Using Acronis True Image for Ghosting

[Appletax]

Is it OK to use Acronis True Image (bootable ISO/CD/flash drive) to ghost systems?

I used it to ghost a Dell OptiPlex 380 desktop PC to another one with the same hardware and it appears to be working perfectly. With my base image, I did not enter a product key so I could enter one into each system.

Is this OK?

Acronis mentions being able to ghost onto systems with different hardware by using their driver injection software, which I am curious about.

 

[NviGate Systems]

It depends which version of Acronis you are using and your definition of "ghosting".

If you are cloning, from what I recall only the home edition had that, the business editions always focused on regular backups and hare metal restore.

If you are restoring from a master image you created, only certain editions of Acronis have the ability to restore to dissimilar hardware.

More details please.

 

[trevm999]

I wouldn't trust it enough to bother trying. Sysprep before imaging, that will do the trick, though I hear that it can be a PITA on Windows 10 if you've made any changes to the Windows Store

 

[NviGate Systems]

If you don't sysprep certian functions in Windows won't work especially if you are deploying multiple machines in an office environment. You need to ensure the SID of the machines are unique.

 

[Appletax]

Is this what I need to do?

How a Windows XP, NT, 2000 or Server 2003 system can be prepared for cloning to different hardware

This article applies to:

• Acronis Migrate Easy 7.0

Description
In order to clone your Windows system a to different machine, you should first prepare Windows using Microsoft System Preparation Tool (sysprep). According to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 298491, "One problem from duplicating an installation of Windows 2000 is that each cloned computer has the same security identifier (SID) and computer name. This may prevent the cloned computers from functioning correctly in a workgroup or a domain. To work around this problem, administrators use the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep.exe) to remove configuration settings that are unique to the computer such as the computer name and SID. The resulting image can then be safely reused for installation on other computers." This issue also exists in Windows NT 4.0, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, and thus computers running those operating systems must be prepared as well.

To download Microsoft System Preparation tool, click on your operating system: Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP Service Pack 1, Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Server 2003.

In brief, here is how you prepare your hard disk drive in order to clone it:

Create Acronis Migrate Easy bootable rescue media with Bootable Rescue Media Builder available in Acronis Migrate Easy program menu.

1. Run sysprep.exe. Microsoft provides you with the option to specify the following keys:
   • -nosidgen - If you plan to erase all data from the original hard disk drive and/or do not plan to use both original and new hard disk drives in different computers simultaneously, use this option.
   • -mini - If you plan to migrate your operating system to a different computer.
2. Reboot the computer and boot it from the Acronis Migrate Easy bootable rescue media. Now run the "Disk Clone" wizard, clone the prepared hard disk to a new one.
3. Install new hard disk drive into your new computer or configure your current computer to boot from the new hard disk drive and start it.

More information
(!) If there is dissimilar hardware, then the target system will not boot after cloning. To transfer a Windows system to a machine with dissimilar hardware, you will need to use the Acronis Universal Restore add-on. Please see Restoring to Dissimilar Hardware.




Creating a Build-to-Plan (BTP) Windows Image
In the build-to-plan (BTP) scenario, you create a single Windows reference image to install computers that use the same hardware configuration. You customize the single Windows reference installation by installing Windows and then adding additional drivers and applications. You then capture the Windows image and use it to install your computers. No additional modifications are made to this image.

This scenario comprises the following stages:

1. You install Windows on a reference computer.
2. After the installation is complete, you boot the computer and install any additional device drivers or applications.
3. After you update the Windows installation, you run the sysprep /oobe /generalize command. The /generalize option instructs Sysprep to remove system-specific data from the Windows installation. System-specific information includes event logs, unique security IDs (SIDs), and other unique information. After the unique system information is removed, the computer shuts down. The /oobe option instructs the Windows installation to run Windows Welcome the next time the computer boots.
4. After the computer shuts down, you can boot to Windows PE or another operating system on the computer.
5. You then capture the Windows installation with ImageX, by creating a reference image with which to install computers with the same hardware configuration.
   1. Use Acronis True Image 2017 instead

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

I am not sure what your goal is but several/many of us build images for deployment. Here are a couple guides that help with making base images:
https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/319903-windows-7-image-customize-audit-mode-sysprep.html
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3020-customize-windows-10-image-audit-mode-sysprep.html

They are based on using Macrium Reflect, but Acronis would likely do the image as well I just haven't used it.

