Cloning Windows Vista

J

Jager673

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
247
Alright I have an OEM Vista Ultimate 64x disk i bought from newegg and it doesnt come with SP1 since i bought it before SP1 was out. My question is how would I clone my PC once I have SP1 installed with my drivers and everything?
 
Acronis True Image (my recommendation, always), Norton Ghost (popular but... bleh), DriveImage XML (open source, Windows only installation and operation - not from a CD or whatever), or some other method of creating an image of your drive once you have it set up exactly the way you want, top to bottom and side to side.
 
Ok so once i burn the IMG and try to reinstall it it will boot up and skip the whole CD key thing and just install after i pick the drive?
 
Imaging software will make a bit-for-bit perfect backup of the entire system partition, typically with about 2:1 compression (as long as you haven't mucked it up with hundreds of gigs of mp3 files, video files, etc - already compressed materials, that sort of thing).

When you're done, you'll have an image file, a single solid file (each imaging application uses a different format but the concept is always the same). You can burn that to a DVD if you wish (CDs are impractical given the size of most multi-gigabyte backups), and later on when you decide - or if you get into a situation where you have no other choice - to restore the image, you'll need the software again that created it.

When you're done, your drive's system partition will be exactly as it was the moment the image creation process was done, every bit in exactly the same place.

Imaging software like True Image allows you to create a bootable CD that runs the application from that and not Windows, although it has a Windows application as well. Personally, I never do imaging from inside the OS; I always do it off the bootable CD since it's faster and more reliable to image that way, outside the OS.

You're making a perfect backup of the system partition the way it was when you made it, so it's nothing like reinstalling the OS, needing the drivers, etc, the Product Key, all that crap. You do all that FIRST, with updated/latest drivers, software, applications, all that jazz, and THEN you make an image of it - that gives you a "base" image to work with that you can restore later on anytime you want.

Restoring an image usually takes minutes; reinstalling everything usually takes hours. Big difference. :)

Hope this helps...
 
yes that helps A LOT thanks SO MUCH! Now what program lets me boot into it from a restart like you said and create a bit by bit image file? Do I also need that same program again to reinstall the burnt clone i made?

EDIT: I also wanted to let you know that im doing this from a fresh format of Vista install. So there is NO music on this at all. I also wouldn't do that if there was tons of music on the HD. I have a seprate 1TB HD for all my media stuff.
 
Joe Average said:
When you're done, you'll have an image file, a single solid file (each imaging application uses a different format but the concept is always the same). You can burn that to a DVD if you wish
Click to expand...
Depends how much stuff the OP has. If it's just the base OS install with a few apps, sure.

If you've got stuff like Adobe Master Suite CS4 installed on it or something (huge apps like that), and/or lots of actual data (photos/documents/music)... DVD just isn't going to cut it.

In a situation like that the best option is to save it off to either another hard drive in the computer or an external hard drive.

Jager673 said:
yes that helps A LOT thanks SO MUCH! Now what program lets me boot into it from a restart like you said and create a bit by bit image file? Do I also need that same program again to reinstall the burnt clone i made?
Click to expand...
You use the same program, is what he's saying.

IE, if you use TrueImage to create the image, you have to use TrueImage to restore the image. If you used DriveImage XML to create the image, you have to use DriveImage XML to restore the image.

I've personally never used DriveImage XML, but I've heard good things about it. TrueImage is my choice when imaging a server or something like that. It has yet to fail me.
 
I've heard a lot of talk in the past about windows SID's and how you can't have multiple SIDs on the same network, but is that only on a domain? We clone at work and have no issues at all (Novell). We use Ghost and it works OK.

Are these programs clearing the SIDS out or is it just not an issue on any non-Microsoft Networks?
 
bigdogchris said:
I've heard a lot of talk in the past about windows SID's and how you can't have multiple SIDs on the same network, but is that only on a domain? We clone at work and have no issues at all (Novell). We use Ghost and it works OK.

