Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13

Thread: Restore cd's HP and Compaq

  1. #1

    Restore cd's HP and Compaq

    Our company as a matter of practice and security, reformats and reinstalls all software to the c:\ drive when an employee leaves the company. Just to make sure that personal stuff is destroyed as well as the 2000 themes that seem to end up on these machines.

    We used to use a non-oem version of Windows 98, NT or 2000 rather than the disks that came with the PC.

    We have at least as many OS licenses as we have PC's. (If we can count the oem software) The reason we didn't use the manufacture's version is that we could not control the partitioning of the hard drives. (Could not control size or type NTFS or FAT) The HP or Compaq OS did the fdisk so that the PC was in the original state.

    Several months ago, we got a BSA, Business Software Alliance mailing that ended that practice. The HP license numbers only work with their CD's some but not all of the Compaq license numbers work with the non Compaq software.

    Does anyone have a trick to control restore CD's or at least control their partitioning? There are no floppies involved.

    We are now ordering all of our PC's without an OS and buying licenses in bulk (Believe it or not most of the PC's still show up with the OS installed.)

  2. #2
    The Iceman Cometh
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,209
    I would recommend just doing exactly what you are doing: order the computers without an OS and buy a license for each computer. Nowadays, HP doesn't even ship recovery CDs with their computers anymore (only the recover partition on the hard drive), so it shouldn't be a problem to order them without an OS pre-installed. I'm not sure, but you may be able to talk with HP/Compaq to see whether there is anything they can do for you if you are buying business computers from them... it's always worth a shot.

    AJ

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    112
    Once you have an image build for a particular system why not use ghost or some other third party software to images the machines. THis way you have a standard configuration which can be put on the system in the matter of minutes... I know this doesn't really answer the question but it does solve the problem of recovery CD since the image will be doing just about the same thing...
    My other Computer is a 4000 node Beowulf Custer

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    889
    Even a computer with no OS will have a typical partition on the C: drive from the OEM, you can use Partition Commander, Partition Magic and delete the typical 36 k OEM partition, if this will not work then run the debug script on the HD do a search here it has been posted a few times. As for the BSA my feeling of this family well I think racketeering same methods gonna break your knee caps sue you pay us our protection money and we will tell you if you comply with our EULA's, sort of the same small print a loan shark uses in their EULA's
    I believe that one of the characteristics of the human race - possibly the one that is primarily responsible for its course of evolution - is that it has grown by creatively responding to failure.- Glen Seaborg

  5. #5
    paldie you may or may believe this but it is the TRUTH according to Microsoft

    If you want to build an image you must buy a license! Thus spoke Bill,Balmer,Gates. The OEM license don't count.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Posts
    889
    Netman has that correct, and even if using proper software to take into account different HD sizes EULA's say one cannot do this. So lets see no discount for ordering a system minus an OS so M$ still has their money there, so you go Corp License pay there, want to make a disk image you pay again. What pay 3 times for an OS sound silly scary part it is true. Like I said Bill (Vinnie) and Steve (Vetto) and the BSA will break your business knee caps unless you pay them off at every step.
    I believe that one of the characteristics of the human race - possibly the one that is primarily responsible for its course of evolution - is that it has grown by creatively responding to failure.- Glen Seaborg

  7. #7
    Ok I got off the subject here and its my subject. Any one got a way to restore and not repartition that hard drive?

  8. #8
    AO Curmudgeon rcgreen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Posts
    2,716
    Once you have installed the OS and your chosen software,
    you create a restore CD with Norton Ghost.
    No matter what customization the user has done,
    when the time comes,you boot the restore CD and
    it goes back to your original configuration.

    It is the same program that COMPAQ uses to create their
    restore CDs


    http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/
    I came in to the world with nothing. I still have most of it.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    112
    Don't get me wrong, I am not suggest you prirate the software here, but it doesn't mean you have to have difference key for each installation. if you own the OEM license you own a license to the OS. It is an OEM version. Your question is in regard to recovery cd. My suggestion is to walk around the recovery cd process. You need to have license yes, I am not suggesting you image the machine without the proper licenses. But you do not need to use the recovery cds evertime you want to rebuild a users system. It is time consuming and cumbersome... rcgreen in the previous posting states the same process I was refering to... But you need to own the license...
    My other Computer is a 4000 node Beowulf Custer

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    177
    Paldie is right, you do NOT need to use different cdkeys for each install. We use the same CD, and the same License key for each rebuild we have to do. As long as you have the correct amount of licenses (and proof of those licenses) then you're good to go.
    Along with that, you could always have a generic 'Restore CD' (just the os cd) along with the answer file necessary for an unattended install. This way all machines are identical (as long as their hardware is identical) and there's not as much work when doing a rebuild. Or just go with the OS image.

    This way there's very little administrative work you have to do, and there's no conflicts with licensing.

    Hope this helps!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •