >> refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an
> orginal version of that
> >XP
> >> PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the
> students will be
> >> doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is
> over we would like
> >to
> >> restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The
> problem that comes
> >> up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's
> own individual
> >> product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem
> with symantec
> >ghost.
> >> The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16
> different images
> >to
> >> load back especially when at some time I have to apply
> product updates or
> >> add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep
> with ghost somehow
> >> but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf
> files. Has anyone come
> >> across this problem?
> >> Thank You,
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Mark
Mon Dec 01 22:22:28 CST 2003

Mark, when you clone to another machine you need to use sysprep to supply
the machine name and product key. What about the windows activation? Note
the following.

----
Product Activation with Retail Media
Windows Product Activation is designed to work with drive imaging products
that are available from third-party manufacturers. You can use the Sysprep
utility that is included with Windows XP to reset activation up to three
times.
----

If the machines are rebuilt each quater/semester what about the three time
reactivation limit.

MEB


"Mark Mancini" <info@NOSPAMmcse2000.com> wrote in message
news:OB5PYqptDHA.640@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> If the machines are identical, then you only need 1 image....Bring it back
> to virgin state and then sysprep and you can use it on all. It isn't a
big
> deal.
>
> --
> Sincerely,
> Mark Mancini, CCA, CCNA, Master CIW&CI, CNE 4&5, MCSE+I 4&2000
> www.MCSE2000.com
> www.AppLauncher.com
>
>
>
> "Joe Bucar" <jbucar@marxware.com> wrote in message
> news:e9iOJ$ctDHA.3144@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > Hello,
> > I have a situation that I am trying to come up with an answer. We just
> > installed a SBS Y2K server for an educational client that would like to
> > refersh the XP PC's after every semester with an orginal version of that
> XP
> > PC. There are a total of 16 PC's in this class and the students will be
> > doing class work on these PC's. When the semester is over we would like
> to
> > restore the PC's with an original image of the PC. The problem that
comes
> > up is since the pc's have Windows XP, each pc has it's own individual
> > product key and in my mind this make cloning a problem with symantec
> ghost.
> > The PC's are all identical and I do not want to make 16 different images
> to
> > load back especially when at some time I have to apply product updates
or
> > add other software. I was thinking about using sysprep with ghost
somehow
> > but I do not see how I would use 16 different inf files. Has anyone
come
> > across this problem?
> > Thank You,
> >
> >
>
>