Are these programs clearing the SIDS out or is it just not an issue on any non-Microsoft Networks?
Click to expand...

It's a bit by bit disk image. It copies it EXACTLY like it was when you took the image.
 
I did my first clone with Acronis True Image..Way to easy..if I can do it anybody can
 
Yup, TrueImage is great stuff.

I use their Enterprise software (Echo server)... Which actually uses a triple buffer to create those bit for bit images WHILE WINDOWS IS STILL RUNNING. It's sweet. To my knowledge nobody does that.

However few people want to shell out that kind of money for that ability, and the only answer is to run that outside of Windows.
 
I too use True Image, just got the latest Home version along with Disk Director. These kinds of products are why I buy commercial software. These products are powerful, flexible, easy to use and handle pretty much any typical hard disk maintenance issue.

A must have for just about anyone.
 
bigdogchris said:
I've heard a lot of talk in the past about windows SID's and how you can't have multiple SIDs on the same network, but is that only on a domain? We clone at work and have no issues at all (Novell). We use Ghost and it works OK.

Are these programs clearing the SIDS out or is it just not an issue on any non-Microsoft Networks?
Click to expand...

Having cloned SIDs in a network can cause some issues and should always be avoided. If you are cloning a computer just for a single backup then these methods will be fine. If you cloning a computer to create a master image that will be used to deploy multiple machines you will need to sysprep the install before capturing the image. Sysprep is a very handy tool but it takes some time to learn how it works, especially in vista. As an alternative you could try NewSID(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897418.aspx) I have never tried it as we only sysprep our images.
 
xenios said:
Having cloned SIDs in a network can cause some issues and should always be avoided. If you are cloning a computer just for a single backup then these methods will be fine. If you cloning a computer to create a master image that will be used to deploy multiple machines you will need to sysprep the install before capturing the image. Sysprep is a very handy tool but it takes some time to learn how it works, especially in vista. As an alternative you could try NewSID(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897418.aspx) I have never tried it as we only sysprep our images.
Click to expand...
See, I set up 1 machine, then image that on to 30 other machines. Everything is fine and there are not issues. So what's the deal with Windows SID (big deal) then? You as well as other says it's a bad thing but I just don't see what's going wrong in my situation that would require each machine to have a new SID.
 
Im currently using Acronis True Image Home 2009 to create the img file. It's creating it from with in windows. Now how would I create the image before i boot into windows?

EDIT: How would i set this up to create a img file that can fit on a DVD5?
 
bigdogchris said:
See, I set up 1 machine, then image that on to 30 other machines. Everything is fine and there are not issues. So what's the deal with Windows SID (big deal) then? You as well as other says it's a bad thing but I just don't see what's going wrong in my situation that would require each machine to have a new SID.
Click to expand...
As long as you change the computer name and join to the domain with a NEW name and everything it should work fine. SIDs don't change when you log onto domains.

Jager673 said:
Im currently using Acronis True Image Home 2009 to create the img file. It's creating it from with in windows. Now how would I create the image before i boot into windows?

EDIT: How would i set this up to create a img file that can fit on a DVD5?
Click to expand...

Inside the program you have an option somewhere to create a bootable disk...
 
This is what i see in the app...

atih09.jpg



What do I pick in this menu to create a bootable cloned image that fits on a DVD5

EDIT: I tried to do the Bootable Rescue Media but i ended up with a 62MB iso which didnt seem right.....
 
TechieSooner said:
As long as you change the computer name and join to the domain with a NEW name and everything it should work fine. SIDs don't change when you log onto domains
Click to expand...
Yeah, every machine has a unique name. I noticed sometimes when a system is brought up with an identical name it gives you a little warning ;)
 
When I've used Acronis, I boot from that 62 MB iso burned to a disc, and copy the image to an external USB drive.
 
