Our Image Computer uses Partition Magic. We actually use the older Version 7 from PowerQuest, but the current Version 8 is now owned by Symantec. Using Partition Magic and Boot Magic we set up our Image Computer to have three separate partitions: Windows98SE, Clone, and Ghost. For detailed instructions on Creating an Image Machine, click here.
The Windows98SE partition is seldom used, but it is necessary because Partition Magic and Boot Magic are windows programs, so you need a Windows Partition to install them. Most of the work is done in either our Clone Partition or our Ghost Partition. One might ask why we used Symantec's Ghost since we used PowerQuest's Partition Magic. Why didn't we just use PowerQuest's Drive Image? It is because Symantec Ghost just uses one floppy disk, while Drive Image uses 2 floppy disks. I was able to create a 2 gig partition with Partition Magic, and then copy the Ghost Floppy disk onto that partition, and I had 2 gig of space for the GHO image files. I could not get it to work by copying the two Drive Image floppies to a 2 gig partition. Now that Symantec owns Partition Magic, it is a moot point, since you can use Symantec Partition Magic and Symantec Ghost.
We use the GHOST partition the most, and one of the other members of HelpingTulsa, Jim Erwin, actually sets up some Image Machines in his lab with just the GHOST partition. That way he can use smaller Hard Drives. It takes at least an 8 gig drive to set up an Image Machine the way I do it, with all three partitions.
We setup one computer for a particular category of recipients, which can easily take an hour or two, to install the Operating System and each application package. We then Make a Ghost Image of it. We can then Install a Ghost Image on multiple systems, in much less time (like 10 to 15 minutes) than it would take to install the OS and each application program on each machine.
We created a graphic file with our logo, and the words "Computer Donated by Helping Tulsa" and saved it as a BMP file, which we install as "Wallpaper" on the desktop of all of the machines we deliver.
The logo visually appears as it does in the above image. I am not certain why the colors in the logo were distorted when I did actual screen captures of the desktop on machines we refurbished to document the software we include in various ghost images, but it was.
Machines we donate to churches or missionaries usually has our "Bible Image".
This includes two freeware versions of the Bible: KJV (FreeBible) and NIV (MBible), seven research tools: Theophilos, Gospel Parallels, King James Dictionary, Bible XRef, Bible Verse (puts a daily Bible verse on your screen), CCCalendar (small christian calender pops up when you need it), and Sword Tamer (read the Bible in a year program). We also include The Heavens Declare (which replaces the windows splash screen with Christian one on bootup), and a screen saver with pictures with Bible Verses. We even include a copy of Torah (which of course is just the first five books of the Old Testament), and one of three copies of the Koran. There are also several additional religious programs that the user can install if he wants them, including Bible Pro, a very good shareware program that works for 30 days, but then must be registered if one wants to continue to use it. All of these programs are available in a 108 meg zip file. We also include a copy of WinZip and the 602 Office Suite, which contains a Word Processor that is very similar to Microsoft Word, and a Spreadsheet program that is very similar to Excel.
We have donated machines to a number of Senior Citizen Centers, Retirement Homes, and low income Section 8 apartment complexes, and those usually are given our "Senior Image" which consists of the files from our Bible Image (in case the residents want to do some research into "what comes next"), and a number of card games, word games, tic-tac-toe type games, and miscellaneous other games. All of these game programs are available in a 15 meg zip file.
Occasionally we get a request for a number of machines for an application where our standard "Bible Image" or "Senior Image" is not appropriate. In such a situation we start with blank, formatted hard drive, created by our Drive Setup Disk, and use the Clone partition on the Image Machine to select the proper operating system and application software for specific application. We then make a Ghost Image of it, which can be used to set up further computers.
We have found that if we use a 486 computer to do our initial setup for a particular application, the GHOST image made from it can be installed on either 486 or Pentium computers, but if we do the initial setup on a Pentium Computer, and make a Ghost image of it, we sometimes have problems installing that Ghost image on another type of Pentium computer. The reason seems to be that Pentium computers use different structures for their secondary busses, and when a Pentium ghost image with one setup is installed on a Pentium with a different setup, you may have to uninstall some hardware components and run Add New Hardware, while if the initial Ghost image is built on a 486, when you put it in a Pentium and run it for the first time, it will automatically set up the proper secondary buss drivers.