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HD Imaging & Cloning:

When was the last time you needed to Image a HD? An easy Option on a Desktop PC. And a little more challenging on a Laptop PC. Everything on this page deals with Software with, for now, one exception. For anyone Imaging Laptop Drives, you'll need extra Hardware - A USB SATA Adapter. Not to be confused with a Disk Drive Duplicator. Those are great too! Each has a purpose. For most Users, a USB SATA Adapter fits the need, specifically for a Laptop or Notebook PC.

We considered a model from Vantec however, this was our preference. For this type of Device (USB SATA Adapter) most Users we've encountered eventually have issues with the included PSU for various reasons. Your experiences may differ from ours! Enjoy!

Here's one we've tried and it works! Watch the Video from the Link below. Worth the Price!

Hardware - USB SATA Adapter:

1. www.CoolDrives.com - SATA and IDE Hard Drive & Optical Drive USB Adapter Kit COMBO - We've used this model with Acronis True Image v11 Home. We're going to get more into the details of a setup we use which might either prove useful ot get one to thinking about the Options. We like Options!

Imaging Software:

1. www.binaryresearch.net - Universal Imaging Utility- PC Software - Cloning Software: On the road to Disk Drive Imaging Recovery Success... From the people who brought us Ghost Disk Drive Imaging for Windows Users -  Changing Hardware Platforms requires changing the HAL - Hardware Abstraction Layer. Binary Research has simplified the process for us with this new Tool! "Welcome to the next evolution in disk imaging - easy universal imaging!" (6/8/2004)
2. www.7tools.com - System Utilities: Partition Imager (12/24/2003).
3. Acronis.com:  Acronis lures Ghost customers with new hard drive imaging product featuring intuitive Windows interface:
   1. System utilities hard drive partition manager, boot manager, disk editor and eraser
4. www.altiris.com - RapiDeploy: A Computer Cloning and Configuration Tool designed for Configuration Centers, IT Departments, Technicians, and VARs who routinely set up and configure computers. Use with Microsoft SysPrep Tool.
5. www.No-Panic.com - InstantRecovery - Disaster recovery and drive imaging solution from NovaStor Corporation: Disaster Recovery Disk Imaging.
6. www.Disk-Image.net - Active@ Disk Image. Hard Drive Image Software:
7. www.Drive-Image.com: R-Drive Image.
8. PowerQuest.com - Drive Image Product Information:
9. Symantec.com -  Norton Ghost:
10. www.pyzzo.com - PC-Rdist: Designed to synchronize files and registry data for each computer on the Network with a Master Image located on a File Server.
11. www.feyrer.de/g4u - g4u - Harddisk Image Cloning for PCs: "g4u ("ghost for unix") is a NetBSD-based bootfloppy/CD-ROM that allows easy cloning of PC harddisks to deploy a common setup on a number of PCs using FTP. The floppy/CD offers two functions." Linux Solution. Bootable CD ISO Image available.
12. www.ICS-IQ.com - HD Cloning, Disk Imaging, Data Duplication & Backup: Hardware Solution - Excellent!
13. hard-disk-cloning: Site does not redirect to Ariolic Software - Off-Line!?! (11/7/2003)
14. www.Drive-Backup.com - PARAGON Drive Backup: Disk Cloning!
15. www.ImageCast.com.au: ImageCast MFG supports Microsoft's BIOS Lock requirements.
16. Star-Tools GmbH - Products:
    1. Drive Imager DriveStar:
17. www.microsoft.com - How to Use Sysprep: System Preparation Tool for OEMs.
    1. How to Prepare Images for Disk Duplication with Sysprep:
    2. 314460 - System Preparation Tool and Answer File Usage: For a detailed explanation about answer files and a list of valid parameter values, please refer to the Deploy.chm file in the Support\Tools\Deploy.cab folder on the Windows XP CD-ROM (11/7/2003).
    3. 314828 - The Microsoft Policy Concerning Disk Duplication of Windows XP Installations:
    4. Using Disk-Image Copying in Microsoft Windows Deployment:
    5. Choosing an Automated Installation and Customization Tool: Issues to Consider before proceeding.
    6. Deploying Windows XP Part II Implementing: System Preparation Tool - "Use to take a snapshot of a configured workstation and transfer Image to multiple workstations (using a third-party tool). This process is also known as cloning, disk-image copying, or ghost imaging. Sysprep performs the preparation of the System Image, but a cloning utility from a third party is required to perform the image-copying phase"

       Sysprep is located on the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM in Support\Tools\deploy.cab.

    7. Choosing a Disk-Imaging Program:

Disk Imaging References & Resources:

1. www.DeploymentGuru.com - Altiris Deployment and Management Products Technical Forum:
2. 304314 - How to Deploy Windows XP Images from Windows 2000 RIS (Remote Installation Services) Servers:
3. Learn to exploit WinXP's disk cloning support - IT Manager - CNETAsia: "Follow the prompts that Sysprep provides. Then, run your third-party disk imaging software on the reference machine once Sysprep completes. Finally, save the master image to a shared network drive or burn it to a CD." (5/3/2002).
4. AMSstorage.com:  CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Caching and Imaging Overview
5. Apricorn.com:  EZ-GIG Hard Drive Upgrade Kit - Hard Drive Upgrades for Notebook PC's
6. Network-Backup.com:  Windows, Linux and NetWare networks
7. No-Panic.com:  InstantRecovery - Disaster recovery and drive imaging solution from NovaStor Corporation
8. PARAGON Drive Backup Enterprise - Hard Disk Image and Disk Copy solution
9. StorageSoft, Inc. - 

    

10. Disk Imaging or Ghosting:
11. www.cit.cornell.edu - TTS Disk Imaging Software:
12. Remember Upgrader from FITUSA.com? Jerry Lee's favorite HD Upgrade Program under Win98. FITUSA.COM is now a trade name of E-mart.com, Inc. 
13. Hard Drive Upgrader $39 only - Supports FAT16 & FAT32, not NTFS! Up to 64GB HD's.
14. Clone-n-Recover $59 only