ghosting, do i need sysprep?

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 wrote:
> 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?

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.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

On Jul 6, 9:45*pm, "Shenan Stanley" <newshel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> paul814 wrote:
> > 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?
>
> 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..
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> * * *MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

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...99050308324125

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

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

<paul814@excite.com> wrote:

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" <newshelper@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:OgaqXM93IHA.2336@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> paul814 wrote:
>> 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?
>
> 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.
>

Why not preserve the OEM pre-activation per
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...chNet.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.

--------------------------
"This is a wonderful computer. It''s 20yrs old and absolutely reliable.
And, in all that time it''s only had four mobos, six processors, two cases,
seven OS''s ...."


"paul814@excite.com" wrote:

> 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
>