Microsoft has now done a complete about-face regarding disk cloning as a method of rapidly deploying NT Workstation throughout the enterprise.
At one time, Microsoft went so far as to refuse support to people who had used disk-cloning products such as Ghost to automate NT installation. Now, Redmond is shipping what it calls the "system preparation tool for Windows NT Workstation 4.0." This new tool, when used in conjunction with third-party disk-cloning applications, provides an easy and efficient way for business customers to deploy Windows NT Workstation 4.0 throughout their organizations.
The Microsoft system preparation tool for Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is a simple utility that prepares a PC's hard disk for duplication. Once the disk is prepared, customers can use a variety of third-party utilities to easily deploy Windows NT Workstation 4.0 on multiple systems throughout their organizations.
Among the products that support this rapid deployment method are Symantec's Norton Ghost, Altiris' RapiDeploy and Micro House International's ImageCast.
Deploying Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with this method can take minutes per PC - much faster than typical operating system upgrades, which take several hours to install. Using the system preparation tool can translate into substantial cost savings for customers.
The Microsoft system preparation tool for Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is available free of charge to Microsoft customers that have a current Microsoft Select or Enterprise Agreement.
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