XP pro image creation

Hi, sorry for not knowing the rules of the start, my question is

I have about 100 xp pro machines that I would like all to have the same image.
I have all identical hardware from Dell they are sending me a machine that I can install all my apps and create an image. I need to make sure that the users that access the apps only have users rights before I create this image, and that all the apps will work is this possible and how can I create an image that will likely be bigger than 1 cd. I have
Nortan System works 2003 with Ghost on it WIll this work for me?
if so and the system I am imaging doesnt have a cdrw where can I put the image whilst it is being made.

Thanks

welcome to ozzu

my first recommendation is to never use system works. It takes over
windows' functions and doesn't allow it to handle it's own problems.

Using ghost is great for a lot of reasons, and you rpurpose is definitely
one of them. Here's a discussion we've had about it before -
http://www.ozzu.com/viewtopic.php?t=495

I try to keep things simple with admin. If I don't need to fight with user
rights and permissions, I don't bother. But to answer some of your
questions, here's what I've found from my own experience.

In terms of the user permissions, there are a few things to clear up. Are
you running a domain? and if so, are you applying any policies from the
domain level?

I don't believe the image will carry over the domain level policies, and if
you create a profile for a domain user, it's not going to carry over once
you join a domain with a new user. It's going to make a whole new
user profile once you join the domain and ingore any settings you've set
locally before doing so.

I do this here at work, and the most efficient prodecure I've found is to
create the image from a ready to go local workstation, and just have as
little of domain routines as possible. I can set up a new user from a fresh
image in 10 min, the first of which is to get the pc on the domain.

For applications, you're just going to have to trial-and-error what you
need, and see what permissions matter. If you're joining a domain, then
it won't matter for the image, you won't be setting these until
afterwards. I just keep a checklist for what I need to change and set.

Ghost is setup in wizard format, so you really shouldn't have too many
issues with what you need. You can choose whether to burn the image
to cd or to an image file on the network. I've done both ways, and it's
just as easy either way. The nice thing about the cd, is you carry it with
you and pop it in without needing a network connection. Whereas, the
other way around, the nice thing is you don't necessarily need a cd rom.

To burn to cd, and it requirs more than 1 cd, it will just pause and ask you
to pop in a new cd and continue. For one of our departments, we have
a 6-cd image to load. Works like a charm and saves us network disk
space.

Hope this helps.

Great this helps
so is the systemworks ghost no good. ?

I thought it might be the same software.

thanks

well, system works and ghost are definitely 2 different pieces of
software. I was just saying that using system works itself is cause for a
lot of trouble in my experience. If it came with ghost, then it's probably
the full version and I wouldn't think it would be a problem to ignore
the rest of the suite.

Glad I could help. Good luck with it.

sorry one quick question Do I need to use sysprep.
I was told I dont want to have all the sids the same. I do want to be able to change the machine name and account once booted.

Not sure on using these two together
Thanks

That's really up to you if you want to do all that. I personally have never
run into a problem with SID's, but I'm sure it's worth the concern.

If you plan to do a lot of them at one time over the network, and it
sounds to me like you will, then I would probably use sysprep too.

I dont really plan on doing this. I am creating an image to give to dell
so I dont have to image them all when they get in. Is this the basic rule of thumb install apps and config the os how you want it. take the HD
our of that machine put it in another as a slave that has GHOST running on it and create the image to cdrw which I have.
so basically I am imaging the e: drive being the second hd in the machine that I want imaged.

does this sound about right??

i'm sure that would work, but it's a little bit of extra work.

why not just image it to a network drive, then burn it? would save you
the time and effort of swapping HD's.

either way, i'm sure it would be fine