Guys/Girls,

First of all, apologies if this is in the wrong forum. Has anyone got any tried and tested tips on the best way to deliver windows xp client images in a windows 2003 Active Directory environment? e.g. SMS, RIS or GHOST. Any feedback gratefully received.

We use Ghost along with an application called Universal Imaging Utility.  You can check them out at http://www.uiu4you.com/

After many months of finding and troubleshooting various problems with imaging XP systems, I finally came up with a procedure that works for both our domain and our Windows update box.  So as a cover-all procedure I use this to make a Symantec Ghost image for each machine type or setup that I have to roll out. I use only local administrator / domain administrator accounts to do the work before I hand the system over to the user. Also note - we purchase many of the same models at a time with valid XP/office licenses so that aspect is covered.

1 - Install XP and update, install apps, config, etc....joining domain if I have to get to network resources (99% of the time I do not need to join the domain)

2 - If joined domain, remove from domain, reboot, run #1 batch file 

3 - make my ghost image to another HDD (I use ghost 2003)

4 - when deploying image, on first boot, I run a program called NewSID  - generate random SID, rename PC all in 1 shot, reboot

5 - run batch file #1, join domain, reboot

6a - run batch file #1 and #2

6b - very important if you use power settings - we always had problems with these sticking with users (who can't set power settings) until I figured this out

- you must log in the first time on that machine to the domain as a domain admin and set the power settings... then it will be set for all users who log in later

7 - reboot and AD installs/ update box picks everything up

Batch #1

regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll

Batch #2

reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v AccountDomainSid /f
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v PingID /f
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate /v SusClientId /f
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv
wuauclt /resetauthorization /detectnow

I put the 2 batch files on the local admins desktop to help speed up the rollout later.

I've imaged over 400 PCs in the past few months and it was very frustrating how things wouldn't work correctly every now and then. 

It takes me about an hour and a half to do the initial install and setup, about 10 mins to make my master image

When I roll out, takes about 6 mins to make the clone and configure it, joining the domain, etc.

I hope this helps..