Testing if an image from one type of computer will successfully restore on another based on different hardware can be a time consuming process. Usually the only way to tell if the image's HAL will be compatible is to restore the image and find out then, if it fails, re-install windows.

In order to alleviate this problem we have developed the HAL Test Wizard to allow you to test a range of HALs on a computer by building a boot time menu that allows you to select the HAL to be used. If the computer starts up from a given HAL there is a very good chance an imaged based on it will do as well.

Failing to reset the mass storage controllers, despite being correctly configured to do so, seems to be one of SysPrep's foibles currently. There seems to be little or no information about this in the Microsoft knowledgebase, possibly because actually resetting the mass storage list is not a documented feature of SysPrep, however it is certainly the cause of much consternation in the wider support community.

The problem seems to occur on every other occasion SysPrep is used. In the first instance the reset will work correctly and cause SysPrep to take anything up to an hour to do its stuff, but the next time it is used (with the mass storage reset enabled) SysPrep appears to bypass the reset and complete its work in the more usual two minutes or so. The third occasion it will work, the fourth will fail and so on.

As there is no way for to predict the likely outcome of a mass storage reset a workaround for this "feature" has been added to the Image Prep Tool. After SysPrep has completed, the resulting sysprep.inf file will be examined for the correct entries and, if they are not found, SysPrep will be told to go back and try again. If it then fails a second time a warning message will be displayed.

When the Image Prep Tool loads it will check for a sub folder that matches the currently installed operating system name and service pack level. If the correctly named sub folder is found it will be checked for files that meet the HAL and Kernel file naming conventions which, if found, will be added to the appropriate list. This allows some flexibility as to what files are added to the list while ensuring the correct versions are used for the various levels of operating system in use around the school.

Before the dropdown lists can be used you will need to create a sub folder of the folder that contains the imgprep.exe file that identifies the windows version and service pack level (e.g. Windows XP Service Pack 2) and copy the required HAL and Kernel files into this folder. You can find the correct versions of these files in the cab files found on the Windows installation or service pack media.

To assist you in identifying the correct sub folder name the Image Prep Tool will display the operating system and service pack folder name that it expects to see, as part of the caption bar title. The folder should be named exactly as it appears in the caption bar (from the hyphen onwards) including any spaces.