Best way to mass replicate new Win2k systems

[dirtboy]

Next month we are going to get in quite a few Win2k systems and a couple Win98 systems. I used to load each system individually in the past and we would only get a couple in at a time. Now I don't have much time.

Luckily many of these systems will need the same base configuration with Win2k, Office XP and whatever other software I put on them. It would be nice to create two or three template systems and then copy or ghost over the entire configuration.

I know this can be done, so I would like to know how others do this. I also realize that I may need to change SID's or computer names, etc and what tools I would need to do these things and what other things I would need to change.

 

[Jhereg]

If you are planning a Windows 2000 network you can create a RIS and have the clients pull down the image.
For RIS : RIS

For General deployment :

Deploy Win2K Pro

 

[aircooled]

Setup one computer the way you want then before imaging it up to your network or CD, run Microsoft System Preperation Tool. This is what gives each box a unigue SID.

I beleive there are newer versions of Ghost Walker that will also give each machine a unique SID.

 

[dirtboy]

Thanks, I'll check into that!

 

[Shadow07]

Yes, but Ghost Wlaker is only used AFTER you have installed the OS. I would STRONGLY use SYSPREP, then "ghost" the system. Make sure that when you use SYSPREP that you also put the -PNP switch as this will run the PnP portion during the Mini-Setup wizard.

If you have any issues, problems, questions regarding SYSPREP, please let me know as I use this practically everyday.

 

[dirtboy]

Ok, thanks! I will let you know if I have any questions when I begin this whole event.

 

[stash]

If the computers have identical hardware, Ghost would be easiest way to go. You only need sysprep if the hardware configurations of the machines are different.

 

[Techwhore]

STaSh, that is true for operating systems other than windows 2000. W2K assigns SIDs which must be removed before making an image... If the SIDs are not removed before the image is made, any machine the image is applied to will become FUBARed, even if it's the same machine the image was made from. That is y you need Sysprep

 

[Shadow07]

Exactly stated TECHWHORE.

 

[DocDoo]

<< STaShIf the SIDs are not removed before the image is made, any machine the image is applied to will become FUBARed, even if it's the same machine the image was made from. That is y you need Sysprep >>


I agree if one were to re-image Win2K to a different PC (hardware), but I have imaged and re-imaged my Win2K install over 6 times without the &quot;SysPrep&quot; and without issues (always on the same PC)!

 

[stash]

Uh thanks for telling me what I already know. What I neglected to post was that you need to run ghstwalk.exe after running ghost. Since I do this process almost everyday at work, I assumed that people would realize that this is a necessary step for any NT based system.

Sysprep, while it does remove the SIDs before taking the image, is still geared more to taking one image and being able to clone many different machines of different types. Ghostwalker is a better SID solution since it changes the SIDs that are already in the Ghost image, rather than removing them completely and trusting Windows to recreate them properly when the system is first booted onto the network after a clone.

Finally, you should go with ghost over sysprep if only for the simple reason that ghost and ghostwalker is a MUCH faster process. A loaded 2000 or NT image usually takes 15 mins at the most to clone (even if its 500 machines) and ghostwalker usually takes less than a minute.

 

[DainBrammage]

SYSPREP is the way to go. but you must remeber that when you run it it not only strips the SID from the computer but the SIDS from the usergroups and the other components as well. so you have to go back and manually create a tem admin acoount and then assign the other user groups access to whatever applications you have installed via the image.