Windows 7 Creating image and restoring to different PCs

[adammembrey]

Hi everyone.

I've been placed in charge of setting up new PCs at work.

These are tablet PCs and the hardware in each is identical...I've now setup one PC to function EXACTLY how I want it.

My question is, what's the best way to image the entire drive and then load it onto subsequent PCs (please nothing like PXE) the restore will be done from a USB thumb drive.

 

[AddRAM]

Your the IT guy ?

 

[adammembrey]

Your the IT guy ?

In a shed full of fabrication workers, I'm the closest they have.

It's a simple question that requires a simple, non-snide, answer.

-How to clone the drive to USB (I assume via Windows 7 backup utility and create system image
My main issue is, how to perform the restore and have the new HDD bootable (I know it can be done via recovery but these are netbooks without DVD drives)

Further to which, it's "You're" as in the contraction of You Are...unless you're referring to the possessive "your"

 

[AddRAM]

You`re the IT guy ?

There you go, now it`s correct.

And it wasn`t snide it was a simple question, typed wrong. ( tired ) I`m sure you knew what I meant.

Actually not typed wrong, it was exactly how I wanted to spell it.

 

[adammembrey]

You`re the IT guy ?

There you go, now it`s correct.

And it wasn`t snide it was a simple question, typed wrong. ( tired ) I`m sure you knew what I meant.

My apologies mate, long day and trying to get this sorted as soon as I can.

Whilst I have plenty of exposure to IT (approx 15 years) I have never had the need nor want to clone drives. Now however I have to clone 15-20 copies per month (Windows 7 OEM with no key activated)

This is not my primary job at the factory however, it is dispatch and storeman so I can't sit down for hours pouring over guides online without my boss asking what I'm doing every 5 minutes.

So to provide a guideline of the requirements:

-Hardware is identical in every tablet PC
-No DVD drive
-Clone will be placed onto 32GB USB drive

I need to be able to boot off of a USB drive and restore the system image so that all that is required is the entering of a CD key and username (prior to cloning the system will be changed to OOB experience).

I said no PXE based installs as the network is run off of a domain and these tablets will never be joining said domain, plus they do not have RJ45 ports (yes I know I can use USB > RJ45 adapters)

 

[adammembrey]

*bump*

 

[SIW2]

Not sure what the question is.

If the hardware is identical - and you have valid product keys - just make an image- save it to the usb drive. - almost any imaging utility will do - restore to each machine in turn.

You will obviously need the imaging program on the usb stick as well - boot it up - choose the retore option.

 

[adammembrey]

I understand the process' involved, I was more looking for a recommendation on what software to use and if there are guides online?

 

[SIW2]

I think it is a bit unusual to do it manually per machine - as I think you are planning to do.

Haven't come across any specific step by step thing for that.

You could use the free version of a program to check if it works for you - if you go ahead and use it in a commercial environment, you will need a paid version.

You might look at macrium and Paragon free versions first.

The free way is to set up the base machine , sysprep it, shutdown. Then make a .wim image of it with MS commandline tool imagex, or the free Gimagex is easy - GImageX - AutoItScript

you would need to put imagex or gimagex into a bootable .wim so you could apply the image to the target machine.

 

[adammembrey]

I think it is a bit unusual to do it manually per machine - as I think you are planning to do.

Haven't come across any specific step by step thing for that.

You could use the free version of a program to check if it works for you - if you go ahead and use it in a commercial environment, you will need a paid version.

You might look at macrium and Paragon free versions first.

The free way is to set up the base machine , sysprep it, shutdown. Then make a .wim image of it with MS commandline tool imagex, or the free Gimagex is easy - GImageX - AutoItScript

you would need to put imagex or gimagex into a bootable .wim so you could apply the image to the target machine.

I mean this with no ill intent, however how would you propose to install Windows on so many machines without PXE?

And thankyou for the info regarding gigamex. Looks like I have some reading to do this weekend

 

[adammembrey]

Solved. Used Clonezilla, simple once I read a few guides and the screen tips

 

[SIW2]

That's good. Free, too.