How to use your own images in DS, without running "Prepare for Image Capture" (Sysprep)

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• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

How to use your own images in DS, without running "Prepare for Image Capture" (Sysprep)

Resolution

There are several circumstances where you may want to deploy an image in DS that was not captured in the "normal" way.  However, there are several barriers to this, the largest of which is simply making it work.  This document will guide you through the various options you have.

1) You have an image from Ghost Solution Suite another tool which is perfect, and you simply want to deploy it.
This is a very common request and so we created a tool called "ResourceImportTool.EXE" you can use.  In the tool, you will have to specify what kind of image it is, and the tool will detect what it was captured with (i.e. Ghost).  The image type or OS Type will affect what licenses you can apply to it, so be careful in your selection.

The tool creates a Resource in the Symantec Management Platform that DS can use.  This is normally done by the application if you capture the image manually, and without it, even with the image sitting right there, you can't deploy the image (unless you use a custom scripted task).

 

2) You have captured an image without using "Prepare for Image Capture"
In this scenario, when the image is captured, the OS type is left blank, or "unknown".  This is OK by-itself, but when you go to deploy it, you can't, because you can't select a Product Key.  There are two ways around this.

1. You could use the ResourceImportTool, import the image as another / new resource (where you can then specify the OS type), delete the old files, and use the new files.  It's a bit awkward, but it works.
2. You could hack the table where the OS Type is listed as "Unknown".

CAUTION: If you have run Sysprep manually on a system managed by Symantec Management Platform, you most likely have an NS Agent in the image.  One of the tasks of the "Prepare for Image Capture" is to strip the GUID from the Symantec Management Agent in the image prior to running Sysprep.  If you are not careful, you may end up with duplicate GUID's around the company, which is why we made this difficult to accomplish.  We highly recommend using the normal process!!

CAUTION: If you do not run Sysprep, another part of what Prepare For Image Capture does, you run the risk of being in an unsupported state by Microsoft.  A very high risk.  Microsoft is working on changes to make this unnecessary, and some claim it already is, but we've seen otherwise, where you get duplicate users in AD and other messes.  Symantec is not responsible for the results of such a deployment, which is why re recommend using the built-in method.