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VMWare Workstation Image to PC

aliaskary77

Gawd
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Joined
Dec 18, 2006
Messages
565
Hi
I have an SSD drive i will install on fathers PC once I travel to his place half way around the world. His desktop PC is at his place of course.

My internet connection is much faster than his. Downloading updates and apps would be much easier here. For the most part, i have Win 7 and Office service packs and used autopatcher to download all the updates to take with me. It should get me 90% of the way there in terms of downloads required.

However, I was thinking of another option and wanted advice from those that have done it.

I use VMWare Workstation 10 on my machine. If I were to install the OS, all updates and applications on that, could i then deploy the image to the SSD after its installed on his computer? Either directly or using Acronis?

I know Acronis has a universal mode so drivers and such should not be an issue, but I have never tried it. Hoping SSD alignment is also not an issue, but have heard that can be fixed after the fact, just takes a lot of time.

Thanks for any direction you guys can provide.
 
Natively install Windows and such on your machine then use acronis?
 
Put the SSD in your local computer, install everything there, run through sysprep. Take it out, put your hdd back in place, and take the SSD to his computer. It should be OOBE, so you'll have a little work to do at the other end, but nothing too terrible.
 
not messing with my machine would be easier thats why was hoping vmware route may work.
now to google sysprep :)

I do have a spare alienware laptop i could use for this, but was hoping to sell it this weekend.
 
not messing with my machine would be easier thats why was hoping vmware route may work.
now to google sysprep :)

I do have a spare alienware laptop i could use for this, but was hoping to sell it this weekend.

You've got to plug it in anyways for VMware and nobody said anything about messing with your machine, your existing install wouldn't be bothered.
 
oh i was not going to plug it in for vmware. I was thinking of creating the vm instance and make an image of it. then copy it to my external usb. i would then restore the image to the ssd after it was installed on my dads machine.

if i am plugging it in, then i might as well install directly to it and ignore vmware. i will actually create two options in case one doesnt work. i will install and update everything and create an acronis image like you suggested, then import the image to the ssd again using universal restore once its on his machine.

after taking the image, i will then sysprep it like eulogy suggested and just take the drive with me. if it works, great. if not, the restore option will then be available.

if neither work, then i will clean install and use autopatcher to do most of the work.

the more i can do it home to get everything installed and running, the better. the only thing then will be migrating his personal files over and setting up emails.

i was hoping not to open up my machine as its a mini-itx in a fractal design node 304. cable management is crazy and took a long time. disconnecting sata cables to use with the new drive and back again means a lot of work to put it back together so airflow is not an issue.
 
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