Good lord... will someone please smack some sense into some people? :D

Let's do this the easy way:

1) Get Acronis True Image.

2) Install the software because it's a Windows application first and foremost.

3) When the installation is complete, reboot (it's required).

4) When you return to the Desktop, go to the Start Menu, find the Acronis folder entry, find the Create Rescue Media option and run it.

5) Make a bootable CD - you can do it on CD, DVD, or even USB stick nowadays, but CD is still the predominant bootable format. You can choose to make an ISO and burn it with some other software (like ImgBurn, etc) or you can have the Rescue Media Creator do it for you and burn the disc right then and there.

6) When you're done making the bootable CD, what you have is a "DOS"-based version of Acronis True Image on that CD, bootable, and when you use it to boot a PC, it'll have a "DOS"-based version of the same exact software you'd be running in Windows. It looks exactly like the Windows version of the product, but it's not the Windows version because it's running off the bootable CD.

7) Follow the steps as asked to create an image of your system partition or whatever...

And now that I think about it, let's back up a step and add one...

6A) READ THE FREAKIN' MANUAL. :D

Moving on...

8) Continuing from 7) Pick a target desination for the image you want, bleh bleh bleh you can figure it out from here.

The bootable "Rescue" CD is about 62MB in size - if you chose to create the ISO instead of burning it directly using the Rescue Media Creator, that's what you have: just the ISO.

What's on that bootable CD is the "DOS"-based version of True Image, that's all. It's not an image, etc - it IS True Image, the application, bootable and executable from the CD.

Got it? :D

And please note: there are two different versions of True Image we're talking about: the Windows-based application that can do anything you require, and the "DOS"-based bootable CD version that works by booting the PC and then loading the "DOS"-based version of the exact same software without requiring you to boot into Windows. It's the same program, just executable from the CD.

You have to install the Windows version first because that's what is used to then create the Rescue Media... once you have that bootable CD you realistically never need to use the Windows-based application, ever.
 
but im wanting to know how to make a clone of my HD and burn the ISO onto a disk... Thats why it had to be more that just 62MB
 
Jager673 said:
but im wanting to know how to make a clone of my HD and burn the ISO onto a disk... Thats why it had to be more that just 62MB
Click to expand...

...............

OK I'll try to explain simply...


The ISO you create gets burned to a CD. All this CD does is creates a bootable copy of TrueImage, that you can book the computer with.

When you boot the computer with that CD, THEN you can image your hard drive. Make sense???

The ISO is not your data, operating system, or anything like that. It's just a bootable copy of TrueImage.
 
Jager673 said:
So how do i get to make an ISO clone of my HD? lol please dont flame haha
Click to expand...

You seriously may need to spend some time with the user manual.

You aren't creating an ISO of your hard drive. True Image, when you boot from that CD that you'll create with that 64mb file... actually creates a .tib file.
You point the utility to what you want to clone (your OS partition) and then to where you want to save the .tib file (on another hard drive)... and then it goes to work copying.
 
We need to get off the "64 mb file" thing, it's irrelevant.

The bootable CD you create is the software, you then boot off it so that software runs and you use that software to make an image of your drive.

When you're done, you'll have an image file someplace on your system, whether that's on another partition on the same drive, a partition on another physical drive, an external, an FTP site, another PC on a network, a USB stick, it doesn't matter as long as you know WHERE you chose the target destination for the image file.

Once you know where the image was stored, you can then go find it and save it however you wish... or you could just burn the image in real-time to DVD media with True Image itself (after you take the bootable CD out, of course).

This all sounds tough as nails ridiculously complex, I know, but I promise once you've made a few images (you can experiment and learn, yanno) you'll be an old pro and this will seem like a big joke...
 
no no its easy all i needed to know was the basic step of the booting off the disk and making the ISO from the boot menu on the disk. Im 100% now.

EDIT: One more question. Once i boot off the disk where would I go to make the ISO and will it fit on a DVD5?
 
