ghosting, do i need sysprep?

  • Thread starter Thread starter paul814
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paul814

I have just setup a brand new DELL PC. It came with Windows XP.
Usually when I get a new Dell it never asks me to activate, this one
did not either.

Anyway, I have configured it with all of my programs, joined it to my
domain, etc.

I have 15 more brand new DELL PC's same exact PC's they were all
bought at the same time. I need to ghost the one I configured onto
these other 15. My question is Do I need to use sysprep or can I just
create a ghost and load onto these other PC's?

thanks
 
paul814 said:
I have just setup a brand new DELL PC. It came with Windows XP.
Usually when I get a new Dell it never asks me to activate, this one
did not either.

Anyway, I have configured it with all of my programs, joined it to
my domain, etc.

I have 15 more brand new DELL PC's same exact PC's they were all
bought at the same time. I need to ghost the one I configured onto
these other 15. My question is Do I need to use sysprep or can I
just create a ghost and load onto these other PC's?
Click to expand...

Do you have a Volume licensed copy of Windows XP you are installing upon
each of these Dell PCs?

If not - then at the very least - for each one you apply the image to- you
should change the product key to whatever is on the sticker for that
particular Dell system. Joining to the domain pretty much gets around the
'same SID' issue - but I's suggest changing that too - to stay consistent.
 
Do you have a Volume licensed copy of Windows XP you are installing upon
each of these Dell PCs?

If not - then at the very least - for each one you apply the image to- you
should change the product key to whatever is on the sticker for that
particular Dell system.  Joining to the domain pretty much gets around the
'same SID' issue - but I's suggest changing that too - to stay consistent..
Click to expand...

No there is no vol. license although each PC has its own copy of
Windows XP (a sticker on the PC). So I would not need a sysprep?

I can change the key to what is on the label, how do I change the XP
key?

What is the SID?...How do you change this? How would I know what to
make each PC's?
 
How to change the SID on a Windows XP computer:
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/docid/1999050308324125

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------


No there is no vol. license although each PC has its own copy of
Windows XP (a sticker on the PC). So I would not need a sysprep?

I can change the key to what is on the label, how do I change the XP
key?

What is the SID?...How do you change this? How would I know what to
make each PC's?
 
Shenan Stanley said:
Do you have a Volume licensed copy of Windows XP you are installing
upon each of these Dell PCs?

If not - then at the very least - for each one you apply the image to-
you should change the product key to whatever is on the sticker for
that particular Dell system. Joining to the domain pretty much gets
around the 'same SID' issue - but I's suggest changing that too - to
stay consistent.
Click to expand...

Why not preserve the OEM pre-activation per
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457078(TechNet.10).aspx
instead? Actually, since all Dell PCs are pre-activated with the same
key anyway, I don't understand why you think the OP should change the
key to the one on the sticker, especially since per that article "In
order to reduce a significant source of piracy, Microsoft has disabled
online activation for COA Keys that are attached to PCs that have been
pre-activated by OEMs."

Regards,

Dave
 
You should in principle run NewSID over each imaged copy, though I often
don't bother. You do not need to sysprep.

HST I would do the imaging prior to joining the domain, otherwise you will
have multiple instances of the same domainmember computer.
 
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