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radforcn

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Dell Optiplex 780 and Ghost

We have 32 new Dell 780 Optiplex computers. In the past we have always used Ghost Suite 2.0 with a PXE server to ghost our machines. The new Dell 780 hangs on the PXE server startup at downloading template. We have tried updating drivers, we have tried using Ghost Suite 2.0 Console client, nothing will let us take an image from the new computer. As you can see from this link others are having the same problems.

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19306517.aspx

Any help would be appreciated.
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funnyfingers

Are you using gigabit switch?  Try setting it and the clients to 100 Mbps FULL, not autodetect.

If that doesn't work, try updating the BIOS.
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Have you tried the Eval of GSS 2.5 instead ?

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ASKER

Thanks to the both of you for the response. Neither worked...but I appreciate your efforts.
Which network driver are you using?  Try the UNDI driver.
If you only need an image for now then do it via DOS boot

network boot Universal TCP/IP Network Bootdisk is a DOS bootdisk that has almost all NIC drivers built in.
http://www.netbootdisk.com/

Ghost bootable
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f3/norton-ghost-bootable-cd-153755/

Create a Universal network boot floppy image and use that to create your CD boot. set it to connect to your server, and put a copy of Ghost.exe on the shared drive where the images are .

also
http://www.tech-forums.net/computer_articles/restore/restore-disk.php

SATA CDROM boot

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/0/02757dcb0c3c1ed68825734e0059c0b8?OpenDocument&seg=en&lg=en&ct=uk
drivers
http://marktsai0316.googlepages.com/gcdromfordos

I hope this helps !

if none of the solutions worked you can try the following free software to massive cloe
http://clonezilla.org/ 
We can boot with a bootdisk just fine and the imaging process works - this is not our issue.  The issue seems to be with PXE and/or TFTP.  When the computers connect to PXE we select the driver template from the menu and then it hangs on "Transferring Image File...".  
Did you ever try the UNDI driver?  It works well with the PXE module.  I have found that even though it is universal, it works better than card specific drivers.
We've tried the UNDI driver, we've tried multiple iterations of the Intel driver, etc.  It seems to be an issue with the TFTP server because I always see a generic fail error in the TFTP log.  Thanks for trying though...
I see this worked in the past with other machines, but does it work right now with the other machines?  Also can you post that TFTP error message?
We have the same issue here, only we have nearly 300 systems to image.  Dell Support initially bumped our case to Engineering before Thanksgiving and said they would get back with us.  A month later I had to call them to find out the status and now they say we have to get our Sales Rep involved to get Engineering off their backsides and resolve the issue or recall the units.  Of course, Our rep (and his alternate contacts, and their alternate contacts.... are all on vacation until 1/4/2010!!!

While using a Ghost boot CD or Flash drive works, it takes 3-4 times as long AND you need Lots of them to get any quantity at a time done.  Dell just needs to fix the problem ASAP.
We have just receved 50 new Optiplex 780 and we are having the same issu with GSS2.5 and 3com pxe.
Jploughe, have you anything new from dell about it?
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jploughe
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Thank you very much!
If they notify you after they will have released it, would be greet if you post it here to let us know.
 
You can sign up for notifications directly from Dell.  Save you some time.
Let's hope the BIOS upgrade actually works!
It does. We tested a "soon to be released/ almost final revision" version after signing a NDR from Dell Legal.  :)
Our rep is having trouble getting the engineers to understand this very issue.  Do you have any of the engineers names or rep that we can have our rep contact to work with on this very issue?  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  
email me for contact info off-line. see attached

contact.txt