 

[trevm999]

Is this what I need to do?

Creating a Build-to-Plan (BTP) Windows Image
In the build-to-plan (BTP) scenario, you create a single Windows reference image to install computers that use the same hardware configuration. You customize the single Windows reference installation by installing Windows and then adding additional drivers and applications. You then capture the Windows image and use it to install your computers. No additional modifications are made to this image.

This scenario comprises the following stages:

1. You install Windows on a reference computer.
2. After the installation is complete, you boot the computer and install any additional device drivers or applications.
3. After you update the Windows installation, you run the sysprep /oobe /generalize command. The /generalize option instructs Sysprep to remove system-specific data from the Windows installation. System-specific information includes event logs, unique security IDs (SIDs), and other unique information. After the unique system information is removed, the computer shuts down. The /oobe option instructs the Windows installation to run Windows Welcome the next time the computer boots.
4. After the computer shuts down, you can boot to Windows PE or another operating system on the computer.
5. You then capture the Windows installation with ImageX, by creating a reference image with which to install computers with the same hardware configuration.
   1. Use Acronis True Image 2017 instead

That last one is pretty much it. To run the GUI run C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\sysprep.exe

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Acronis is great disk management software, we use it all the time including their True Image product.

"Ghost" is a similar, but competing product, made by Norton/Symantsuck.....I mean..Symantec. Came from another competing product called PQDI which was Power Quest Disk Image (we used this in the DOS and Win3 and early Win95 days). Symantec bought them up and morphed it into their imaging product called Ghost.

Since they are competing products, there is no "Acronis Ghost". That's like saying Apple Windows 7 or Microsoft OS X Leopard.

With Windows NT family (which everything from 2000 onwards is based on)...you have to sysprep them before powering down and cloning...and once you clone, put each drive in a new computer..and boot up for the first time, you'll have a quick mini-unbuckle process.

 

[trevm999]

Acronis is great disk management software, we use it all the time including their True Image product.

"Ghost" is a similar, but competing product, made by Norton/Symantsuck.....I mean..Symantec. Came from another competing product called PQDI which was Power Quest Disk Image (we used this in the DOS and Win3 and early Win95 days). Symantec bought them up and morphed it into their imaging product called Ghost.

Since they are competing products, there is no "Acronis Ghost". That's like saying Apple Windows 7 or Microsoft OS X Leopard.

With Windows NT family (which everything from 2000 onwards is based on)...you have to sysprep them before powering down and cloning...and once you clone, put each drive in a new computer..and boot up for the first time, you'll have a quick mini-unbuckle process.

While true, due to the once popularity of Symantec Ghost, ghosting has become a synonym for cloning. Just like if I ask for a Kleenex, I don't actually care what brand the tissue is. Or like telling something you "Googled it" when in fact you actually used DuckDuckGo

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

While true, due to the once popularity of Symantec Ghost, ghosting has become a synonym for cloning. Just like if I ask for a Kleenex, I don't actually care what brand the tissue is. Or like telling something you "Googled it" when in fact you actually used DuckDuckGo

Yup it's an abuse of branding name....around our house we call it "tissue", when we Google it..we actually use Google and not Bing..else I'd say "bing it".
Or since I'm big into boating...people say "jet ski"..even though that's branded by Kawasaki..under the PWC classification.

Or go make a "copy"..I call it a copy, cuz we have an HP MFP, not a Xerox brand.

But 20+ years in the industry...we always hear "clone" as the term when it comes to drives imaging.

The word "ghost" is not a verb...it's not an action, and a ghost is a singular object. (if you believe in ghosts). Although the network multi-version of Ghost did have a term we'd use as a verb, ghost-casting...when doing multiple machine deployments en masse.

 

[GTP]

That's like saying Apple Windows 7 or Microsoft OS X Leopard.

Wadda ya mean? I have clients that use these all the time! Just ask 'em! Lol

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Wadda ya mean? I have clients that use these all the time! Just ask 'em! Lol

Lucky you, our clients run Microsoft 2007 for an OS.

 

[GTP]

Yeah or Office Windows! (Which incidentally I would like to throw them out of!)