Member Avatar for pratapchiluveru

Hi everyone!
I would like to create the image of my windows XP. The image should have all the software which I have installed in it, and all the settings, like limited account and other domain settings. I want to write the image to my CD or DVD and give it to the students. So that I don't need to install all the software and mess up my time. Is it possible in windows XP. Is there any tool in windows XP for that?
Thanks in advance...

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by jbennet

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Short answer: yes you can build a single "reference" Windows XP image, but two things decide whether you should do it and how: licensing (you may not legally redistribute a retail/OEM copy) and hardware compatibility (images can fail on machines with different boot/storage controllers). Those points are already hinted at by , , and ; follow the legal route and plan for driver differences before you capture anything. ()

Practical, legal classroom workflow (keeps student downtime low)

  1. Confirm licensing: use Volume Licensing or your campus agreement for mass reimaging, or require a valid retail/OEM license per machine — do not hand out a copied retail/OEM image. ()
  2. Build one clean reference system (ideally a VM): install XP, updates, and only software you are licensed to deploy; create the limited user profile and test it.
  3. Prepare the image with Sysprep so each target gets a unique machine identity and a short first‑run setup. For XP, run Sysprep with Mini‑Setup and Reseal (or the equivalent command-line switches) then capture the disk image with your imaging tool. Example command the XP docs show as a scripted option:
    %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Sysprep\sysprep.exe -mini -quiet -reseal -forceshutdown

    Sysprep is the supported way to prepare images and note it also affects activation behavior — plan keys/activation accordingly. Also make sure the image includes or is prepared to install any mass-storage drivers the target hardware needs; missing entries in the Sysprep mass-storage section commonly cause STOP 0x7B (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE) on targets. (flylib.com)

If you cannot get volume licensing: distribute installer collections or automated setup scripts (or a VM image you are licensed to give students), not a physical DVD copy of a preactivated OS. Finally, remember Windows XP is end of support and insecure for networked/classroom use — plan to migrate to a supported platform when possible. (learn.microsoft.com)

(References above point to Microsoft guidance on reimaging, Sysprep usage and XP lifecycle for the deployment details.)

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All 14 Replies

Member Avatar for tux4life

I think Microsoft backup is able to do that, but it will be a more pleasant experience if you just use Acronis TrueImage which is designed for that purpose ...

Member Avatar for jbennet

It wont work. Been there, tried that. The problem is that windows isnt portable between different motherboards very well. Thats why corporations who use imaging usually have to have a few images for each different type of computer they operate.

Also, what you are suggesting would be illegal.

Member Avatar for tux4life

I want to write the image to my CD or DVD and give it to the students.

That's indeed an illegal operation :) ...

Member Avatar for jbennet

Unless its a volume licence edition and your campus agreement allows you to do that

Member Avatar for tux4life

Unless its a volume licence edition and your campus agreement allows you to do that

Agreed, but you don't know this so I would just refer him to some kind of imaging solution ...

Member Avatar for caperjack

I have a image of winxp and win98 ,someone made and grage to me ,illegal i know ,thats why i don't use them ,except as a test of a computer and then i format and load a legit windows copy !
they were created without the motherboard chipset drives ,and nic cards and modems installed ,i have never had a problem with installing the image on any different chipset,s old laptop or old computer i was testing windows on!

Member Avatar for FlamingClaw

There is a legal way to create your own xp with a program named
Nlite for xp,press the down link :D

Member Avatar for tux4life

There is a legal way to create your own xp with a program named
Nlite for xp,press the down link :D

Yeah, that's right but Microsoft doesn't offer support for these customized editions (but I don't know if you need it) ...

Member Avatar for FlamingClaw

For tux4life.
maybe you're right,but can be done,and this is the matter or not?
You can download the most of hotfixes and svpacks.If you digging more down you can integrate your programs that can run first run of xp....and lot of things about that...

Member Avatar for caperjack

nlite is not the same as making a image of your hdd after you install windows

Member Avatar for jbennet

Agree with caperjack.

also

Yeah, that's right but Microsoft doesn't offer support for these customized editions

Yeah they do, if you use the MS Deployment tools (sysprep, the unattended install toolkit, etc...) and/or the WIM toolkit, they are fully supported for deploying clients in the enterprise, but only on the pro (retail or VLK) and server versions.

But it doesnt really matter. No one ever gets MS support anyway

Member Avatar for tux4life

Yeah they do, if you use the MS Deployment tools (sysprep, the unattended install toolkit, etc...) and/or the WIM toolkit, they are fully supported for deploying clients in the enterprise, but only on the pro (retail or VLK) and server versions.

Agreed, but I was talking about the nlited editions :)

But it doesnt really matter. No one ever gets MS support anyway

That's true !

Member Avatar for jbennet

Agreed, but I was talking about the nlited editions

All nlite is is a user-friendly wrapper around the MS methods. hotfix integration and service pack slipstreaming is done using the Windows Installer and command line switches for it. Thats all. And the unnatended install stuff if all done using the unnatend.sif file (modification of which ms document in thier depoloyment guide)

commented: You're so right !! Couldn't explain it in a better way :) ! +1
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