Update Ghost Image for Different Hardware PC

How do I use the same Ghost image for new upgrade hardware? Is it possible? Mostly that I will need to add the driver folder and boot up with "Safe mode"

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aordal

Well, ghost images are designed to only work with the same model of hardware. It's probably their biggest downfall. However, a dirty way to get around it is to ghost the new machine with your old ghost image and boot up normally. It should be able to detect the necessary PNP devices that will allow you to at least get into Windows. From there just update all your device drivers (and Windows Updates) and make a new image.

That's probably the easiest way to use the "old" image on a different set of hardware.

dynamik

I believe it'll BSOD if you move to a different HAL. What OS? With XP, you can do a repair installation over the top of it.

aordal

I've gotten it to work this way using XP Pro. Even moving an image from a T61 to an X300. Lenovo laptop models. But ya, even if you do that and it does blue screen you can just do a repair like Dynamik said.

tiersten

Ideally, you don't do it but most of the major tools do support moving between platforms.

dynamik

Yea, the only downside for him is that he'd probably have to purchase an additional license or add-on for that functionality.

It works out slick though. I just moved an SBS server to a new machine with Acronis' True Image Universal Restore, and was I ever relieved when that went through. This thing has Exchange, Sharepoint Services, ACT!, BES, dozens of shares, etc. That would not have been fun to do any other way!

What? Isn't that how you spend your Saturday nights...

HeroPsycho

Backup Exec System Recovery is able to do this as well.

Kasor

BSOD is exactly what happened. I did have to repair before it work. However, I cannot do that for over 100+ Dell WKS.

dynamik

As noted above, you'll have to use something like Acronis Universal Restore or Backup Exec System Recovery if you want to do something like that easily.

snadam

Kasor wrote:

BSOD is exactly what happened. I did have to repair before it work. However, I cannot do that for over 100+ Dell WKS.

so get one Dell up and running from the old image via repair install etc. Then create a ghost image off of that Dell, and use that to restore and push out to the remaining 99+ workstations. This is how I usually proceed when I am doing a complete workstation upgrade.