Can't find imaging tool for NeoWare M100 laptop

[Alan S Collins]

I have downloaded the latest Win XPe image from HP.  I would like to simply create a bootable USB drive to flash the memory on the M100.  I saw a reference to a "Neoware USB Image Update and Retrieval Tool v2.2.2" on another forum, but the link was broken and I can't find it anywhere else (or even mention of it).  Does this utility really exist?  I have had no end of trouble trying to set up and use ezRemote Manger and it is really overkill for what I need to do. 

I just want to:

1. Update the XPe image / firmware on one unit

2. Build the image with the VPN Client installed and configured, then

3. Save it to a USB drive and use it for our flashing our other Neoware units

If this is not possible, can someone tell me why ezRemote Manager can find the NeoWares when they are connected to the network, but I am unable to unlock the units so I can update them?  From what I have gathered from any online forums or documentation I could find, I need to highlight the protected unit, make sure XPe Account Name is the name of the Administrator account on the unit, and under Security the Appliance Access Password should be the passord for the Administrator account.  However, it is not clear what to do from there.  If I right-click the unit, I get a menu, but there is no option to unlock the unit.

Again, my preference is to find a utility that can let me pull images from a unit to a USB drive and push it to other units, but any help with ezRemote Manger would also be greatly appreciated if no such utility exists.

BTW, our M100s have the 512MB flash drives, in case that makes a difference.

Thanks,

Alan

[Alan S Collins]

I should add that Wyse has such a utility for their thin clients and that's how we image them and it works well for us. It seems like such a utility should be available for NeoWare as well (and I think it did, but maybe HP discontinued it in favor of ezRemote Manager when they bought out NeoWare).

[Kite Runner]

whats means ezRemoteManager does not found the m100?

How many m100 are on you network and how many do you see.

btw: if you run ezRemoteManager Linmited edition, this tool sees onyl 5 units. Unlimited verion can handle unlimited amount of units, but must installed onto a Windows server.

Then you should be able to update the units with the XPe from the HP m100 page.

Also if you build a master unit you cand pull the image from the client and deploy then again with ezRM.

This works as long you have working environment (m100, network, ezRm).

Neoware had also a "Flash Recovery" tool to update units which crashed, unstable, unknown admin password etc.., over the network using PXE.

But its not on the web anymore.

Google it...

[Stephen Kassel]

If you would like the Neoware usb imaging tool you can download it from my site. It was probrably the link you had from another site that was a broken link due to taking down the main domain name.

http://temp.skasselcom.officelive.com/Neoware.aspx

[Alan S Collins]

Thanks for the response, Kite Runner.  ezRemote Manager did find the NeoWare laptops.  It just shows them all as "Protected".  If I am understanding correctly, I should be able to "unprotect" them by using their administrator user name and password, but that isn't working for me.  I have entered "Administrator" in "XPe Account Name" and the appropriate password under "Security" from the "Settings" pull-down menu.  However, the units remain protected and I can't remotely manage them.  Is there another password that I should be aware of?  It can't be a BIOS password because I can get into the BIOS of these machines without a password.  I can't imagine what the password it would be if it is not the one for the administrator account.

As far as the Flash Recovery tool you mentioned - I googled it like you suggested.  I could only find older posts and broken liniks, much like with my quest to find the elusive "Neoware USB Image Update and Retrieval Tool v2.2.2".  I guess I have no option but to try and figure out how to make ezRemote Manager work for me.

[Alan S Collins · Accepted solution]

Hey Kite Runner, I don't know what happened, but I took one of the test units out on the road yesterday to test the USB 3G modem and VPN client software.  I just hooked it back up to the network, ezRemote Access discovered it and unprotected it automatically.  I am now updating the image on it as I am typing this reply.

I don't know what changed, but the important thing is that it is working now.  I wish I knew what I did so I could post a solution here for others to benefit from that might be experiencing similar issues.  But right now I am just happy that it is working.

Thanks again for your input.

[Alan S Collins]

Hey Stephen - I can't thank you enough!  I grabbed the utility plus a couple others that look interesting, and the instructions.  You're a life-saver!  Can't wait to try them out on Monday.:smileyhappy:

Oh, and congratulations on the spelling "Stephen" the proper way.  That is how I spell my middle name and my son's first name. :smileyhappy:

[Alan S Collins]

Well, I didn't get the chance to try the USB Flash Recovery tool yesterday, but I did today.  I just wanted to let you know that it worked, and now we have a good working image on the unit that had a corrupted flash image.  I only wish that I could find a recovery utility for a Wyse X90L laptop (this one doesn't work - I tried it) as we have one of them with a corrupt flash drive.  Wyse would be happy to rebuild the flash drive for us - for $225.00, whicjh I think is a little steep.

Thanks again for the utility, Stephen.  I was beginning to think that we were going to have to write off that NeoWare m100 with the corrupt flash drive as unusable.

[Stephen Kassel]

Glad to have helped