Small Clone Question - Ghost 7

[rraehal]

I have an annoying problem with ghost and thought I would ask your opinions.

I use Ghost 7 (Corporate Eqiv of Ghost 2004) and make disk images all the time. I have Windows 2000 and XP Images that I currently maintain. My Windows 2000 image still fits on a single disk. My XP image currently requires one DVD or 2 CD's. I use the 2 CD method because we have several machines that do not have DVD drives and I have no interest in spending around $3000 to buy DVD drives for all my computers (Figured at $25 a machine).

My 2 CD's work perfect in some machines and not others. For example: I created the CD's in a Precision 340 Dell and Ghost other 340's and it works perfect so I know the CD's are okay. I also can install the same image on Precision 220 and Optiplex GX240. Seems to be a 50/50 chance that it works on these desktops. I install the dell mobile utilities and also place the image on our new Latitude D600 laptops.

If the Ghost image loads on the PC, it will either work fine or it will give me an error stating the isapnp.sys file is corrput and I need to repair my installation.

My image currently works properly on 24 different Dell models as long as I do not get the error above. I never have this problem with the DVD image. Does any have any idea why I get this error with the CD's? I have set ghost to only use 650 MB.

[dajogejr]

Are the CD ROM Drives in these Dell's all the same brand? (Hitachi, Mitsibishi, etc.)

I had over a 100 Dell Lattititude CP, CPi, in the stable years ago.

We used Ghost and NT 4.0. It always fit on one CD.

However...even though they were the same series...if memory serves me correct....the Hitachi's liked certain media...the Mitsi weren't so picky.

Take a couple out, see who make's 'em..

Also...RR...have you thought about a ghost server solution.

With that many at your disposal...you might be better off with a Network Ghost Boot disk and a multicast server.
Any old Pentium box will do...

Just a thought

[rraehal]

Corporate office will not allow us to install a Ghost server. This is the route I would have preferred. We have a 500 user license for Ghost and all the server software - just are not allowed to do it.

All of the Desktops have an NEC drive of some type. The laptops have all kinds of different brands.

Currently I am using a DOS boot disk with USB Mass Storage Driver sthat allows me to use my external DVD Burner as a CD-ROM drive. The copy is Slow at 89MB per min and 2.1GB. Almost 25 Minuets to do one system, but still faster than full install.

It seems that the age of the system does not matter. I installed the 2 CD Ghost image on my home PC as a test. Windows booted up and after performing initial setup (Domian, Username, CD Key etc...) Windows Ran fine on a non dell system. No problems at all.

[dajogejr]

That's too bad.....

I'd segregate off a slice of network, dedicate it to the mulicast...awww heck.

Yeah, I swear by Ghost at work and home...but, since we only buy 5 new PCs a quarter, and still have about 40 to 50 whiteboxes...I just use a spare hard drive laying around, disk to disk clone once I create the first image on the quartely batch...

Try different media, see if that helps, RR.

[slam]

just curious why are they concerned about having a ghost server?

[rraehal]

I will try different media. The only reason this is going to bug me is that we are getting ready to roll out Windows XP to all of our users. Could be a bummer to need to ghost some machines multiple times or perform a slow copy - it would take weeks to complete.

The corporate office wants to control access to everything. We have 4 servers. Our primary controller, a mail server, and two backup controllers at remote offices. They set everything up to a standard and if we change it they have this fear that the world will come to an end. Our servers are exactly the same as other remote locations except the user accounts and data files.

I see no real point to it other than they do not want us to install any extra software, services, etc.. on any server to maintain their standard. If I create a ghost server, they would shut it down and their policies state I would be terminated. We use a program that inventories every PC - hardware, software, data. It keeps track and violations in policy are corrected. It makes sense to me, but make things difficult.

[dajogejr]

Wow...glad they dont' crank down on me that tight...I'd would've been fired eons ago...

I can understand policy and proceedures, but...a little leeway would be nice.

I'm sure if a computer geek installed AIM, they'd be fired.

Let an SVP do that...and, they won't even get a slap on the wrist...

Office politics, gotta love 'em.

[rraehal]

Originally posted by dajogejr

I'm sure if a computer geek installed AIM, they'd be fired.


When MSN or AIM or other disallowed programs are installed, scripts are used to remove the common ones automatically. If it is not a common program where we have a script, the IT manger gets an e-mail and we are told to remove it manually.

Most of this started because our corporate policy didn't allow us to install critical updates. We got a virus in the company and the entire world wide network went down for three days. Now there is paranoia like I have never seen.

[slam]

what program do you use for the inventory. That would be useful for me since I currently manually check for stuff like that. Also what are you using for the scripts.

[dajogejr]

I use Audit WIzard V4.

On my domain, I just put a simple .exe file into the log on scripts...and it's done.

Takes about 10 minutes per PC...running in the background. Works quite nice!

[rraehal]

We have a program called Marimba. It is Java based application that is installed to all systems from a logon script and can be ported among systems. I guess it will be mroe power ful once we convert all of our systems to XP and migrate to active directory.

Marimba can be used to run any script file needed. We use a lot of VBS (Visual Basic Scripts) and Batch files. It can be used to install applications, update applications, and remove applications in a user or machine profile set on the server.

The VBS scripts are the easiest since Windows 2000 and XP have native support for these scripts.