Well, it isn't a choice between using Ghost or Sysprep if that's what you were thinking. I use both, they are part of the same purpose of getting the image to the computer. I don't use Norton Ghost though, I use Symantec Ghost which means every machine also has the client software to take commands. This includes being able to tell the client I want to pull and image from it, or telling it I want to push an image to it. Or even push out pre-packaged software, such as Microsoft Office (I use both XP and 2007 packages for different reasons), OpenOffice, and other tools as well. Things that don't have to ever be part of the main image, things that might change from laptop to desktop, from administrative use, to lab use.
My imaging process is fairly streamlined, and I can make a brand new image from install to image creation in about 3 hours. I have a checklist, but it's more of a guideline for me, I have most of it all memorized and I'm fairly structured in how I go about it to give myself reminders (like going through the Control Panel from beginning to end, no stopping to go do other random tasks). Also if I run into an issue, depending on how severe, I may start over, but that very rarely happens.
My steps, to keep general is like this:
I install Windows to a VM (I use VMWare Workstation for the more robust snapshotting abilities) after having prepared a copy with HFSlip, then using nLite to create the Unattended settings (I do NOT remove components, that has always ended up with trouble for me in Sysprepping and other unforeseeable circumstances) and make sure to force the standard PIC ACPI HAL (though not the "Standard PC" HAL of course). I do use the tweaks section though, and I do disable SFC (I'm making an image, why would I use System Restore to fix a computer?)
I have an "Installs" folder on my host computer that I copy over to my VM. It includes .Net 1.1 through 3.5, Adobe Reader, QuickTime, IrfanView, Java, Shockwave Player, Sysprep, and a few other things. Several of these things are automated installs, some aren't, but all of them are very basic. No productivity software at all, no content creation, just codecs, frameworks, viewers - that kind of thing.
I set up the local Group Policy on the machine (I also have a domain policy, but I use just basic settings that I want on every machine, even those that aren't added to the domain, such as my WSUS server settings).
I use CCleaner to clean up all my settings and temp data (also on the Installs folder, not installed on the VM) and then after that making the user my Default User template.
I change my HDC to the standard IDE controller. Before using Sysprep, I use Dial-a-fix (if you use 2000, read the note at the end of this post) to clean up all the system temp stuff, clearing out the CatRoot2, and cleaning up all the Windows Update caching. Just prior to running Sysprep I make a Pre-Sysprep snapshot in VMWare. Also I run CONVERT.EXE to say on the next bootup to convert to NTFS (I install to FAT32 to make sure I can edit the image if I forgot anything or whatever maintenance I need to do - I'd suggest EVERYONE do this as NTFS, even in Ghost 11 is not reliable). I use MySysprep to allow for detection of the HAL during Mini-Setup which then will modify my sysprep.inf for me only if needing the MP APIC HAL. I also have my DriverPacks on the image, uncompressed (I would rather Ghost do the decompression once than making me wait for un7zip to finish ... caused me problems on 2000 before).
After Sysprep finishes and shuts the computer off, I then boot from an AMD PCNET ISO for Ghost I made, and send the image to the server. Then delete my admin profile (I leave no profiles, just the default user).
Basically, what happens when I image a computer is this:
I either boot from a DOS CD for Ghost that I made for all the different NICs I have, or send a task to a client machine to receive my Ghost image. So I typically have 2 to 20 machines all imaging at once.
When they finish that, they boot up, detect that they are on FAT32, run a CHKDSK, convert to NTFS, reboot automatically into Mini-Setup. MySysprep detects the HAL needed, sets it to MP APIC if needed, proceeds through. The computer will then reboot, auto-login to my admin account (which has no password initially since Sysprep SUCKS at setting the password, e.g. it can't reliably) and then through ROE mechanism running DPInst and the DriverPacks Finisher.
When I see they are all at the desktop and ready to go, I send a task to send whatever packaged programs I want (Office, etc) and also set the password to the admin account through the NET USER command.
After that, I have Ghost add it to the domain using my config template I have set up for my AD domain.
To put it simple, I don't use Sysprep as a means to create an image file (it doesn't do that anyhow), I use it as a tool before making the image file.
God I hope this doesn't double post... lol
* About Dial-a-fix on Windows 2000 - make SURE if you are using Dial-a-fix on a 2000 machine, you understand what the "BITS Superfail" is all about. Look it up on DJLizard.net and make sure you follow the revised steps that he and I talked about to make sure you don't break Automatic Updates and the Windows Update site entirely. If you don't read up on this, I absolutely guarantee you will break your 2000 install because of some bug in Microsoft's API for registering the Automatic Updates DLL files.
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