Imaging Windows 7

[Migration User]

I was looking for instructions for imaging Windows 7. I've searched the forums but only found bits and pieces. What I'm trying to do is build a master image using the Nortonghost boot disk. When I create the image then download it to another computer. The image just blue screens out. both computers are the same. I'm currently using norton ghost 2.5 with all updates. any help is appreciated.

[Edward Tippelt]

Do you mean you have Ghost Solution Suite 2.5?  Norton Ghost is a different product aimed at the retail market, and the link to the Norton community can be found at the top of this forum.

Are you using a KMS server to manage serial keys?  Or do you have a volume license MAK key?

[Migration User]

Sorry for the confusion. Yes, I'm using Norton Ghost Solution Suite 2.5.  No I am not using a KMS server. I have a volume license.

[Edward Tippelt]

There is no such product as NORTON Ghost Solution Suite. The Ghost Solution Suite product is a corporate product badged as Symantec, whereas the Norton Ghost product range (based on different technology to GSS) is intended to serve the retail market.

First of all, check that you have run LiveUpdate to bring the version to 11.5.1.2266 as this version is required for Win 7 support.

Then confirm that you are using a WinPE boot disk rather than PCDOS, as the latter does not support SATA devices which are now standard in currently shipping hardware.

Are you sysprepping the image before deployment? 

Are your computers all the same model?  If not, how are you accommodating the different driver requirements? (eg Deploy Anywhere)

Are you aware that Windows 7 consists of two partitions and both are needed for successful booting.

[Migration User]

I'm using Symantec Ghost Solution Suite. Yes I have run all updates. My Current version 11.5.0.2113. I will rerun to bring it up to the version you specified.

all computer are the same. Yes I did sysprep the image. yes I am using WINPE. I'm able to image SATA drives. yes, I am aware that there are two partitions. It seem that GSS will only image one partition at a time. I'm unaware of how to get it to image two partitions.

after rerunning live update is says all products are up to date. Is there another way to get GSS up to the proper version?

[Edward Tippelt]

If you cannot get it to 2266 via LiveUpdate, check the sticky posting at the top of this forum for information on how to contact support.

[Migration User]

My Symantec Ghost Solution Suite  is now updated to 11.5.1.226.  I would like to know how to image computers with Windows 7 both for my stand alone machines and for machines that have the ghost boot partition loaded. As stated  above I have searched the forums but I only find bits and pieces. I'm unable to find the whole process for imaging Windows 7.

[Migration User]

if you want both partitions, just do a disk backup.  It will take the full drive, and leave the partitions in it.  If you wanted to image just the partitions, one after the other, you would need to do 2 tasks.  I agree, annoying that you cannot have a task list where it only succeeds if all steps work

[Migration User]

if you are using the Console in the ghost solution suite, it will overwrite the partition anyway.  It ends up using a virtual partition.  This is nice, since if the console restore fails, it can keep pinging back to your ghost server and you can restart the task.

What part of the imaging are you unable to figure out?  Creating the master?  Sysprep?  getting the GHO file?  Restoring the GHO file for Windows 7 from the console?  More than one of the above?  Just trying to help

[Migration User]

Thanks so much for your reply. I'm mainly having problems creating a master image. It doesn't pull the second partition that is required for Windows 7. I'm not sure how to pull the second partition. I'm using the Ghost Cast server to create and image and download it back to similar (same) computer. This is the main problem I would like to solve first. Simply creating an image and dropping down to another computer.

I would also like to use the Ghost Console to create and restore images. We have several classrooms that need to be imaged. Sysprep seems to work a little differently in windows 7 than it did for xp. I would previously take a sysprep file from my xp computer and store it on my Ghost server. Then connect that sysprep file with a task and image my computer. I don't know how to do this for Windows 7.

[Migration User]

I found the easiest way to Sysprep in Win7 is to call SYSPREP with an unattend file from within windows, and tell it to shut down.  Then reboot with a boot CD and capture it.  This will cause the restore to do sysprep once it boots up for the first time after the restore

for example: 

sysprep /oobe /generalize /shutdown /quiet /unattend:c:\tech\unattendedskip.xml

calls the "out of box experience", tells it to shutdown when the sysprep preperation is done.  /quiet says to not show a GUI to the user, and /unattend feeds it a custom unattend.xml file (which you specify) to answer the questions.  This was made in the WAIK