Cloning install to other PCs

Peerzy · 3 Jun 2014 at 19:18

Evening,

I've got a PC with Windows 7 installed, I've got a number of identical PCs that I'd basically like to clone across to (to save having to go through installing Windows, drivers etc.... again and again).

What is the best free tool to do this? I'm guessing it'll allow me to create a DVD which is then bootable, I'll pop that into the second, third, forth etc... PCs and boot from it and it'll 'install' the image?

mightymouse · 3 Jun 2014 at 22:12

macrium free edition

this_is_gav · 4 Jun 2014 at 08:52

Make sure you change the Windows serial number and reactivate each PC. Same with Office if you use it.

The 'proper' way is Sysprep. On source PC capture an image to restore afterwards, run sysprep, capture another image, deploy this 2nd image to your other PCs, restore 1st image to original PC.

leigh_boy · 4 Jun 2014 at 09:00

this_is_gav said:
Make sure you change the Windows serial number and reactivate each PC. Same with Office if you use it.

The 'proper' way is Sysprep. On source PC capture an image to restore afterwards, run sysprep, capture another image, deploy this 2nd image to your other PCs, restore 1st image to original PC.

this is indeed the correct way, you can then add WDS to help deployments if you kave 2k8 r2 server up

this_is_gav · 4 Jun 2014 at 09:18

Going off-topic, but for reference:

leigh_boy said:
this is indeed the correct way, you can then add WDS to help deployments if you kave 2k8 r2 server up

I use a combination of Acronis (to manage the images) and FOG for the deployment as I love its ease and managing naming. I've never mastered WDS (not that I've ever played with it much to be honest - need more space on servers for that!). While WDS looks brilliant for driver packaging and deployment, PC naming looked difficult the last time I looked. Currently I use a pnputil script to integrate all the drivers into the image pre-sysprep - not the most efficient way, but it works.

leigh_boy · 4 Jun 2014 at 09:44

this_is_gav said:
Going off-topic, but for reference:

I use a combination of Acronis (to manage the images) and FOG for the deployment as I love its ease and managing naming. I've never mastered WDS (not that I've ever played with it much to be honest - need more space on servers for that!). While WDS looks brilliant for driver packaging and deployment, PC naming looked difficult the last time I looked. Currently I use a pnputil script to integrate all the drivers into the image pre-sysprep - not the most efficient way, but it works.

i have used acronis but not heard of FOG,
i use microsofts AIK + WDS i use AIK to do setup the naming it can also call back to the server to get the driver and packaging lists so every new deployment has office, adobe reader and phone client with out even having to do anything.

Peerzy · 4 Jun 2014 at 20:00

Just to clear things up I'd normally use WDS or similar but it isn't really needed in this situation. The network will be 7 identical PCs and a server with no scope to expand. My thinking is it would be easiest to setup 1 PC and then just mirror across to the other 6.

Will give Macrium Free Edition a go, the major requirement is to be able to have it on a bootable DVD which I can't see clearly if it does but it's worth a shot.