Networks

Ask something
Question Locked

disc Image/restore from xp server over LAN

0 helpful
5 replies

by tower609

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I run a recording studio in NJ, and have grown quite tired of re-formatting, re-installing everytime there is a problem with a piece of hardware for our PC's. I use ghost multicast server at my day job, but always have to boot from floppys, and obtain the nic drivers for the corp laptops every time there is a new model. We deal with many different pc's at my studios, and often get friends' comptuers to fix b/c of the 3TB of storage we have and the ease of access.

So,
What would I need to do, once any particular computer is up and properly configured, make an image that can be stored on my main server's hd (connected at 1000mbps lan), so I can boot from lan on whatever computers come my way with problems, and restore the HD image.

The main benifit is for my recording and mixing pcs, as the drivers must be carefully configured, preset files restored to specific directories etc. Hours upon hours of work, that I don't really have the time for anymore.

Any thoughts?

Thanks a bunch!

5 replies

by rob miners

would be to use Acronis? True Image 11 Home

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

Once you have the PC setup with everything the way that you want you can Create a Recovery Partition on the Drive. If anything goes wrong it only takes 7 minutes to be up and running. It can also be used to copy an Image to another location. The only drawback with this method is that if the Hard Drive fails you will have a few problems.

The other alternative is to use Ghost as you are familiar with it. If you haven't access to a Server you wont be able to Multicast but you can always copy the Image to a Shared Folder and with a Network Boot Disk you will be able to load the Image to a PC.

by tower609

installed on the main "server" pc here. It also has dhcp enabled... so all the ethernet jacs throughout the building are assiged an ip via the server pc and dhcp built into win xp. I have been able to (at work) successfully complete a 4pc multicast session with this exact configuration. (ghost muti 7.5) however I have to boot from usb floppys, with dos boot disks containing the nework card drivers for each model. when dealing with 300 8 series and 400 9 series panasonic toughbook laptops ordered new with a tech support I can have email me the NIC drivers, no big deal. When dealing with up to 20 different models of new and slightly older PCs, some custom built...big deal.

All these programs that have been suggested thus far are great for backing up, but once there is a failed machine or kaput hard drive, id have to walk to the main building (300 feet), go to the basement ( where the server pc terminates it's lan feed to the studio underground) open the computer, connect a monitor and mouse, install the new-to-be hard drive, image it, remove, install in the failed pc... etc

I want to be able to boot from lan preferably on the bad pc, or cd rom, and pull the good image from one of the networked drives on my xp pro server, wait 5 to 30 minutes and be done. (the actal bad pc, is what burns the image to the new disk without having to install win on it first and one of those imaging programs.)
Think of it like drive-in disk imaging station... When a new pc is a-ok cond configured (or say... a techno challenged relative's pc whom I hate having to drive 30 min to sit there for 2 hours reinstalling windows and programs is working with -gasp- no problems) I want to walk the behaving pc up to an ethernet jack in the studio, run majic program, and send the image out to my networked drive. if the pc breaks, (or said realative's kid downloads too much limewire and porn after removing the anti virus software for no reason...)
I buy a new hdd or reformt old, connect lan cable, boot from lan or a cd I had them keep, select image file, click go... wait 20... then be all done and back to good.

Sound possible?

by rob miners

was an XP PC. If you are able to Multicast you are home and hosed. You will just have to setup a Boot Disk for each Network Card.

Setup your Multicast session and Boot the Workstation from your Network Boot Disk.

This method also works and once you have your Disk setup with the appropriate Network Drivers you can connect to and load your Image from a Shared Folder. There is no need to Multicast. You only have to have a copy of ghost.exe in the Share.

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

This discussion is closed to new replies.