I want to copy another computers hard disk to mine HOW??

[Jim]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I want to copy another computers hard disk to one where a new hard
drive was just installed.

Then I want to change the OS and MS Office product keys to mine.

Is this possible. I do IT maintenance for some companies and when a
hard disk is replaced, currently I have to install the OS with product
key, install the mfg. supplied drivers, install MS Office with product
key, install all other apps used by the user.

In the same office are several computers that are the same hardware
and exact same software - except for product keys, IP address, user
name and passwords. If think it would be much faster to do a hard
disk copy, then make those changes.....

I also think a badly virus and spyware infected system could be
repaired the same way much faster....

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Jim" <speedi@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:bc95f451.0409130610.3f0ba119@posting.google.com...
>I want to copy another computers hard disk to one where a new hard
> drive was just installed.
>
> Then I want to change the OS and MS Office product keys to mine.
>
> Is this possible. I do IT maintenance for some companies and when a
> hard disk is replaced, currently I have to install the OS with product
> key, install the mfg. supplied drivers, install MS Office with product
> key, install all other apps used by the user.
>
> In the same office are several computers that are the same hardware
> and exact same software - except for product keys, IP address, user
> name and passwords. If think it would be much faster to do a hard
> disk copy, then make those changes.....
>
> I also think a badly virus and spyware infected system could be
> repaired the same way much faster....

If this company is running Win2000/3 servers then you need to look into RIS
(Remote Installation Services). In conjunction with Active Directories you
can set up a common software environment and then install that environment
on each PC automatically. There are other convent management features as
well such as distributing upgrades and repairing bad installs. One
important point, this method is not dependent on identical hardware. It
will work great in a mixed environment.

It takes some upfront work to set up but trust me it's worth it even in a
small network. After setting it up changing a hard drive is as easy as
putting in the new drive and booting PC, answering a few questions and then
let it do it's thing.

Note: to do this easily with any method like RIS or Ghost you need Volume
License version of Microsoft software and OS. This will give you the
ability to install software using you VOL Key and not have to activate each
copy. Of course you need to stay with in you license agreement as far as #s
of installs. Also, for automatic OS installation you need a NIC that has a
BOOT ROM.

Look up RIS at http://support.microsoft.com or
http://www.microsoft.com/technet.

Also note that on the XP CD in the Support folder there is a deploy.cab
file. In this file there are help files and other tools that help prepare
an image for distribution across multiple PCs.

--

Rob

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Jim wrote:

> I want to copy another computers hard disk to one where a new hard
> drive was just installed.
>
> Then I want to change the OS and MS Office product keys to mine.
>
> Is this possible. I do IT maintenance for some companies and when a
> hard disk is replaced, currently I have to install the OS with product
> key, install the mfg. supplied drivers, install MS Office with product
> key, install all other apps used by the user.
>
> In the same office are several computers that are the same hardware
> and exact same software - except for product keys, IP address, user
> name and passwords. If think it would be much faster to do a hard
> disk copy, then make those changes.....
>
> I also think a badly virus and spyware infected system could be
> repaired the same way much faster....

Why not just create an image for those machines? The companies should
own site licenses and the CD keys really shouldn't matter that much.

Bob