Question : Problem: How do I clone a computer to deploy it to many new computers?

I have about 7 desktops (Dell Optiplex 755) and 8 laptops (Dell Lattitude 620) and would like to setup one machine and clone it to the others. I have one desktop setup the way I need it, and know how to use Sysprep to prepare it for cloning (I had to strip computer name most importantly as I'm going needing the ability to name each computer manually during setup). Some of the products I have to work with are Norton Ghost 10.0 (which I've heard could get the job done, but ran into further issues, read below), Acronis True Image Echo Enterprise Server (again, read below), and a trial version of Symantec Ghost Solution Suite (which I'm able to get a licensed version of if you think that's the best way to go). I was told by colleagues that they were able to use Norton Ghost 10.0 to clone a 40 GB (or so) partition to a 4 GB USB flash drive (and I assume only a maximum of 10 GB were used in the hard drive). When attempting to clone with Norton Ghost 10.0, it tells me that there isn't enough space on the USB drive to fit the (approximately) 11.2 GB partition, even with maximum compression. Symantec Ghost Solution Suite got me running into more problems, and I decided that wasn't the way to go for me, unless you think otherwise.. ? Last but not least, Acronis TrueImage seemed to do exactly what I want, but it won't backup the cloned image to a drive smaller than the original. I guess buying an external hard drive would fix this issue, but there has to be a way to get around it.
I'm sorry if I ranted too much, I tend to do that when I feel I'm not explicit enough. Let me know if it wasn't and you need more information. But anyway, that's my case. Do you know of any other way to clone a hard drive to deploy to many computers? And while I'm here, do I have to setup one of the laptops and make an image of that to deploy to the laptops, or could I just use the desktop's image?

Thanks a lot,
Arjun

Answer : Problem: How do I clone a computer to deploy it to many new computers?

Hi PeteJThomas (and others reading this),

Thank you for you continued assistance.

I ended up purchasing a 500 GB external hard drive for personal use, and thought I'd bring it in to work and try it out with my ghosting project.
I used Acronis TrueImage to create a bootable Rescue Disk, as they call it, and booted the original computer (a desktop) with the external hard drive connected. It gave me the option to backup my computer, and so I did. That didn't solve my problem, as I needed a tool to strip the desktop of its computer name and SSID. After some more reading on Microsoft's Sysprep (System Preparation) tool, I created an 'answer file' and used the tool to "Reseal" the computer (it's a button found in Sysprep that strips the computer of information specific to that computer (eg. computer name, SSID)). Having done that, I rebooted the machine and turned it over to the Acronis boot CD, made another backup, and shut down the machine. Now I had a backup of the original computer (computer name et al in tact) and also a backup of the same computer without any personal information belonging to that computer (aka, A BOOTABLE BACKUP OF THE ORIGINAL MACHINE!! with all required software installed minus computer name which I'll be able to enter in during setup). Well, it may not exactly be 'bootable', but recoverable, in the sense that I could use the Acronis boot CD, and recovery the whole 'setup-able' system intact.
It all seems to work flawlessly, and I've completed all 8 desktop computers and they seem to be working fine, and all each have a unique computer name and SSID! Until of course (yes I know :( ), I got the to laptops... This wasn't a major issue, I just realized that even using the Universal Restore function of Acronis TrueImage, it was still not able to install the drivers correctly and set it up the way I needed. I say this wasn't a major issue because I just simply set up one laptop the same way I needed the desktops manually, and did the backing up procedure again. After recovering (or I guess I could say cloning) the laptop backup to about 2 other laptops, Windows activation notifies me that the product key it tried to activate with is already in use. And to think, why wouldn't this have happened all this time. Anyway, I called Microsoft and, although it didn't seem like they did too much other than give me the activation code for that one laptop, it seems to be working fine on the other laptops so far. We'll see how it goes, but I guess that's something I'm going to have to discuss with Microsoft anyway.
Sorry about me rambling on about nonsense. Kudos to you if you've read this far. And thank you for taking the time to assist me, or even if it's someone else reading it, thank you for taking the time to read my issue.

I guess there's not much for me to do but close this question.


Thank you,
Arjun