Creating Computer Hard Drive Images for Distribution

 

Tools Needed:

  • 3 Diskettes
  • Partition Magic 6.x (or later)
  • Drive Image 4.x (or later)

 

Also needed for Windows NT 4 or Windows 2000 machines:

  • NewSID software (or equivalent)

 

Preparing your tools

1.      Format and systemize a diskette with Windows 9.x or equivalent.  This becomes your DOS boot disk.  Load the disk with your choice of utility files (fdisk, format, etc.).  It's also handy to have mouse drivers loaded.

2.      Using the Partition Magic setup program, create a set of Partition Magic diskettes.  It's disk 2 you're after.  This becomes your main Partition Magic disk.

3.      Using the Drive Image setup program, create a set of Drive Image diskettes.  Again, it's disk 2 you're after.  This becomes your main Drive Image disk.

 

To prepare a machine for imaging

  1. Load the operating system, drivers, etc., needed for all machines.
  2. Load and configure the software desired for all machines.
  3. On NT and Windows 2000 machines, include NewSID in an administration only area such as the Administrator's desktop (this step is for convenience only).
  4. For NT networks, remove computer from the Domain and change the computer name to something like "RENAME_ME" (this is done right before imaging).

 

Create an imaging partition (this can be done before steps 1-4 above, if desired).

1.      Boot with DOS boot disk.  Once you get a command prompt, replace the DOS boot disk with the Partition Magic disk and run it.

a.      A:\> PQMAGIC

2.      With Partition Magic, shrink the current partition down so that there's about 2 gig free space at the end.

a.       Choose Operations > Resize

b.      In Free Space After, type in 2000, then click OK.

3.      From the beginning of the free space, create a new FAT partition.  Make sure it's a primary partition.

a.       Highlight the unallocated space, choose Operations > Create

b.      Create As:  Primary Partition

c.       Partition Type:  FAT

d.      Position: Beginning of unallocated

e.       Click OK

f.        Click Apply, then Yes.  The partition will be resized, and the new one will be created and formatted as FAT.

g.       Exit the program and reboot.

Note:  If you'll be creating images for Windows 2000, you can use FAT32 for the second partition and make it as big as you'd like.  Remember to make it a primary partition.

4.      If it's an NTFS partition that you're imaging, then the new partition that you've just created will be labeled Drive C: while in DOS.  Don't get confused!  It will become D: or E: after you boot to NTFS.

5.      Sometimes the new partition seems to have disappeared upon reboot.  If this happens it's because Partition Magic has set it as hidden.  This will happen occasionally – it's a fluke in the program.  Run Partition Magic again and unhide the partition:

a.       Look at the partition information on the main screen.  If the partition in question is hidden it will say so under Status.

b.      To unhide a partition, highlight it and choose Operations > Advanced > Unhide Partition, then click OK.

c.       Click Yes at the warning.  For this partition, it should now read "None" under Status.

d.      Click Apply, then Yes, then OK.

e.       Click Exit to end the program, then OK to reboot.

 

Creating the image

  1. Boot with the DOS boot disk.  Once at the command prompt, swap out the DOS boot disk with the Drive Image disk.  Start Drive Image.
    1. A:\> PQDI
  2. Click Create Image.
  3. Select Source Partition.  This is the partition that you want to copy. 
    [Remember that if you are making a copy of an NTFS partition that is usually Drive C:, it will not show up as Drive C: at this point.  When booting to DOS, the partition you will be creating the image in will show up as Drive C:.  This can be confusing.]
    1. Put a check in the box for the partition you are selecting.
    2. Click Next.
  4. At the Name Image File screen, click Browse.
  5. At the New Image File screen, choose the drive on which you want to make the actual image file.  This will be C: if you're making a copy of an NTFS partition.
  6. Enter the file name for the image file you want to create, then click OK.
  7. Enter file comments if desired.  This is a good place to state what model of machine, the operating system used, the software loaded, and the date or version number of your image.
  8. Click Next.
  9. At the Compress Image File screen, choose your desired compression.  If you plan on putting the file on a CD, use High compression.  Click Next.
  10. (Optional)  At the Ready to Create Image File screen, there is an "Advanced Options" button.  If you plan on putting your image file on a CD, and if the file ends up being too large to fit on a CD, you can go in here and split the image into smaller multiple files to fit on CDs.
    1. Click Advanced Options
    2. Select "Split Image File Into Multiple Files"
    3. Enter the file size limit in bytes.  By default it uses the size limit of a typical CD disk.  If creating a bootable disk, you may want to shave off a few megabytes to leave room.
    4. Click OK.
  11. Once you're ready to make the image file(s), click Finish.  The image will be created.
  12. When the file is done, click OK, and then Exit.

 

Creating a bootable image CD

  1. Get the computer back onto the network
  2. Copy the image file  over to a computer with a CD burner.
  3. Create a bootable CD using the following:
    1. A Windows 98 (or equivalent) boot disk with CD-ROM drivers
    2. Files from your Drive Image diskette.
    3. The image file you just created.
  4. The CD creation software, once set for creating a bootable CD, will ask for the boot files from the diskette.  Put the Drive Image files in a subdirectory called "drvimage" and the Image file in the CD root directory.
  5. Adjust these configuration files as necessary, remembering that after booting, the CD will be Drive D:

AUTOEXEC.BAT

@echo off

MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:D

D:\drvimage\PQDI

CONFIG.SYS

device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001

 

Using the bootable CD Image

  1. Configured correctly, the CD should boot and then automatically launch Drive Image.
  2. Click Restore Image.
  3. At the Select Image File screen, click the Browse button.
  4. At the Open Image File screen, navigate to the CD drive and choose your image file with a double click.
  5. Back at the Select Image File screen, click Next.
  6. At the Restoring an Image screen, choose the partition area where the image should be restored. 
    1. In most cases you can use the "Delete Disk Partitions" button and delete any existing partitions.  Either that, or you can simply replace the partition that is already there.
    2. Select either the partition you want to replace, or the empty space where you want to restore the image.  Click Next.
    3. If you're replacing an existing partition, you'll get a warning screen.  Click OK to continue.
  7. At the Ready to Restore Image File screen, click Finish.
  8. After the image is restored you get the option of viewing results.  After this, the machine can be rebooted.
  9. Use NewSID (or equivalent) on NT 4 or Windows 2000 machines to change the SID on the computer before putting it on a domain.