How to create windows XP image with executables and load it into various computers?

Question

I would like to check whether it is possible to create an image that contains all the standard executables (CD/DVD writing software, adobe reader, winrar, windows live messenger or yahoo messenger, antivirus and antispyware).
To do the image I can use Ghost but the problem is that I would like to load this image into computers that have different specs. Some are via, others intel, others sis....
Do you think that if I create three different images for each chipset and then load that particular image, I would be able to have a good OS?
Would an image created on a P4 intel chipset mainboard work on another P4 intel chipset mainboard from a different manufacturer?


Thanks.

Answer 1

Using sysprep
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/c03a5469-ef71-4545-b970-ce2add5e715c1033.mspx?mfr=true
"If you want to roll out applications at the same time that you roll out the operating system, you can include the applications on the disk image. For example, if your organization’s standard computer configuration includes an antivirus program, an e-mail program, and an office suite, you could install and configure these programs on the master installation so that the disk image includes these programs."
With nlite you can deploy some programs - see list :
http://www.nliteos.com/addons/#13

Answer 2

I am assuming of course you have valid licenses for all the copies of windows you are trying to install via ghost imaging.

If you have PCs with different hardware, then the ghost image from a different model will not work. You will need to create a different image for each model PC that you want to use ghost to install the image to. The company I work for uses this method, but we standardize an a few models of hardware for this very reason. If the hardware is different, at worst the image will not boot at all, and at best, it will boot but work very poorly. Even if the machines have the same processor type, if they are different brands/models they probably have very different hardware for motherboard chipset/video/audio/disk controllers/etc. This will cause you all kinds of trouble when you try to use an image from a different manufacturer because all the drivers will be wrong.

Answer 3

To start with, what you are attempting is not legal. Second, it probably won't work unless all of the computers have exactly the same hardware. Windows will see different mac addresses and will not register and therefor will only work for 30 days if it works at all.

Answer 4

I don't think this will work. Ghost doesn't install software, just copy it. If you're trying to *install* these images, you need to write values into the registry (with some care). I'm not aware of a way to do this, but I could be wrong.
I don't think this is illegal; they seem to be all free software.

Answer 5

That sounds mighty illegal...