How To Mac

First you will need to setup a bootcamped OS X Apple Mac. Due to licensiing this can only be done with OS X leopard 10.5. Once you have set up a bootcamped leopard installation you need to install windows and configure it to your liking. Once you have configured Windows XP/Vista to your liking you now need to take a copy of the operating system into a image file. To do this you will need to log into OS X and use the net Restore helper. You can find Net Restore by going to my websites download area. Once you are in Net Restore helper you need to first unlock the program by clicking on the pad lock at the bottom of the page.

Now on the Net Restore Helper program you need to select your master Disk. In most cases bootcamp drives are called “Untitled” or even “Windows”. If you do not see the NTFS drive you will need to install a little program which allows NetRestore to see the drive. This program is called NTFSPROG which can be found on my download area on my site.

Once all above is completed you then need to click the create Master Image. You will then be asked where you wish to save the image file i would advice you store it onto a Firewire drive or even the /NetBootPS0 Share on your mac server and putting it into the resources/Disk Image folder.

Once the image has completed being taken you can now set up a Net Install Set. To do this you need to click the Create NetInstall Set tab at the top of the NetRestore helper. In the Name Field for this demo i will be using the name “Windows XP SP2 14_02_2008″ For Image ID “12″ for Description “Windows XP with SP2″. Now all the fields are completed you can have the option to set more advanced settings. If you have used the other topic regarding Imaging OS X it explains in more details on what advance settings can offer you.

Now you have set the NetInstall set settings you can now click Save NetInstall-Restore Set. You will now be asked where you wish to install the NetInstall Set. I would advice you install the net install set to the NetBootPS0 Share on your Mac Server.

Near the end of the NetInstall set being made you will be asked if you wish to configure net restore say yes to this. You will then have the NetRestore tool open up. Within this you can set the options for the NetInstall for automated imaging. To do this you will need to go to Netrestore menu and then click preferences. If you wish to set a specificate image to install click under default configuration and select “Specify dynamic item..” Another box will appear and in this box you will need to name the image which you made. In this case I would put in “Windows XP SP2 14_02_2008.ntfs” Then click OK. If you wish to have full automation just click the Enable Full Automation Box. You also hav ea few other options to the right you can chose this if you like i tend to solect restart when finish and set target as boot disk. Seeing as you are imaging a NTFS Drive i would suggest you set the Target drive to “Untitled” depending on how your macs are setup with bootcamp.

When done just click save and you can then quit the NetRestore Utility.

when the Net Install Set has finished installing you need to tweak the net install set a slight bit. To do this you need to have a package called NTFSPROG.PKG. You can find this package in my Download area on my site. When you have downloaded NTFSPROG.PKG you need to set of the Installation. When asked which drive you wish to install the program on you need to select the NetInstall Disk image. This program will set up the NetInstall to be able to read NTFS partitions. Once you have finished the installation you can eject and unmount the NetInstall-Set Disk image.

Now you have done all the above you now need to enable the image on server admin. To do this just go into the server admin software on the server and select the “NetBoot” service. You then need to go to the bottom tab and select settings and after that then select images. In this menu you will see the image which we named ealier. You will have the option to enable and make it default. if you make the image default any client machine which presses N on startup will start installing this image. If not selected within the Startup pane in System Preferences you can just select a image you want to install. When completed just click apply when your done.

That is how you use Net Restore to do Windows XP imaging.