Ghost Solution Suite

Hi - I would like to know what Ghost executables and libraries I would need to put on a usb memory stick or a CD that would have all I need to connect to a Ghostcast server. I have created a usb drive that would automatically connect to my express share to use that ghost executable but when I change the password, I have to manually map the share to get to Ghost or redo the device.

Thanks...

Can you confirm what operating system you are booting on your USB drive, and what version of Ghost you are using?

Also, if you are using WinPE, why not edit the startup batch file  (startnet.bat?) so that it calls another batch file that is outside the WinPE boot environment on your USB hard disk.  Then you can edit the logon parameters in the external file and never need to edit the boot image.

Finally, if you are using WinPE, and if you enable the HTML support  (not sure if it is enabled by default in the Symantec boot image builder), you can write a  simple GUI for your USB device using a .HTA file.  Since that can use WMI in it, you can read the actual machine details and present the user with the correct image for that model, prepare the target hard disk, etc, etc.

I see I did not include some important details.

The USB drives and CDs I have made in the past were using the Boot Disk Creator with Ghost3.1 MP latest. So I have winpe 10, 5.x, and 3.1 x86 and X64 available.

The final paragraph mentions some interesting possibilities. When you say "present the user with the correct image...", would you be impling installing an image without setting it up with the Ghostcast server? Can one inject drivers onto the imaged machine at this point, i.e., when still in the winpe environment?

I am guessing that "preparing the target hard disk" would allow for creating additional partitions? What other tasks can you do to prepare the target hard disk?

And finally the "etc, etc." Is there some document that would give one an idea of what else can be done with this?

I have just used the USB drives to access a Ghost executable to either create or download on image using the Ghostcast server.

I realize the questions would take the discussion in different directions. Should the questions be asked separately?

Thanks...

MNSU

What ghost product are you using? Ghost Standard Tools 3.1 or Ghost Solution Suite 3.1, the answer to your original question will be entirely different based on which.

In answer to your question about creating an HTA file - this refers back to a piece of work I did many years ago for a former client whereby the service department used portable USB hard disksto rebuild machines in the field. There is no single document I can point you at - my starting point was a couple of documents about HTA files I pulled off the Microsoft website. The bottom line is that you can include vbscript and WMI code in the HTA which makes it possible to include a lot of functionality. In my example, the menu presented to the tech would allow the tech to partition and format the hard disk on the computer (using DISKPART from within WinPE), the user could then apply an image to the machine based on autodetection of the hardware using some WMI code. The HTA file was external to the WinPE build to allow regular maintenance as new or updated builds were released.

The basic idea, however, could just as easily be launched from a network share - eg using PXE to load WinPE and start the HTA as your GUI front end.

So to answer your question about etc, etc, - the scope of what you can do is only limited by your imagination and what you can code in WMI or VBScript.

Brycen - I have both installed on my server. I think I use the tools version when I create a Ghostcast session, which is when I would use USB or CD.

I have created the USB/CD exclusively from the Boot Disk Creator which I access through Ghost Solutions Suite v3.1.

Thanks for the help...

EdT - thanks for the details. Since I have a slight leaning towards geekdom your ideas would be fun to experiment with!!

It would be nice if your details of the project were in it's own thread instead of buried in this thread.

Should I make a new thread asking questions about what you described to get the subjet line accurate?

Thanks again...

MNSU,

Please mark the most relevant post as an answer if the problem has been resolved.