So i am just trying out disk imaging for the first time.

I want to make a master XP image with a few extras installed, SP3, Raid drivers, sata driver, maybe a few more things, now i could create a slipstreamed disk which is one way of doing it. How about creating an image though it is faster to instaled.

So if i did say a fresh install of win xp pro, or home, could i then manually add a bunch of Sata and Raid drivers to it and SP3 etc and whatever else(upadtes etc) and hence make a master XP copy to be used on other PCs.

Where would i put the sata/raid drivers so that if i installed this image on another PC these driver would be available if the PC needed them i.e had Raid or whatever?

For exmaple if you do a fresh install of xp then you are prompted to press F2 to load any raid driver but if i created an image would it be enough just to have the drivers in the image somewhere?

Secondly would an image work on a PC different from what the one the image was created no, i.e different hardware?

I just like the idea of using an image as it is faster to install.

cheers.

I use nlite to intergrate stuff on windows builds:

http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

I tend to make ghosts of specific make/models of computers.

Yup best use nlite for slipstreaming disks. Makes the process very simple.

As for ghost imaging. No, the different hardware would make the image deployment fail. It has to be for a specific set of hardware. E.G. Make your Dell optiplex 760 image perfect. Take image. Deploy to many 760's

We use Universal Imaging Utility (http://www.uiu4you.com/) so we only create one image that works arcoss all machines.

We use Universal Imaging Utility (http://www.uiu4you.com/) so we only create one image that works arcoss all machines.

Just signed up for the free trial. Very interesting

Just signed up for the free trial. Very interesting

Same here, tks for tip, looks like they are creating a slipstreamed image.

Another question. For a non image backup, a files and folders backup like ntbackup, without backing the whole registry i.e c:\windows\system32\config in XP how can you backup the registry entries asosiated with the files you are backing up?

I dont see how you could without taking the whole registry as well.

Basically i had a machine that a virus had corrupted beyond reasonable repair to fix it (or to make it worthwhile) but for example we wanted to backup quite a fews apps that were still working and had all their keys still in the registry -also windows was not giving the option to do a repair install of XP from the XP CD setup boot menu, system restore files had been wiped, last know good config wasn't working. Just too many problems. So I thought, backup as much as I can in ntbackup and then reinstall XP and restore the backup.

Then realised (after the ntbackup restore) that although the files and folders are replaced the registry isn't and hence the none of the restored apps that required reg setttings worked as their dlls had not been registered and the paths wouldn't be there.

So you are syaing there is no way to back up apps that have installed registry settings individually?

You either do

a) A working system Image backup (Ghost)
b) A working system Complete drive or part backup in something like ntbackup
c) A raw file(s) backup
d) Backup the entire registry c:\wnidows\system32\config (if XP)

e) But you can't backup selected registry settings

What would you have done in above situation?

I would just grab the keys out of the registry either manually or with an app, flatten it and go again - assuming I had the installation media.