Ghost or Drive Copy Windows XP PC...

[jcdugger]

Hello everyone!

At my workplace, we have just ordered (and received) 15 new Dell pc's pre-loaded with Windows XP Professional. We are wondering, is it possible to set up one of the pc's just like we need it to (with programs installed for the particular department receiving the pc's), and Ghost (or Drive Copy) the pc to the other 14? If the answer is yes, that we can do this, how does Ghost handle things like the Windows Serial Number (and/or Product Key) and the Dell Service Tag Number? On the side of each pc, there is a sticker from Microsoft indicating it's unique Product Key and a sticker from Dell indicating it's unique Service Tag Number. If we Ghost one pc to another, wouldn't those numbers be overwritten also? And if so, is it a good idea to Ghost pc's in that manner? If we ever needed Support from Dell, wouldn't they have a problem with the Service Tag in XP not matching that on the side of the cpu? How can we get past this issue?

Thanks!

JD

[LooseChippings]

Have you got a multi user license or individual licenses for each PC?

Being as they are new PCs ask Dell about the Service Tag Numbers, after all you are paying them for a service.

[Play_The_0dds]

i did this with my systems, i used drive image to make a bootable cd installer of the os on the machine i setup, since all the machines were identical it installed fine, had to change the name and description of each machine, which i would have done anyway, kept the product key for each machine by using a product key veiwer and just put it back in the machine it came from, as for the dell product number, it has nothing to do with the operating system. it saves alot of time by installing everything on one machine then when everything is perfect, copy, + you have a excellent backup of the operating system. if all the machines do not have identical hardware the ghost/image of the system may not work at all or well. email me at known_criminal@msn.com add subject product key, and i will email you back the key viewer and instructions how to change it back to the orriginal. if you type the address, it is known_criminal, the link hides the underscore.