Sysprep alternative?

[usil]

Does anyone know of a sysprep alternative? I am looking into Acronis Snap Deploy but I am not 100% certain that it is the same thing.
Basically what I need is a program that will allow me to install a new computer with the drivers, updates, programs etc. then image that computer and redeploy it on systems which have different hardware. Sysprep allows this but it doesn't work well with XP Home. So are there any other programs which will do this?

[HAN]

Would New SID work? http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb897418.aspx
There is a note at the website that it's not "officially" supported but it was written by MS employee Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell. I consider Mr. Russinovich a genius when it comes to Windows, so if anyone can do this, IMO it's him.

[usil]

New SID won't do it, because it only changes the SID but doesn't handle the part of using different hardware.

[HAN]

Sorry, once I read Sysprep, my mind kind of jumped over the hardware part. I've never considered Sysprep as an alternative to handling image deployment for different hardware.

Have you tried out Snap Deploy? I know Symantec's Backup Exec System Recovery and ShadowProtect Desktop claim to be able to do hardware independent restoration but they can be pricey...

[usil]

Sysprep claims to be able to handle different hardware which is what makes it so attractive to me. One image for different types of hardware can save me countless hours of installations. It's a shame that it didn't work properly on XP Home though.

I just finished trying Snap Deploy, although it wasn't a good test. I basically made an image through Snap Deploy and installed that image on the same computer that I made it on. So the test is pretty much useless. I basically wanted to learn how to use it. Tomorrow, I will be building a slightly different computer and will try the image to see if it works. I have serious doubts that I did it all the right way though. I'll keep you posted if you are interested.

[HAN]

Yes, keep us up to date. Who knows how many of us might wish to transfer our "stuff" to a new machine without starting over completely...

[nbauer]

I would highly, HIGHLY recommend Universal Imaging Utility. It is the only real hardware independent imaging utility. It works in conjunction with any cloning software program, and deploys your base image to any platform, desktop/laptop, regardless of manufacturer. With guaranteed ROI-the time and money savings are incredible.

[usil]

I would highly, HIGHLY recommend Universal Imaging Utility. It is the only real hardware independent imaging utility. It works in conjunction with any cloning software program, and deploys your base image to any platform, desktop/laptop, regardless of manufacturer. With guaranteed ROI-the time and money savings are incredible.

I had a look at their website. While it looks interesting and tempting, I would not pay $20 per computer image. That's a ridiculous price if you ask me. I'm not really sure why I would have to pay per seat as opposed to a one time payment for the program.
Thanks for the suggestion in any case.

[nbauer]

It may not be just right for your particular environment, but several of the people I know who have used it for years (one has 250 seats the other over 1000) have seen an immediate and significant return on investment in the first year alone. They are able to spend much more of their time being proactive and working on other projects rather than hundreds of hours on deployment especially when they get new hardware in. Just wanted to make you aware of it. Like I said, it has to be right for your environment. Good luck with everything anyway.

[usil]

It may not be just right for your particular environment, but several of the people I know who have used it for years (one has 250 seats the other over 1000) have seen an immediate and significant return on investment in the first year alone. They are able to spend much more of their time being proactive and working on other projects rather than hundreds of hours on deployment especially when they get new hardware in. Just wanted to make you aware of it. Like I said, it has to be right for your environment. Good luck with everything anyway.

You are absolutely right. I'm not doubting it's capabilities, but as a small local store and repair lab, I can't afford to pay $20 on every new system that I sell or fix. I appreciate your input in any case!