Help me deploy Vista on a network using ghost and an answer file

[hoffstetter]

Hey,
I'm a student/intern working in the networking labs at my community college and we're trying to deploy vista to all the lab computers.
Our plan is:
1. create master install with updates, office, and all the other programs the classes use
2. run sysprep and gost an image onto a network share
3. create an answer file so the image will join the domain and enable the local administrator accounts.
4. ghostcast the image out to all the clients
5. have them restart and be on the domain with local admin accounts enabled

We've created our master image but when we ghostcast it and it starts up, it doesn't reference the answer file and we have to go through each machine and set up an admin account and then join the domain. We have the answer file on thumb drives on the cleints at the moment but we're trying to figure out a better way.

 

[TopGun]

Can't you just have the admin accounts setup on the ghost image?

 

[hoffstetter]

sysprep deletes them. Do you know how to get sysprep not to delete user accounts?

 

[TopGun]

Look into this
It might be able to help you out.

-Best of Luck
TopGun

 

[hoffstetter]

Thanks! I read through that and It looks like it answers all my prayers. I let you know when it works.