An SSTS Guide to receiving a new image

Frequently, SSTS technicians will diagnose a computer as being out of date and in need of a new image. Conceptually, what will occur when a user receives a new image is everything contained inside the actual box that sits on or under your desk is replaced with the latest, greatest, and most up to date data we have. It generally clears up not only the issue we were originally called for, but speeds up the system, and secures it better against external threats. By this point, you are probably asking "Why don't we do this all the time if it is so great?" The problem is that computers, much like the cars we drive in or the offices we work in, become comfortable places with which we are familiar. Reimaging sets everything back the way it was when you first got your computer, and people can have a hard time readjusting. It is with this issue in mind that SSTS has created a guide to making the reimaging process as painless as possible. Hopefully, by following the steps outlined on this page, you will enjoy a smooth transition to not just a fixed computer, but an overall better working environment.

Section 1: The Pre-Imaging Process

Before you have your computer reimaged, it is important to make sure you have backed up everything you may need from your local computer. Specifically, this will be any and all information you may want to save that is located on your C drive. If you have been following best practices as outlined elsewhere in the SSTS knowledge base, the amount of data you have should be minimal, but here are some common kinds of data to search for.

1. Outlook Archives: We recommend you keep your Outlook Archives on a network drive. However, Outlook can have a nasty habit of starting an Autoarchive if you aren't careful. To make sure you don't lose any emails, be sure to search for Outlook Archives before your computer gets imaged. If you find any, you can either save them to a U drive, or burn them to a CD/DVD (for instructions on how to burn a CD/DVD, click here). Here is a screenshot of what a search for an Outlook Archive looks like:

   

2. Personal Pictures, Music, etc: Inevitably, when you use a work computer for long enough, your own media begins to accumulate. It may be forwarded pictures of the newest member of the family, a funny video you wanted to keep, or some music you brought in from home. While any or all of these things can end up on your local computer, they aren't really things that a user should back up to a network drive. If you would like to save them, please burn them to a CD\DVD or put them on a removable disk, such as a Memory Stick.

3. Backup Script: SSTS has developed a small program that will save a plethora of information that you will probably want to be backed up. If you have a U drive, click here to run the backup script.

   • If you are using Internet Explorer, you will be prompted to run or save the file. Select "Run" and wait for the confirmation message that the backup is complete.
   • If you are using Firefox, you will be prompted to download the file. Select "Save" and navigate to the directory where your Firefox downloads are stored. If you are not sure where the file was downloaded to, you can click Tools > Downloads (or CTRL+J) to open your downloads window. Run the file by either double-clicking it (when viewing your downloads folder) or right-clicking on the file in Firefox's downloads window and selecting "Open". If you run the script from Firefox's downloads window, you may be asked to confirm your choice to run the file. If this is the case, select "OK". Wait for the confirmation message that the backup is complete.

   This script will create a folder on your U drive called "userbackup" containing the following:

   1. A backup of your Firefox Profile
   2. A text document containing a listing of every Word Document on your computer
   3. A text document containing a listing of every Excel Document on your computer
   4. A text document containing a listing of every PowerPoint Document on your computer
   5. A text document containing a listing of every Outlook Archive on your computer
   6. A backup of your Internet Explorer Favorites
   7. A backup of your Desktop
   8. A backup of your Outlook Signatures
   9. A backup of your local My Documents folder
   10. A backup of your Local Settings and Application data for Outlook

   If you do not have a U drive, click here to run the backup script (see above for instructions to run the backup script based on your browser). This will create the same folder called "userbackup" on your desktop, which you can then burn to a CD/DVD or save on a Memory Stick. You will need to copy this folder to your new desktop in Section 2, Part 3 of this guide, so keep its location handy.

   Once you have your backup complete, please be sure to review the files called doc.txt, xls.txt, ppt.txt, and pst.txt in your "userbackup" folder. They will tell you any places you may have accidentally saved documents that would normally be overlooked. Be sure to back up any critical ones.

Once you have all of this done, you should be ready to have your computer imaged. The imaging process takes from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on network traffic that day and in that building. Once we have finished imaging your computer for you, you can give us your backed up files and we will restore them to their rightful places for you.

Remember: Having less stored on your local computer results in losing less in the event of an Emergency reimage. Ideally a personal backup would only be non-job critical documents, nothing would be confidential, and it would be very small in terms of disk space.

Section 2: Setting up Post-Image

After you have received a new image, it is time to set your computer back up. Our technicians are more than happy to perform the following steps for you, but if you were not there when they imaged your computer, and do not wish to wait for them to come back, you can feel more than free to take the following steps yourself.

1. Set up your Outlook Profile: Please see our knowledge base article on this topic here. You may also wish to restore your archive folders, if you had any (See Section 1, number 1). After logging in to Outlook, select File, Open, Outlook Data File.

   

   Then browse to where you saved your archive file and select it.

   

   You should now have an expandable set of archive folders on your Outlook bar.

   

2. Reinstall your Printers: Please see our knowledge base article on this topic here.

3. Restore your backed up Documents: If you have a U drive, click here to run the restore script (see above for instructions to run the script based on your browser). If asked if you would like to copy over anything (yes/no/all,) please press "a" for "all". This will copy the previously backed up contents of a folder on your U drive called "userbackup" to the folders they belong in on your freshly imaged computer. If you do not have a U drive, but you used our script to back up your data to a folder on your desktop (See Section 1, number 3), you can copy the folder called "userbackup" onto your new desktop, then click here to run the restore script (see above for instructions to run the script based on your browser).

4. Check all your programs: Every different job requires different software, and if you use software that not everybody uses, you may need to have it reinstalled. Please be sure to fill out a trouble ticket if you need something installed. Depending on the installation, we may be able to install it automatically and/or remotely.

If you have any further questions about preparing for an image, please call us at 864-4258, or submit a trouble ticket.