OT: Cloning WinXP Pro installs ....

[ThomasW]

I'm basically really lazy, so forever I've just deleted the Enum key in the Windows 98 registry and thrown in the new MB and away we'd go......

But I was told that was not possible with XP. So the search was on........

The results have been fruitful. I'm not using the Home version of XP, so I don't know if this technique will work for it. But I've used it successfully with XP Pro.

Go into the device manager and set the IDE controller setting to dual channel ATA. Also set the display to a 'generic' setting.

Now follow the instructions below regarding 'RESEALING' XP

Solution 5; Microsoft SYSPREP:

There is a SYSPREP tool on the XP CD.

You will need to extract files from the Windows XP CD, files are located at CD:SUPPORTTOOLS in a cab file called DEPLOY.CAB. The files are Sysprep.exe and Setupcl.exe. Extract these files to the same folder.

With the old motherboard still in the system:

You run sysprep.exe and tell it to "RESEAL" Windows XP. Note that it will shutdown the PC when it completes the reseal process.

Now pull out the old MB, install the new one and fire up the machine. It re-activates Windows XP and populates the device manager list.

You do need to re-activate with the same key-code.

Since this technique has been so successful; I now keep a spare HD with all my major software preinstalled as a backup. I clone this drive and use it when I setup a new PC, or change out the MB in an existing PC.

Unlike some MB changing techniques, this doesn't result in dual entries in the registery, and it works when there are drastically different chipsets on the motherboards.

Hope this helps ..........

Regards
Thomas




theAudioWorx
Klone-Audio

[JonMarsh]

This is a very useful trick to have dug up-

I wonder if you could "reseal" a drive this way, then plug it into a running system as a secondary drive, and backup the image using my Acronis True Image to make a delpoyable image for restoring a PC in the household? Obviously, at least the current drive copy should cover backing this up, too.

Still, this is a great way to be able to have an installed configuration which can be used to restore to different computers quickly in the event of a hardware problem.

In Microsoft Knowledge base article 302577, the use of SYSPREP is documented for creating deployable images; obviously, that must be the intent, to provide the functionality which by default existed without special measures in WIN2K. It must be an issue with the activation and copy proteciton stuff, I bet.

Thanks for passing on these tips.

Regards,

Jon




Earth First!
_______________________________
We'll screw up the other planets later....

[ThomasW]

Just a guick update. First the process works with XP Home and the files are on the CD.

Second the Reseal process can be used in 'safe mode'.

I had a CPU fan seize. That of course fried the CPU, and damaged the MB. This wasn't an anticipated experience

Out of despair I loaded the hard drive into a different MB and booted into safe mode. From there I was able to extract the appropriate files to a folder and reseal the drive.

It was then installed in a completely different MB and ran perfectly.

FYI the chain of MB's where this HD was installed in was, an old Abit K7, then a MSI nforce, then into new Albatron. That speaks well for the Reseal process..




theAudioWorx
Klone-Audio

[Andrew Pratt]

Thanks for the follow up Thomas.

[aud19]

Absolutely good to know!

Jason




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[JonMarsh]

Gigabyte: It lives....

Well, here's to re-sealing and un-sealing! :5:

You'd think we were talking about fine bottles of wine, huh? :T


It went pretty smoothly; the only glitch was that although the new MB had ATA133 built in (necessary for the Maxtor 160GB drive I have), it didn't want to come up properly with the onboard controller; had to pop the Maxtor supplied PCI adapter in a slot, and set it up for boot like a SCSI adapter. I also turned off the on-board audio and for now the unused RAID controllers, so they wouldn't be scanning during boots, looking for drives.

Once that was done, it came up normally like it was a brand new system that you had to enter your Key code and personal data; breezed through that (had the forethought to check the key data before re-sealing), it re-booted, and started up normally.

At that point I popped in the new MB CD, installed the various drivers, re-booted, and checked the config. All drivers looking good, and I'm back on the network with my original configuration.

Running Office 2003, it detected the change in configuration, and insisted on re-activation. No problemo. My protected CAD program, OTOH, was happy wtih things as they are (maybe since it's still the same HD and same key code for XP), and runs fine.

Mission accomplished.

Oh, and no graphics problems at startup like the old ASUS MB. (same video adpater, same drivers)

~Jon