i work as a system builder and am tired of using ghost. we've just setup a new server running server 03 standard. when i go to install RIS it's no where to be found. it's not in add remove windows components anywhere. i've got everything thats needed installed, as far as i know. am i doing something wrong here?

If you install Ris you also need to configure it! More info here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325862 Set Up RIS 1. Log on as a user with administrative privileges. 2. Click Start, click Run, type risetup.exe, and then click OK to start the RIS Setup Wizard. 3. When the "Welcome" screen appears, click Next. 4. Type the drive letter and folder in which the RIS files are stored, and then click Next. For example, you might type E:\RemoteInstall, and then click Next. 5. After the RIS Setup Wizard copies the files, you are be prompted to enable or disable the RIS service, and the options are: Respond to client computers requesting service. If you select this option, RIS is enabled, and it will respond to client computers that are requesting service. Do not respond to unknown client computers. If you select this option, RIS only responds to known client computers. 6. Click Respond to client computers requesting service, and then click Next. 7. You are then prompted for the location of the client operating system installation files. Put the client operating system CD-ROM in the server CD-ROM drive, and then click Next.NOTE: Microsoft only supports the use of Microsoft media when creating a client operating system image. The use of non-Microsoft media is not supported. 8. Type the folder name for the client operating system installation files on the RIS server, and then click Next. 9. Type a friendly description for the operating system image. This is displayed to users after they start a remote client and run the Client Installation Wizard. 10. Click Next, click Finish, and then click Done. Deli

Well, actually this will work if you are running Server 2003 sp1. But if you have release 2 or upgrade to it then RIS is no longer RIS. It's Windows Deployment Services and you install it through Add Remove Programs\Add Remove Windows Components. If you just want to use RIS, after the install go to Administrative Tools and click on Windows Deployment Services Legacy. But I highly recomend that you do some homework before you go any further because WDS can be very confusing. There is a lot of documentation available,unfortunately none of it is in any one place. Technet is a good place to start. Tom