Alright guys can you help me with something? I have Acronis True Image Home; I used it to copy my original HD to my new TB HD. However, I'm not quite sure how the backup feature works. On my TB HD I have already used most of it, I have 153 GB left does that mean if I want to make a backup of my HD I'll need to find a medium that's that size?
 
Jager673 said:
no no its easy all i needed to know was the basic step of the booting off the disk and making the ISO from the boot menu on the disk. Im 100% now.

EDIT: One more question. Once i boot off the disk where would I go to make the ISO and will it fit on a DVD5?
Click to expand...

You seem to be under the impression that True Image or some other drive imaging app is going to leave you with an ISO that you can just burn to DVD or whatever. In that respect, you're quite incorrect. The file(s) the imaging software creates are proprietary image formats, they are not ISO files like you're familiar with for CDs, DVDs, etc. It doesn't work that way...

You make an image file (True Image image files are *.tib - .tib is the extension), and I honestly can't say for Ghost because it's been so long since I've used it (*.gho ?). I simply cannot remember at this point.

However, if you want to make an image of your drive(s) and put them on DVD you have two options:

1) Burn the image directly to DVD using True Image itself. It will span the files across as many required DVDs as it needs, it'll tell you when to put in a blank DVD, when to eject it, when to put in the next, etc - if you do this sort of process YOU SHOULD ALWAYS VERIFY THE IMAGE WHEN YOU ARE DONE. If you don't do the verify, you could end up wasting a lot of time doing this process and with a backup that is corrupt and unusable in the long run. ALWAYS verify an image after it's created - it's worth the time involved.

2) Make the image file and store it on another drive, server, wherever, and then go find it when you're back in Windows and burn it using some software. The problem with this method is it'll end up creating one big image file - it's entirely possible depending on how large your drive(s) are to have a .tib file that's 20, 40, 80, 100GB or even larger (this is one very important reason a lot of us choose to have small/er/ish system partitions - making an image is easier.

You *CAN* choose to split the image file into chunks of a defined size, like 4.25GB so each "part" will fit on a DVD later. That is part of the settings you can modify just before you get to the final step and the imaging process begins. Once you have those files (or the one big one) you can then decide how to store it safely.

Bleh.
 
Azureth said:
Alright guys can you help me with something? I have Acronis True Image Home; I used it to copy my original HD to my new TB HD. However, I'm not quite sure how the backup feature works. On my TB HD I have already used most of it, I have 153 GB left does that mean if I want to make a backup of my HD I'll need to find a medium that's that size?
Click to expand...

If you've got ~835GB of content on that 1TB drive, get ready to buy another 1TB to back it up on... ;)

That's not software, I already know that: it's movies and music, already compressed materials which will not get any smaller so, yes, it will require nearly the same amount of space to back it up to as it already requires.
 
Whats it mean when I have a Red X through my network in the bottom right corner but i still can browse the internet without any problems? Theere was stuff there an hour ago but all of a sudden theres nothing... But im online and can search the net without any problems..


problem.jpg
 
Joe Average said:
If you've got ~835GB of content on that 1TB drive, get ready to buy another 1TB to back it up on... ;)

That's not software, I already know that: it's movies and music, already compressed materials which will not get any smaller so, yes, it will require nearly the same amount of space to back it up to as it already requires.
Click to expand...

Actually, no. Mostly games.
 
Azureth said:
Actually, no. Mostly games.
Click to expand...

Geez... that's a bit insane. :D Why not have a secondary drive - like that 1TB - for more "permanent stuff" like game installations that don't typically need to be reinstalled, etc because of saved game files, etc, and the use a smaller faster drive for the OS itself, or perhaps just a smaller system partition?

That makes things so much easier with respect to imaging and backing up the truly important stuff like the OS itself. The games and other aspects are way down the list of priorities for most folks compared to the OS itself and their most important applications.

Just suggestions...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top