30 laptops - want them all the same

TriedandTested

TriedandTested

TriedandTested

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Purchasing a number of new laptops for work, all to be the exact same make/model etc. Now, my idea is to get one laptop exactly how i want it (network, applications, etc) and then duplicate that to all the others. What would be the best imaging software to do this and how would it be done if they weren't, at that stage, connected to the network?

Or am i looking at this wrong? Suggestions would be great.
 
This is how I do it -

1. Set one laptop up exactly as needed, including all software, updates etc.
2. Sysprep the system (to remove the windows serial).
3. Remove the hard disk and slave it into a desktop system, and ghost an image on to bootable DVD (with a copy of ghost on it).
4. Run above DVD on each machine.

Downside being you have to enter the windows cd key for each one for the first time.

Probably better ways of doing it but thats how we do it (not often) at work.
 
thats a decent way to be fair

another way is to use the corporate version of ghost and run a multicast session

this could clone all the machines all at once

you would need to get symantec ghost suite (corporate version)

the machines clone over the network so you start a sessions on the server

place the floppy disk or cd in each laptop and connect to the session.

when they are all connected press "send" on the server

if you are using a decent switch the packets are send to the mulicast address on the switch so you can clone 30 in the same time as one
 
If it a one of build, and you are not doing it again, build the first, clone it, dont bother with sysprep, dont activate it.

clone the image, and then change the product key via the activation wizard. you have 30 days from the first install to do it.
 
DustyMiller said:
If it a one of build, and you are not doing it again, build the first, clone it, dont bother with sysprep, dont activate it.

clone the image, and then change the product key via the activation wizard. you have 30 days from the first install to do it.
Click to expand...

Then you'll have 30 computers with the same SID. That can cause problems if you're on a domain. Definately Sysprep it imo.
 
i would use ris (never used it with vista though). I prefer to script the lot though rather riprep it but it takes a lot more time.

But it could be pretty powerfull as long as you keep ontop of updates, and management are impressed when the "top" salesman comes in and has broke his laptop ad he can get a new one fully updated within an hour
 
Thanks for the suggestions - it's interesting to know what methods people use, but Ghost seems to be the app of choice - shame i've never used it. It is easy to manage in a Win2k3 environment?

I presume you can save the image to a shared network area, use a bootable floppy/cd and point it towards that image? Do the laptops, and therefore the first laptop you setup, need to be on the network first?

Thanks again.
 
Ghost is king in a corporate enviroment

they can be on a workgroup or on a domain, sysprep does this for you if you use the mini setup when you ghost it. You can specify a domain or workgroup in the answer file. As above RIS could also be a big help here as well

Tried&Tested said:
I presume you can save the image to a shared network area, use a bootable floppy/cd and point it towards that image? Do the laptops, and therefore the first laptop you setup, need to be on the network first?
Click to expand...

I do exactly that for the desktop machines in my place
 
Ghost is easy off a CD/DVD, networking it however can be a PITA.

Unless you boot it in a Windows PE environment you will be messing about with DOS drivers.

Do what the #2 post suggests and don't forget or skip the sysprep stage. Use a corp version of Windows too.

RIS is king but you don't need that hassle for 30 machines. If it is 30 this week and another 30 the week after etc then it would be worth it. Besides, Ghost is much faster.
 
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