Win98SE Image For Multiple PC's?

[Skillz]

I've always been working with Windows NT/2k/XP, so my knowledge of Win98 is limited.

Is it possible to make a "Full installation" of Win98SE and then make an image of it,

so I would be able to place that image of the full installations on multiple pc's with

different Hardware?

I do have an image of XP, sysprepped and everything, but I don't know if that (or something similair) is possible with Win98...

[tim_horton]

id be interested in similar ived used qualystem to make a image but its a rescue disk 4 current hardrive not really tranferrable to other pcs with diff hardware.i need a diskless image cd that utodetects hardware.

[Skillz]

Over 100 views and nobody has an answer?

[jelev]

U can do it if all PCs have same hardware

[Skillz]

There IS a "sysprep" utility for Win98 and it's called "Image Preparation Tool"

with this tool (and Ghost) you would be able to place a Win98 Image

on pc's containing different HW

There's only one problem...I can't find the "Image Preparation Tool"

The tool is from MS and I would be really happy if someone

could/would provide me this tool

[Skillz]

I just found out that the "Image Preperation Tool" is distributed in the package "Windows NT4 Deployment Tools"...

Anyways, you can download the package here:

Edit: Updated bad url, works now

[Stone-D]

9x isn't as unfriendly regarding multiple installations as NT/XP. Install, clean-up, arrange, tweak, Winzip it.

Extract/copy contents to a fresh hard drive, then slam it in. It will re-detect all the hardware, no problem. Been doing this for a few years now, no probs.

If you're using different hardware and you're keen on minimizing registry fluff, purge the devices via safe mode before copying. If you don't, it won't cause a problem.

*edit*

Every comp at work has a clone of my home 9x installation running either as main or dual-boot emergency.

[eidenk]

Extract/copy contents to a fresh hard drive, then slam it in. It will re-detect all the hardware, no problem. Been doing this for a few years now, no probs.

Changing Hard Drive this way has been no problem for me but I wouldn't say the same with motherboards where each time I finally had to reinstall the OS from scratch.

purge the devices via safe mode before copying.

What do you mean there ?

Next time I'll have to upgrade hardware I'll try preptool to see if it does work how it is claimed.

[Stone-D]

Under a normal boot/startup, the 'device manager' you get in 9x will only display entries whose hardware is still connected/present. Under safe mode, every piece of hardware the OS has known about is displayed.

For example, if you switch monitors or get a new graphics card, the old device is still there but as a ghost.

When copying to a different PC with a different mobo, 9x will do the detection thing from scratch.

The system boots using VGA mode for the display. It then detects everything and prompts for drivers. Several reboots will be needed, but it will eventually finish.

The only potential problem area I can see is moving from an APM based to an ACPI based system.

[Skillz]

The Image Preperation Tool also removes all the installed hardware and provides the possibillity to create/use an MSBATCH.INF file in which you can put additional info like countrysettings and userinfo/machine name.

After you have run the Image Preperation Tool and created an Image (with Ghost),

win98 will start with a nice mini-setup option, just like XP does with using sysprep.

[ssmokee]

The Image Preperation Tool also removes all the installed hardware and provides the possibillity to create/use an MSBATCH.INF file in which you can put additional info like countrysettings and userinfo/machine name.

After you have run the Image Preperation Tool and created an Image (with Ghost),

win98 will start with a nice mini-setup option, just like XP does with using sysprep.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The sysprep util you linked to earlier specifies its for NT4. Is this really what you used for 98se? Ive done a single 98se image using ghost and moved it to computers with very different hardware configs with success, but using a different method.

The only potential problem area I can see is moving from an APM based to an ACPI based system.

To avoid that I install the master image using APM instead of ACPI. When installing use "setup /p i", and note there is a space between the "p" and "i".

[InTheWayBoy]

I saw this earlier and am playing with it now...the file has two versions inside...NT and 98. Now obviously you would use the 98 one, and you basically do just like sysprep and XP. Install, configure, run preptool.exe, and then image. Right now I'm testing the mini-setup part...very nice. Can't believe I never came across this!

[tariqmudallal]

I'm new here. But where is the Image Preperation Tool in the Windows 98 First Edition (FE for short) CD???

[submix8c]

It's the same one and is a defunct download (not found). Here's the archived web page, but the file no longer exists.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060202235929/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=08ed83b9-b34b-4397-a23f-a6b51f0d9f9b&DisplayLang=en

[jumper]

WIN_DEPLOY.exe