Advice on Windows 7 image install

[BroncoBob9]

I need some advice. I currently create and update our company images. Up until recently, this was accomplished by creating Ghost images and distributing them on bootable USB hard drives. (some hard drives booting DOS, newer larger drives booting Win PE).

We are now using Dell's Image Builder and having Dell pre-image our PCs. I can download the image that I created (and Dell modifies) from Dell's site in the form of 3 ISOs. I can then copy these ISOs to a bootable hard drive.

What I need is a suggestion on a program that will load these ISOs onto the PC's hard drive like Ghost does.

-Bob

Edited March 30, 2011 by BroncoBob9

[cluberti]

I'm not familiar with the Dell tool, but what format are the images in? If they're WIM files, you can deploy them with WinPE from WDS. If not, see if they can be deployed from a bootable WinPE image over the network (Dell should be able to answer this).

[IcemanND]

I would think you should be able to copy the contents of the ISOs to a USB device. You will have to replicate the booting environment form the CD/ISO to the usb device. Shouldn't be too difficult.

[marcusj0015]

you should look into using Windows AIK and WinPE to deploy your images, support is built into windows, and that's what everyone on this forum, and many more use, we can't really help if your using something none of us have ever used before

[Carty]

Another idea;

Get an evaluation PC (or one of the first in the rollout) pre-imaged by DELL. Image this PC, boot to PE/Acronis/Ghost and create your own image. Don't allow the DELL image to commence the install procedure.

CONS: you won't be able to alter the image, ie add upgrades or new software to the image, unless you have a method of bringing the PC back to a Pre-System image ie: like a fresh PC from DELL.