Setting up a Computer Lab

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I work with a Technology Specialist at a local elementary school and
the lab is getting all new computers in about 30 days (yeah!).

My question: what is the best/easiest/fastest method we can use to set
up all of computers, i.e. the hard drives?

Although the lab is networked for printing and Internet sharing via T1,
there is no server that can be used for drive imaging, etc. I was
thinking along the lines of possibly using Drive Copy, if it can be
used via Direct Cable Connection, or something like that. I'm thinking
that there has to be a way, even without a network server, to copy the
contents of one fully-loaded, perfected hard drive to identical drives
in the lab and avoid installing all those apps/drivers, etc. on each
machine.

Any ideas? Thanks for your help!

 

[Jerry]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Some reading material could help:

Windows XP Booklist

Microsoft Windows XP Inside Out 2nd ed ISBN 0-7356-2044-X
www.microsoft.com/mspress
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit 3rd ed ISBN 0-7356-2167-5
www.microsoft.com/mspress
Microsoft Windows Command-Line ISBN 0-7356-2038-5
www.microsoft.com/mspress
Windows XP Pro 2nd ed The Missing Manual ISBN 0-596-00898-8
www.missingmanuals.com
Windows XP in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition ISBN 0-596-00900-3 www.oreilly.com
Windows XP Annoyances for Geeks, 2nd ed ISBN 0-596-00876-7 www.oreilly.com
Windows XP Hacks, 2nd ed ISBN 0-596-0000918-6 www.oreilly.com
Windows XP Solutions ISBN 0-7645-6773-X www.wiley.com/compbooks/pcmag
Windows XP Speed Solutions ISBN 0-7645-7814-6
www.wiley.com/compbooks/pcmag
Guide to Home Networking ISBN 0-7645-4473-X www.wiley.com/compbooks/pcmag
Hacking Windows XP ISBN 0-7645-6929-5 www.TweakXP.com

Downloadable Guides

XP Tweak Guide (TweakGuides_XPTC.zip) from www.TweakGuides.com
Windows Registry Guide (registryguide2003.exe) from www.winguides.com
Error Message for Windows (MSWinErr.zip) from www.gregorybraun.com

The BIOS

The BIOS Companion ISBN 0-9681928-0-7 www.electrocution.com
Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier ISBN 0-13-145536-2 www.rojakpot.com

PC Hardware in a Nutshell ISBN 0-596-00513-X www.oreilly.com

"Dianne Aldridge" <d2aldridge@ev1.net> wrote in message
news:1122346125.705953.168890@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>I work with a Technology Specialist at a local elementary school and
> the lab is getting all new computers in about 30 days (yeah!).
>
> My question: what is the best/easiest/fastest method we can use to set
> up all of computers, i.e. the hard drives?
>
> Although the lab is networked for printing and Internet sharing via T1,
> there is no server that can be used for drive imaging, etc. I was
> thinking along the lines of possibly using Drive Copy, if it can be
> used via Direct Cable Connection, or something like that. I'm thinking
> that there has to be a way, even without a network server, to copy the
> contents of one fully-loaded, perfected hard drive to identical drives
> in the lab and avoid installing all those apps/drivers, etc. on each
> machine.
>
> Any ideas? Thanks for your help!
>

 

[David]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Shouldn't your "Technology Specialist" know the easiest methods to do this?
It's not really rocket science if you have any level of certification... I'm
guessing if your specialist doesn't know how to do this, it's time to get a
new specialist.

How to use Sysprep to automate successful deployment of Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;302577&sd=tech

David, B.Sc., MCP, MCSA, MCSE

"Dianne Aldridge" wrote:

> I work with a Technology Specialist at a local elementary school and
> the lab is getting all new computers in about 30 days (yeah!).
>
> My question: what is the best/easiest/fastest method we can use to set
> up all of computers, i.e. the hard drives?
>
> Although the lab is networked for printing and Internet sharing via T1,
> there is no server that can be used for drive imaging, etc. I was
> thinking along the lines of possibly using Drive Copy, if it can be
> used via Direct Cable Connection, or something like that. I'm thinking
> that there has to be a way, even without a network server, to copy the
> contents of one fully-loaded, perfected hard drive to identical drives
> in the lab and avoid installing all those apps/drivers, etc. on each
> machine.
>
> Any ideas? Thanks for your help!
>
>