I've got some Windows 2000 (probably soon to be Windows XP Professional) kiosk PCs that only have a 40 gig hard drive with the OS and applications on it.

When the onsite muppets muck it all up etc etc, I want to create a recover system whereby you plug a USB stick into the USB port, the kiosk boots off the USB stick and then recreates the operating system and applications exactly as it was when the thing was shipped.

Can Norton Ghost do this, or maybe any other recommendations?

Ta.

How about PXE boot, such that you can network boot the machine a new image?

You dont need to do that. I work for a local authority IT dept and lookafter 2 public access cybercafes. We use a product called deepfreeze http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp this clever program restores the pc to the state it was frozen at everytime its rebooted. So it it gets wrecked, just reboot and all is back again. You just need to remember to unfreeze and refreeze it again when you upgrade/update the software. You can even uninstall apps and have them reappear on reboot.

You dont need to do that. I work for a local authority IT dept and lookafter 2 public access cybercafes. We use a product called deepfreeze [url=http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp]http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp[/url'] this clever program restores the pc to the state it was frozen at everytime its rebooted. So it it gets wrecked, just reboot and all is back again. You just need to remember to unfreeze and refreeze it again when you upgrade/update the software. You can even uninstall apps and have them reappear on reboot.

Cool little app, will have a looksie at that. I know a Ghost is a good way to go but having to update the image everytime you install something new [includ SP's & updates] is a right pain in the arris ....

Hmm, on the subject of updates ....

How does it handle auto-updates from Micro$oft? I picture the scenario of machine auto updates, reboots and see's it needs to update again etc etc ...

Hmm' date=' on the subject of updates ....

How does it handle auto-updates from Micro$oft? I picture the scenario of machine auto updates, reboots and see's it needs to update again etc etc ...[/quote']

We have to run those pcs with auto update turned off for this reason, and update them manually every month or so.

We dont bother with Antivirus software on them, as they are on there own little network and if they become infected, a quick reboot and its gone again. Same with spyware etc, just restart.