[Ghost installs and automation]

question: any special reason to hack around with newsid.exe instead of using sysprep?

also, if you use sysprep/minisetup there should be an option to automatically choose different names for the PCs, not only the autogenerated ones. You have to build some sort of data source though, binding some hardware ID to a specific name. IIRC

Have to read the XP deployment docs again.

Weird, I dont know where I got the idea with autoassigning usernames. The deployment docs dont say anything about this, so it's autogenerated names or all the same or wait for user input.

Well we just have never used sysprep. We have many differant setups with apps and settings and we generally just make an image for a classroom and some for faculty exactly as it needs to be, and image that bad boy, lable it according to the system it is, and put it on the network. All using ghostcast server of course.

It nice how we can zap an image to an entire lab and all that needs to be done is rename, reboot, resid reboot, join domain, log on as teacher or student.

If only I could automate that further I could just sit back and watch or do other labs. It takes about 30 mins or longer to do all that after a fresh image rollout.

I thought sysprep would require me to reenter XP Keys, printers, etc.

Also we name our computers specifially by area-room-computerid

EX: J-M-205-7800 (Jackson-Main-room205-computerID)

Maybe I am missing something with sysprep???

[Ghost installs and automation]

Hey guys I need a bit of help.

On a school campus I have computer images created in Ghost for differant types of systems (Dell optiplex 755, Gateway 4500d, etc)

Normally when I reimage a class environment of 20+ computers, this is what happens...

Mass deploy the image to 20 + workstations using ghost cast server

All computers then boot up with the same name.

log in as admin

Rename the computers one by one

Reboot

Log back in as admin

run newsid.exe

Reboot

Log in as admin

Join domain

Reboot

Log in as student user

Is there any way I can edit one of my ghost images so that I can automate most of this?

It sure would be nice to have a lot of auto renames, logins, and sid generations.

Any help is greatly apprieciated.

[Help AVG Antivirus 7 free edition silent switch]

Big fat BUMP!!!