Needed to set up 3 workstations today.  Finally convinced the boss to buy 3 of the same computers at once.  So instead of building them all manually, I used clonezilla, http://clonezilla.sourceforge.net/, to build the second and third workstation.  Basically the process went like this:

Build the original box. 

That means stripping the junk off it with the PC Decrapifier, http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ because I don't want my poor co-workers to have to deal with 20 versions of conflicting crippleware. 

Then I set up the box with clamwin, http://www.clamwin.com/, a freeware anti-virus product.  I also installed 7-zip, http://www.7-zip.org/, a WinZip alternative, Microsoft Office, set up automatic updates and then patched the holy heck out of it for the next few hours.  Then it was time to clone with clonezilla.

WHAT I DIDN'T SET UP

I didn't join the XP box to the domain or give it a name.  I also didn't install LogMeIn as each computer needs a separate ID in LogMeIn. 

CLONEZILLA

I set the BIOS up to boot to the CD-rom before disk and inserted the 1.9 version of the Gparted-Clonezilla LiveCD.  Then I chose the clonezilla first option. 

When prompted for starting clonezilla I instead selected to drop to the command line.  Then I mounted the remote filesystem I was going to save the image to.  The box in question has a non-standard SSH port for added security.  So I mounted it with

sudo su -
sshfs -p 8021 root@192.168.1.91:/backup/image /home/partimag

This creates what appears to be the local filesystem /home/partimag that actually is being stored on the remote server 192.168.1.91.  Then I exited the shell and went back into the standard Clonezilla setup.  From there I created an image of the system and then shut the system down.

SETTING UP THE CLONE

Start up a new system with the clonezilla CD.  Use the same command to create the filesystem and restore as normal.  Then tell the system to reboot.  Eject the CD and move on. 

Now it's time to rekey the XP edition.  

ReKey the box
  regedit -> HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Currentversion\WPAEvents
  modify OOBETimer.  change just one character.  exit regedit.  this deactivates windows
  %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a ->  Yes I want telephone -> Change Product Key -> enter key -> update ->   remind me later -> reboot
  log in as the administrator.  register online.  reboot.
  verify new key with SIW.EXE, http://www.gtopala.com/,

Now join the computer to your domain and give it a name.  Then register it to logmein.com  Finally set the home page to something better than MSN. 

Finally test the monitor with http://tichmind.org/lcd and then test the CPU and memory with memtest86, http://www.memtest86.com/.

Tags: clonezilla, cloning, logmein, system administration, windows, xp