Copying a hard drive

[Thread7]

Hi,

I have ten of the same laptops and would like to create a hard drive image that I can use to overwrite a current hard drive if someone messes up their computer too badly. I think I know how to create the image, but how would I load it onto the laptop? Since there would be no operating system on it, I don't think I could use an external USB 2.0 hard drive. Are there any Iomega products that would do this? Basically I would need it to load at the DOS level. What about some sort of network boot.

Thanks,

Jim Bohan

 

[sswingle]

I think something like Norton Ghost does it off of a bootable CD. I'm sure others work that way also.

 

[Thread7]

I understand that Norton Ghost would work on the software side, but what about the hardware side? The original image has to reside on something. That something must be able to work before Windows is loaded. It wouldn't fit on a CD since my build is about 2.5 GB.

 

[ITPaladin]

I'm not sure what you are asking because I'm tired.

Knoppix (linux) fits on a CD.

It contains drive imaging software.

 

[arbytech]

Thread7,

You can use Ghost to create your image and save it to a network drive. When you have a laptop that needs that image you can boot off of a network bootable floppy or CD and use Ghost to bring down the image. Ghost also allows you to create images to DVDs if you would rather use that or multiple CDs.

I use Symantec Ghost Corporate Edition version 8. Sorry I don't know much about the consumer versions of Ghost.

A good place to create network bootable floppies or CDs is here:

http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/network/

 

[Thread7]

arbytech,

That reply was just what I needed. You guys are the best.

Thanks.

 

[Steven the Leech]

Ghost also allows you to create images to DVDs if you would rather use that or multiple CDs.


That is a very simple process too, could actually do a network image, and a set of cd's or a dvd for mobility.

 

[Arcanedeath]

you could just put it on an external USB2 or firewire HDD, Ghost supports both firewire and USB from dos w/ Version 2003 and higher or as others suggested you could put the image on more than one CD or just put it on one DVD if the laptops all have DVD drives

 

[caz67]

GHOST, is what i use.

 

[ethebubbeth]

you don't even need to store the image on a network... ghost images can be set to span multiple discs.

 

[CraigRT]

I use ghost as well.. always loved it and never ever had a problem using it.