Image after every reboot

September 28, 2005 12:33 PM

Hi We have a computer training class and would like to have a fresh computer after every reboot - and need a method/utility to automatically refresh the PC from an image. I have two questions: How can this be done, and how can we prevent a re-image in case the class is longer than a day. Perhaps a menu with an option that defaults to re-image? Thanks!
posted by bright77blue to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

You didn't mention which platform you're working with; I'll assume Windows. Symantec Ghost, for all its faults, is the best Windows imaging software available. You can do scheduled imaging and image-on-boot over a network.
posted by Rothko at 12:54 PM on September 28, 2005

I've seen bootable CDs made with Norton Ghost that boot up and re-image the system automatically. This only happens when the right CD is in the drive though.

So maybe you could have a system where the machines reboot normally except when the magic CD is in the drive.

On preview, I got served.
posted by GuyZero at 12:58 PM on September 28, 2005

I've never used it but I know there are at least a handful of commercial programs like Deep Freeze.
posted by whatisish at 12:59 PM on September 28, 2005

I'd recommend Deep Freeze by Faronics. It does exactly what you ask. When you reboot, any changes since the system was locked down are gone and the system is returned to its original state. If you buy the Enterprise (professional?) version, you can administer the frozen systems from a console. This gives you the option to "unfreeze" them so that the system can be rebooted safely.

In that case, I'm not sure if you then save the image or not. But seriously, this is probably the software you're looking for.

On preview, I also got served. Damn my verbosity!
posted by bDiddy at 1:00 PM on September 28, 2005

We used DeepFreeze in a public library setting to restore the machines to their initial state every reboot and it's pretty bullet-proof and easy to use. You can save stuff and use things normally while you're using the computer, or even unfreeze it so that you can make permanent changes. It has a really long list of things you can choose to save or not save from reboot to reboot [different caches and preferences] my only gripe is that you'd have to reboot the machines twice in order to make changes. I'm pretty sure we used it on each machine and not over a network.
posted by jessamyn at 1:07 PM on September 28, 2005

The Faculty of Arts computer labs at the University of British Columbia (where I work) use Ghost.

I'd recommend partitioning the drive into a main partition, and a separate partition for the image. You can easily create a boot menu to choose whether to boot the machine normally or to reset it by using the Windows bootloader, which keeps its configuration file at %systemroot%\boot.ini, IIRC.
posted by ori at 1:22 PM on September 28, 2005

Er, to clarify (you will need a computer-savvy person to do all this):

Partition the drive in two.
Install Windows + all your software into first partition.
Format second partition as FAT.
Unassign a drive letter for the second partition in Windows (if using XP, right click on my computer, click "manage my computer", go to drive management, right click on the partition and unassign the drive letter -- this way it doesn't show up in Windows, and people don't touch it.)
Boot computer with DOS bootdisk that has ghost.exe on it.
Format second partition with the /s option to make it bootable. Copy ghost to that partition.
Create an image of 1st partition in 2nd partition using ghost.
Edit autoexec.bat in this (2nd) partition, and add a line to unpack image to 1st partition.
Reboot computer into WinXP.
Edit boot.ini and add an option to boot of second partition of first HD. Call this option "Restore workstation", or whatever.
Set the timeout to 5 seconds.

This will result in a boot menu appearing for five seconds when the computer starts up, with two options: one to start the computer normally, the other to reset the machine. If no key is pressed, it will boot normally in 5 seconds.
posted by ori at 1:29 PM on September 28, 2005

At the risk of needing to ask my own question, I'll post this here...

What about OS X? What are the good re-imaging apps that can be controlled an automated in the same way as the submitter wants?
posted by Wild_Eep at 1:53 PM on September 28, 2005

Faronics has a MacOS version of their Deep Freeze software as well. I'd imagine it would work the same way.
posted by bDiddy at 2:00 PM on September 28, 2005

OS X has a built-in command-line utility called 'asr' that can handle a lot of disk image requirements. Combined with some relatively simple scripts, you'd be able to do what the poster suggested relatively easily.
posted by I Love Tacos at 3:45 PM on September 28, 2005

Just wanted to add another recommendation for Deep Freeze. We use it on all our computers at school, and I have used it at home. It's very nice.
posted by Who_Am_I at 6:02 PM on September 28, 2005