When the Universal Imaging Utility was released to the public in early 2004, there were two distinct reactions: "Finally!" and "That can't be done!"

In the years that have followed, the "That can't be done" group has become decidedly smaller and the market has seen an increase in products that "create" a "hardware-independent" or "universal" image that can be deployed anywhere.  To this day, none provides the complete set of features offered by the original Universal Imaging Utility.

Only the UIU does all of the following, thereby creating a truly hardware-independent image for Vista or Windows XP, delivering the reliability and labor-saving solution you need and have come to expect.

• The UIU, working with your existing cloning utility of choice, reduces the operating system on the Master computer to a pre-installation state, preparing the Master Image to completely discover all hardware components upon deployment to any business-class desktop, notebook or tablet PC.
• UIU facilitates the installation of device-appropriate drivers in the Vista Driver Store and actively avoids generic driver PnP ID conflicts.
• The UIU includes Master Image Machine Integrity Check (MIMIC), which authenticates the Master (source) computer, resulting in an Image that is optimized for deployment to the target (destination) computers.
• The UIU performs an enhanced detection of the HAL associated with the deploy hardware in order to ensure bootability and proper hardware device detection.

Questions to ask when considering a Hardware-Independent Solution:

• Does it work with all makes and models of business-class PCs, regardless of manufacturer?
• Does it include a comprehensive database containing the latest device drivers for NICs, sound cards, video cards, motherboards, etc.?
• Does it create a Sysprep answer file for you and allow you to use an existing one?
• Does it include an integrity check to ensure the source computer is configured to produce an image for optimal deployment?
• Does it come with technical support that constantly searches for, locates and makes available the latest drivers for all the necessary hardware components?

• Includes a comprehensive device driver database for Windows Vista, XP and 2000.  The UIU detects which OS is present and automatically loads the required drivers.
• UIU requires no precognition of hardware to receive UIU-prepared image; UIU contains the latest, constantly-updated drivers, not just drivers collected from existing hardware.  UIU appropriately and programmatically addresses the HAL and creates the Sysprep answer files.
• The UIU enables the creation of a Master Image that provides complete and accurate installation of all the device drivers for the existing components on the target computer.  This eliminates the need to keep a library of drivers or having to search manufacturer's sites in order to have a cloned computer boot properly.

• The UIU includes an easy-to-use Configuration Wizard to create and manipulate the Sysprep answer file, either SYSPREP.INF for Windows XP/2000 or UNATTEND.XML for Windows Vista.  The UIU also accepts a User's own pre-prepared answer file, wherein the UIU will verify that sections which are known to interfere with the UIU do not exist. 
• When the Big Bang Technical Support team discovers or learns of a driver that is not included in the UIU Driver Database, they retrieve the driver, specific to a PnP ID and prepare/package it for use in the UIU Custom folder.  Once that driver is validated by a UIU customer, it will be added to UIU Driver Database for release in the next revision.  Customers requiring use of that driver prior to the release of the next version of the UIU Driver Database may employ the Custom folder until the next release, typically on the 2^nd, (second) Tuesday, bi-monthly.