Universal Imaging Utility Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

Issue: Does the UIU work with Windows 64-bit or Vista (Longhorn)?

The UIU 3.5 is currently compatible with Windows Vista, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. Big Bang LLC is continuing development of the UIU, and compatibility with Windows 64 is under consideration.
Issue: Does it really work with all hardware?

Our goal is that a Universal Image will work correctly on nearly all business-class desktops and laptops. This includes, but is not limited to Dell, HP, Compaq, IBM, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, etc. The hardware component manufacturers include Intel, 3Com, Via, nVidia, ATI, and more. Because of this level compatibility, most lesser-known PC brands and "white boxes" will work correctly as well. The UIU is not directly designed for home user PCs and hardware, although in most cases, it will still perform correctly because of the large volume of drivers. The UIU contains drivers for over 25,000 hardware components, and chances are yours is in there.
Issue: That's a lot of drivers. Does it make my image bigger?

It will add approximately 600MB to an image file and add a minute or two to the deployment. What we have done is try to work only with the actual hardware manufacturers' drivers, rather than the PC manufacturers' versions. For example, an ATI video card may be used in several systems, but we work with just the base component drivers as much as possible, which makes them smaller, faster, and cleaner.
Issue: So, is it just a big driver library?

No, the UIU is considerably more than that. The large driver library just allows Sysprep to work correctly to identify your hardware once the image is deployed. With a Windows installation CD, you can install Windows on nearly any PC. The real heart of the UIU is that it takes your master image to as basic a level as when you install Windows directly from CD. It actually takes your master image to a more basic level than Microsoft's Sysprep utility. That is the real key to making certain your image does not blue screen when deployed to a new PC, and what sets the UIU apart.
Issue: Does the UIU include peripheral drivers?

The UIU currently includes drivers for internal devices - modems, network cards, video and sound cards, etc. It does not include external or USB devices like printers, scanners, etc. We are considering options for providing those drivers in future versions.
Issue: Do I need to select the hardware or PCs I have?

No, we have the drivers covered. You do not have to provide Sysprep, or the UIU application any information regarding your hardware configurations, PC types, or drivers.

Issue: How do I know if the UIU is compatible with my hardware?

We do not compile a list of compatible PC models as any given hardware component, a Broadcom network card for example, may be included in several PC models from several manufacturers.
Issue: What are the benefits of using the Universal Imaging Utility?

The benefits in time savings, money savings, and consistency are tremendous. Do you want to keep your images up to date on their security updates? Only update one image. Software maintenance or updates inside your images? Only once. New user policies need to be set? Just once. Upgrading to a new version of Windows? How about creating just one image that works everywhere, rather creating several individual images? And consider the advantages of having the same policies and settings established consistently on every machine - desktops and laptops - throughout your organization.
Issue: How does it work? How difficult is it to use?

The procedure is easy: Setup your Master Windows 2000, XP or Vista computer based on our guidelines and capture a base image. This is the most time consuming step of the process. Then simply run the UIU.exe. The UIU will modify your system, install drivers, and launch Sysprep, and then shut your PC down - all in less than 10 minutes. At that point, take a normal image in DOS or Win PE (do not reboot to Windows!) using your disk imaging software - like Ghost or Altiris. That's it. No drivers, no Plug-n-Play IDs, no need to sweat through Sysprep. The UIU even creates your Sysprep.inf or Sysprep.xml file for you! Then deploy the image to your other PCs the way you always have, and watch as it successfully deploys correctly to all your machines.
Issue: Does the UIU replace Ghost, Altiris, or other disk imaging tools?

No, the UIU is not a disk imaging application. It prepares your master machine so that the image created from it can be deployed successfully to multiple hardware platforms. The UIU will work with any Windows imaging software application that works correctly with Sysprep.
Issue: What type of support does Big Bang offer?

Big Bang offers free phone, email, and Internet support for one year after your purchase. That includes all UIU program updates, as well as updates for new drivers.