Anyone have experience with Symantec Ghost?

[Stormtrooper77]

In particular Symantec Ghost 8.2 (or Ghost Solution Suite 1.1?).

I have HP dc7700 Convertible Mini Towers as machines. The server is Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

I can capture an image to the local machine but the settings I made from the source machine are not being retained.

The image is stored locally on a hidden partition. This way imaging is a lot quicker than imaging from the server.

Before I get more into details, I'll see if anyone know about this software.

Thanks.

 

[genericuser]

Hmm.. Sounds to me like you are trying to reverse engineer things.

Here's how I do things.
1. Boot off of NIC to an RIS server to install base OS. You can also use a windows CD if that is your bag.
2. Configure machine (software, windows shell etc)
3. Establish a default profile by copying configured profile to "default user" profile in windows.
4. Copy sysprep utility (a built in windows deployment tool) and preconfigured answer file to imaged machine. Run sysprep, reseal, and use the option for mini-setup so you can establish a unique machine name when you deploy the image.
5. Run a ghost-server session from your local machine or from a ghost server. You actually can create an RIS boot that will lead you directly to a ghost server.
6. Capture image.

It sounds complicated, but that's the way to go.

 

[theurgy]

I prefer to use a Linux based application called Partimage.

 

[Stormtrooper77]

Hmm.. Sounds to me like you are trying to reverse engineer things.

Here's how I do things.
1. Boot off of NIC to an RIS server to install base OS. You can also use a windows CD if that is your bag.
2. Configure machine (software, windows shell etc)
3. Establish a default profile by copying configured profile to "default user" profile in windows.
4. Copy sysprep utility (a built in windows deployment tool) and preconfigured answer file to imaged machine. Run sysprep, reseal, and use the option for mini-setup so you can establish a unique machine name when you deploy the image.
5. Run a ghost-server session from your local machine or from a ghost server. You actually can create an RIS boot that will lead you directly to a ghost server.
6. Capture image.

It sounds complicated, but that's the way to go.

That does sound complicated. See, I received no training on Ghost except on how to capture and deploy and image. I only know one way to do this. The way I'm doing it coincides with what the manual says.

I can capture the image fine. It's just that when I reimage from the local machine my settings are not retained.

Here are my steps below:

- image source machine with the usb hard drive. It contains a gov't image that is XP SP2. As I understand, it runs sysprep, etc.

- log in to machine as local admin

- install updates, etc.

- configure folder views

- join to domain...reboot

- log back on as local admin

- grant admin rights to user1...log out

- log in as user1

- install programs (including Ghost Client), set folder views...log out

- log in as user2 (not admin) to set its credentials on computer and receive updates for users account...log out

- log back in as user1...log out

- capture image to server (the machine is removed from the domain before the capture)

- create local hidden partition on source machine

- push image from server to local hidden partition

- create new task on Ghost Console (server) to image from local hidden partition. SID setting is set to be changed.

After imaging locally, I will log in as local admin to see if the folder views are still set. The tell tale sign that the settings did not take are, well, the folder views are not set. I am still stuck at this point as to why.

I've initiated the task from all 3 accounts (local admin, user1 and user2). I've also tried initiating the task from the Console and the same result.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I've tried Symantec and they seem to not know. Well, I don't seem to getting any help from their support forum.

 

[genericuser]

see, that's what the sysprep utility does. It preps it to be joined to the domain before you do the image, so all you have to do when the image is done loading is join the machine to the domain.

using sysprep would eliminate a lot of your frustrations.

it sounds to me that the folder views aren't being set correctly because you aren't creating a default profile.

 

[Stormtrooper77]

The machine gets joined no problem. I run a join script that is included in the task.

The only problem I have is the settings. How do you create a default profile? (probably something I already know but can't think of right now)

 

[genericuser]

quick and dirty way is to create another admin account (we'll call it admin 2 from now on), restart the computer, log in as admin2, right click on my computer, go to advanced and user profiles, (make sure you are showing hidden files and folders), and copy the original administrator's account to "c:\documentsandsettings\defaultuser"

Log off admin2, restart, log in as the first administrator and delete admin 2's account and profile.