It is often asked how to update a Ghost image with the latest Windows updates, or additional software. Currently, there is no way to inject Windows updates or additional software loads into an image, or along with the image deployment, but there is a more effective solution than a complete rebuild of the image.
Here is the method I recommend for maintaining Ghost images:
1. Create your model machine with the appropriate software load.
2. Use Ghost to make a backup image. By this, I mean an image created without using Microsoft Sysprep.
3. Make a deployable image (with Sysprep).
So now you have two images, one backup and the current deployable image. After Windows updates are released that you deem necessary, here is the method for updating the image:
1. Deploy the non-Sysprepped backup image to a machine.
2. Install appropriate updates.
3. Recreate the non-Sysprepped backup image. This replaces the backup image made in #2 above.
4. Make a deployable image (with Microsoft Sysprep). This now becomes the current image for deployment.
This method has several advantages. First, you don't have to duplicate the tedious work of having to rebuild your basic image. Second, reverting to the backup image prior to updating keeps the Windows rearm count from increasing with each update (the rearm count is the maximum number of times Sysprep can be ran on an installation of Windows).
If you only ever make edits on the model machine after taking a Sysprepped image but without reverting to the pre-Sysprep backup, the Rearm count will incraese and it will soon be impossible to run Sysprep. The Sysprep tool is necessary for successful deployment in an Active Directory environment, since it strips & rebuilds the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and Security Identifier (SID).