So, I've got a new job as desktop support for a small company. About 80 or so users. There aren't a lot of written policies and procedures. And when there is, its usually vague and/or outdated. Apparently, for the 10 years or so they've been in business, they have been winging it in terms of desktop here.

So, I volunteered to create and update them. In fact, I'm pretty sure this was the intention when they hired me.

My first project is to create a procedure for building a new desktop. As it is, I pull the machine out the box and install XP pro on it. I then have to install all the software and make all the settings individually. This can get rather tedious and take a couple hours when I still have my regular day to day duties to perform.

So, I'm looking for the best way to pull the configuration and apps from one of these machines I'm currently building and put the image on our server to be pulled down for future machines.

These are Dell machines and I know Dell has such a utility. Since there are several models in use, I think this may be handy to deal with the different drivers I'll have to deal with. Of course, with Dell, I can have three computers of the same model with different components.

The other places I've worked, we've symantec Ghost and pointed it to the folder on the server and the specific file for that model. We had a separate file for each model we used.

I'm also reading good things about the utility in Linux Live.

Anyway, my two main questions are:

1) What is the most effective way to deal with the different models and components?

2) What is the best imaging software out there for my situation?