Hi, I would like to be able to have a task that simply boots from the network and creates an exact image of a computer without having to take it out of the domain into a workgroup, then join the domain again when it is done. I do this all the time with Ghost and it is very handy and fast. If the windows is corrupted somehow, this still gets an exact image of the drive and I can retrieve files from the image. I'd also like to be able to capture an image for deployment without going through all of the sysprep functions. Again, I've been able to do that easily with Ghost. Any advice? Thanks!

If all you are talking about is making an image for backup purposes, then sure no problem, use imagex from WinPE. You can then restore the image using imagex, mount it to an empty folder or use a third-party tool (like 7-zip) to expand it or pull files out of it. This is not the purpose of ConfigMgr though and so you won't find a direct path to achieve this using ConfigMgr. Imagex is free and part of the WAIK as is WinPE which are the only tools you really need. Being able to do to something and should do something are two completely different things though. For mass deployment, it is not supported to do anything except use sysprep. End of story. Just because Ghost has a path to do it, doesn't mean Microsoft supports you doing it. http://4sysops.com/archives/why-sysprep-is-an-obligatory-windows-deployment-tool-part-2-unique-sids-are-necessary/ http://4sysops.com/archives/why-sysprep-is-an-obligatory-windows-deployment-tool-part-1-all-the-important-sysprep-functions/ http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2009/11/03/3291024.aspx Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys

Thanks for the links. We used to use NewSid in conjunction with Ghost to avoid sid duplication, but stopped not long after reading http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2009/11/03/3291024.aspx ( referenced in your references). I'd always read that the main problem with the sid duplication was on dcs, and that article was the final nail. I just wish sysprep had better features for company deployment. It seems too set up for OEMs, not for the basic, simple, and easy things we've been doing.

I just wish sysprep had better features for company deployment. It seems too set up for OEMs, not for the basic, simple, and easy things we've been doing. Not sure where you are coming from with this comment. Deployment of Windows is more than just slapping an image down, true, but it really isn't that difficult. ConfigMgr and MDT makes it quite straight-forward and almost easy.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/jsandys/default.aspx | Twitter @JasonSandys