Question : How to set computer name and join a domain before or after ghost image with sysprep?

Ok guys here is the thing.
I made a Ghost image taht runs perfectly on all my company Dell Computers, my problem now is i have to manualy change the computer name and then join the Domain after that install my Altiris Client and Anti-virus.

What i want is to get a prompt window or something else that let me change the computer name and join the Domain. i think on 2 options.

1. Make a DVD/CD with Bart-PE that runs a plug-in or something and set the change on sysprep.inf before or after i deploy the ghost image to computer.. i dont know if its possible.

2. Make a script to do it after sysprep mini-setup, but i dont like this idea since i need to reboot the device and other things.

If any can help me with a solution for that i will apreciate..Thanks in advance.

Answer : How to set computer name and join a domain before or after ghost image with sysprep?

If you want to use sysprep - and you reaaly should - otherwise you will get multiple computers with the same SID which will cause sparodic errors then the process is as follows:-

You will first need to install the deployment tools from the Windows CD onto the machine. Insert the Windows CD, navigate to the \Support\Tools folder and double click on the Deploy.cab file. Select all of the files in Deploy,cab, right click, extract, and extract all the files to a folder called C:\sysprep. (the folder name is important)

Run the SetupMgr program from C:\Sysprep and  select a new answer file, for a sysprep install for Windows. Select, Yes fully automate.  and go through and supply all the relevant information. If you select a fully automated installation as suggested you will not be able to leave some entries like computer name and product key blank but if you want to enter them at install time, dont worry too much now, just type in something and you can remove it in the next step.

After completing the answer file save it as C:\Sysprep\sysprep.inf. and close the dialog box. If you want to edit it the sysprep file, you can right click on sysprep.inf and select Open With& Notepad.  You can then change bits. For example if you want to be prompted for the computer name at install time change the line that reads

ComputerName=xxxxx
To
ComputerName=

As the value is now blank, you will be prompted for the computer name at install

One you are happy, it might be a good idea to copy the C:\Sysprep folder to a removable device such as a USB memory stick as the whole of the C:\sysprep folder will be permanently deleted later on in the process.

Now we need to run Sysprep. Double click on Sysprep.exe. Make sure that the Mini-setup option IS selected and NoSidGen is NOT selected and the SHUTDOWN option is selected before pressing RESEAL.

Windows will then strip the SIDs and other identifies out of Windows and prepare it for imaging. Windows will then shutdown. Once Windows is shutdown you need to start the PC booting from either a floppy disk or CD that contains your third party imaging program. This can be Symantec Ghost, Acronis, Drive Image similar.

You then need to copy the image file to a removable disk, CDs/DVDs network drive or whatever.

You then need to start the new PC, boot that from the floppy disk or CD that contains your third party imaging program and copy the image that you image of the first PC to the new PC.

When the image has been copied you can reboot the new PC. Windows will start and go through the mini-setup and configure itself using the sysprep.inf file that you created. If you left any of the required options, like computer name blank, you will be prompted to type them in.  Otherwise setup will be automatic. As its only re-configuring, not reinstalling the mini-setup takes about 5mins, at then end of which you will have a new computer which is identical to the first one but with a different name and different SIDs. All of the software and configurations will be preserved.