Creating XP Disk Images w/ Company Applications?

-ryan asks: "After a decade as a software engineer, I decided to try my hand at being a System Administrator, to help a friends business. Unfortunately every single computer in this office is on different hardware (all custom built), all running different versions of Windows, and new employees come and go regularly. I'd like to create a single disk image with all of the company software pre-installed and configured to save time setting up new boxes and rebuilding old ones. Problem is, you can't just ghost Windows XP onto different hardware (I remember this working years back). Is there some way that I can (without purchasing hugely expensive 'client-management solutions) slipstream a bunch of company software into a Windows XP install disk?" "I remember trying to set up a system image for XP a while ago, and some machines will boot the ghosted system image with errors about missing drivers (which is easy to fix) but some won't even boot without a BSOD.

If I can pull off a slipstream of my own custom XP install (with applications), I wouldn't mind having to install system specific drivers. The company leadership is very pro Linux and wants to move all of the desktops over, but this year it's not feasible to do such a migration. So until then.... any ideas?"

Comments

Absolutely Possible

[Bryan_Casto]

Ghost can do this. What you want to do is create a "master" computer with all of your applications on it. Then, use SysPrep (Google is your friend) to create an abbreviated install. Once you've run SysPrep, boot into Ghost and make your image.

Re:Absolutely Possible

[TripMaster Monkey]

Yes, but Sysprep depends on all the target computers having identical ACPI support, which I'm betting isn't the case in the submitter's hodgepodge environment.

Using Sysprep on systems with disparate ACPIs yields a target system that BSODs, much like if you just tried to slam an image of the source to it. You need to reinstall Windows on the afflicted system, using the undocumented F5 option during setup to select the proper ACPI, to revive it, and then, you're stuck with having to reinstall all service packs and hotfixes. Not much of a solution.

Unattended is good

[deque_alpha]

I have used unattended with great success deploying several hundred XP installations. http://unattended.sourceforge.net/. It won't let you slipstream an install disc, but it will let you do complete, brainless unattended installs over network, hence the creative name. It has the added benefit of easy long-term maintenance and updates, which is a win over the install-disc or ghosting method.

Universal Imaging Utility

[XCorvis]

UIU was a pleasant suprise for us. We use it all the time and it actually works pretty well. The short version is that it rips out all your hardware information and uses sysprep and preinstalled drivers to automatically detect and install the new system's hardware on the next boot. So basically, you build one computer, run UIU, image it (with Ghost or something) and then dump it on to all the other computers, regardless of their hardware setup (well, not including SCSI or RAID). There usually isn't even any post-install configuration necessary.

Bâshrat the Sneaky's DriverPacks and MSFN

[theCSapprentice]

You can learn how to everything from here:
http://www.msfn.org/board/

Here:
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/ 1/

And here:
http://www.driverpacks.net/Projects/DriverPacks/

Applications, Drivers, Updates - all slipstreamed.

Ghost works fine

[Curien]

I use a single image that operates on Dell GX110, 150, 260, 270, HP DC 7100c, HP xw8000, Compaq 1830 laptop, Dell C500, C510, C600, C610 and D610 laptops, Dell P650 and P670, and Dell Precision M70 laptop. I think that's it, but it's kinda hard to keep track of them all.

The ACPI isn't the biggest problem. The main problem is, astoundingly, the IDE driver.

Here's what you do.
1. Install Windows on a system and then load all the drivers.
2. Set it for Uniprocessor ACPI.
3. Set the IDE driver to the generic driver.
4. Move the drive image to another system (swap hard drives, clone the drive with Ghost, whatever).
5. Boot up, install drivers for new system.
6. Move image to previous system.
7. Set for system-specific IDE driver.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 for each type of system.
9. Move image to last system and switch to system-specific IDE driver.
10. Sysprep and save a Ghost image.

Also, if you're using a lot of different types of systems with GhostCast Server, PXE booting is the only way to fly. Use pxelinux (part of syslinux) with the keeppxe option along with the 3COM universal NDIS driver, and you'll never have to worry about NIC-specific drivers with Ghost again (unless you have a system that can't boot PXE, like my Compaq 1830s -- they're a pain in the ass!) If you absolutely can't boot PXE, use Bart's tools (BFD and BCD) to make a bootable floppy or CD-ROM with all the drivers.

Re:Unattended Installation

[Anonymous Coward]

No you don't. Copy the i386 folder onto the hdd, along with all of the various drivers. Modify the sysprep file in the \deploy folder to include an empty mass storage drivers section. Run sysprep with the bmsd switch and the pnp switch to force hardware detection on first boot. Ghost it. Voila.