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Using SysPrep for Disk Duplication

To use SysPrep as part of the disk duplication process, the following requirements must be met:

• The master and destination computers must have compatible HALs. For example, HAL APIC and HAL MPs (multiprocessor systems) are compatible, whereas HAL PIC (Programmable Interrupt Controller) is not compatible with either HAL APIC or HAL MPs.
• The mass storage controllers (IDE or SCSI) must be identical between the master and destination computers.
• Plug and Play devices such as modems, sound cards, network cards, and video cards do not have to be the same, but drivers for those devices should be available.
• Third-party software or disk-duplicating hardware devices are required. These products create binary images of a computer's hard disk, and they either duplicate the image to another hard disk or store the image in a file on a separate disk.
• The size of the destination computerÆs hard disk must be at least the same size as the master computerÆs hard disk. If the destination computer has a larger hard disk, the difference is not included in the primary partition. However, you can use the ExtendOemPartition key in the Sysprep.inf file to extend the primary partition if it was formatted as NTFS.

Note

If the master and target computers have different BIOS versions, you should test the process first to ensure success.

When using SysPrep for Disk Duplication, SysPrep modifies the local computer security identifier (SID) so that it is unique to each machine.

To prepare a master computer for cloning

1. Install Windows 2000 on a master computer. As a best practice, it is recommended that Windows 2000 be installed from a distribution folder using an answer file to help ensure consistency in configuring the master computer so that iterative builds can be created and tested more readily. (See Unattend.doc for information on automating Windows 2000 setup using an answer file.)
2. Log onto the computer as administrator.
3. (Optional) Install and customize applications (for example: Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer favorites).
4. (Optional) Run audit tests.
5. (Optional) If desired, create a SysPrep.Inf file manually or with the aid of SetupMgr.exe. This file is used to further customize each computer for the user and helps to set the amount of information for which the user will be prompted during Mini-Setup.
6. Run Sysprep.exe. Make sure that both the Sysprep.exe and Setupcl.exe files exist together in the %SystemDrive%\Sysprep folder on the local hard disk. When used, the Sysprep.inf also needs to be in the same folder or on a floppy disk that is inserted when the Windows 2000 startup menu appears.
   

   Important   If Setupcl.exe is not in the same directory as SysPrep.exe, SysPrep will not work.

7. If the computer is ACPI-compliant, the computer will shut down by itself. If not, a dialog will appear stating that it is safe to shut down the computer.
8. Take out the system drive and follow your procedures for duplicating the system on other computers. You must have special equipment or software for duplicating hard disks.

After a duplicated hard disk is inserted into a computer, when the user turns the computer on, the following happens:

1. Plug and Play detection occurs; this takes approximately three minutes.
2. The Mini-Setup wizard runs to prompt users to:
• Accept the EULA
• Enter their name and organization
• Join a domain or a workgroup
• Specify regional options information
• Specify TAPI information
• Specify desired networking protocols and services to install.



Note

If a Sysprep.inf file was used when running Sysprep.exe, only the dialogues omitted in the .inf file are presented to the user. If display settings are omitted, the default settings will be used instead.

3. The local SysPrep folder containing Sysprep.exe and Sysprep.inf on the %SystemDrive% is deleted.
4. The computer restarts and a logon prompt is displayed.