Best Network Ghost method?

[Lex]

I need to do a network ghost whereby i copy a computers configurations i.e image onto a server and back over the network to mutliple machines simultaneously.

What is the best method to use?

Remote Installation Services? The I.T Consultant who works for the company i work for says he's tried and fails and doesn't know anyone who's successfully got it working.

My roll is I.T Administrator/hardware & software Engineer. I've set RIS up myself and ive stumpled across an issue with the network adapater. Now i'm finding it some what difficult to get across this block but someone please tell me that RIS is successful method of deployment or recommend me another solution please.

 

[Lex]

This network adaptor problem is really jarring me tho. its a known problem but no matter what the resolution it still keeps appearing on the client machine.

anyone know anything about ris who can help?

error message:

"The operating system image you selected does not contain the necessary drivers for your network adapter. Try selecting a different operating system image. If the problem persists, contact your administrator. Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit."

When the client machine loads it spots the ris server and attempts to grab the imaage but right after you enter the username/password it displays the above message. hELP!

 

[Lex]

You need to put the drivers for the nic in 2 locations, in the OEM folder, and the winnt (or it could be winnt\system32 i can't quite remember)

During the inital startup of windows, the process looks in that location for network drivers, and uses them to connect to the RIS server, (yeah it stumped me at first), would have though it would be clever enough to look in the oem folder that you create for extra drivers but ho hum.

so let me get this straight. i put the nic drivers in the image folder (on ris server) and in the default windows folder in winnt or system 32? When you say put the nic drivers do u mean copy the nic folder that contains the drivers or take the files out and put them accordingly? sorry i have to be specific i want to rid all possible problems that im causing.

if your on messenger that would help me oh so much make my xmas if i could get this working.

 

[Lex]

MSN in trust, but i mean you need to put the actual files (not the folder) into the winnt fodler that's created by the RIS service (ie the one that is used to the RIS installation)

surely if i created the image FROM the client machine that included the network adaptor which i then uploaded that image TO the RIS server. Surely that image already has the network drivers for that same client machine as its the same image.

 

[Lex]

How did you upload it to the server using RIS?

A RIS server only pulls down an xp installation not creates it.

well yes it creates it but how does it create it....on the client machine i run RIPrep.exe from the RIS server.

this basically uploads the configurations the customisations of the client OS that you've made rather than the basic OS setup.

 

[Lex]

Nah it's a bit silly (iirc) it sets up the $oem$ folder for you, but you still need to MANUALLY put the drivers into the winnt\system32 folder (Again i can't remember if it's just winnt)

okay i will have to give that a go. what is with the "$" that suggests that folder is invisible?

im gonna try it this evening.