Image a PC

[hoss6800]

Hi,

I have been asked by a friend to image his PC.
The PC is a shop till with touch screen monitor without CD or DVD Drive.
The idea is to create an image and install on a laptop to have it as a back up in case first PC ( shop till) fail.
The pc ( shop till) is running windows XP and additional software which automatically runs and function as a till.
I was wondering what is the best way to create an image of this system. There are few USB ports and network port on the back of the system.

Your help is much appreciated

Thanks in advance

 

[Spectre]

I'd do it via the network if you can. I take it you can get to My Computer when it's booting?

The issue you will have is that you need to restore the image to different hardware. You need something like Acronis Universal Restore which can put new HDD controller drivers in. I think it can do this at restore time or when you create bootable media.

 

[morilihochili]

You can use a usb hard drive to store an image on. You make the image by using software such as Acronis (HERE) this works on all drives not only Western Digital and it is free. Just follow the instructions.

But as Spectre says - you can only restore the image to the same pc.

 

[hoss6800]

Thanks guys,

But as I said I need to put the image on a laptop.
Can't I use an external dvd drive connected to usb and use a norton ghost disk to create the image saving it on a external hdd connected to another usb port?

Thanks

 

[morilihochili]

The reason you cannot use the same image on another computers is the drivers are specifically for the computer which the image was made of. Do you need to copy files and folders or do you specifically need the operating system? If it is the operating system that you are after I am afraid that you are not going to be able to do that. Files and folders you can just save to a usb stick and transfer. An operating system has to be installed 'from scratch'.

 

[Spectre]

The reason you cannot use the same image on another computers is the drivers are specifically for the computer which the image was made of. Do you need to copy files and folders or do you specifically need the operating system? If it is the operating system that you are after I am afraid that you are not going to be able to do that. Files and folders you can just save to a usb stick and transfer. An operating system has to be installed 'from scratch'.

A restore to different hardware is possible, look on the Acronis site for a how-to.

Whether the till software likes being on another machine is a different matter.

 

[little_pob]

Thanks guys,

But as I said I need to put the image on a laptop.
Can't I use an external dvd drive connected to usb and use a norton ghost disk to create the image saving it on a external hdd connected to another usb port?

Thanks

As mentioned, although possible, imaging isn't really intended for the purpose you want to use it for.

As it seems all you want to be able to do is swap in the laptop should the PC fail, have you concidered just installing the EPOS software and the drivers for the touchscreen and any barcode scanner on the laptop?

 

[oneman]

As mentioned, although possible, imaging isn't really intended for the purpose you want to use it for.

As it seems all you want to be able to do is swap in the laptop should the PC fail, have you concidered just installing the EPOS software and the drivers for the touchscreen and any barcode scanner on the laptop?

I would look at this rather then imaging. Only problem might be licensing with the EPOS software.

 

[hoss6800]

I would look at this rather then imaging. Only problem might be licensing with the EPOS software.

Exactly, He doesn't have a copy of the EPOS software and the provider won't give him a copy without charging over £1000. Even then they are asking for the PC or Laptop to be sent to their office so they can install the software and send it back.

I found "EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation 3.0 " offers recover system to dissimilar hardware without re-installation. I am going to do more reading on this and see what I can do.

Thanks guys

 

[oneman]

What the base OS. WinXP is not brilliant about swapping hardware around. There is a HAL file which is determined by the hardware you run on and its not easy to change even for imaging software. Windows 7 is much for forgiving and often works just doing a straight image copy.

One thing to be aware of is that its quite possible for the EPOS software to be hardware locked to BIOS, hard drive serial number or something else to stop you doing what you are suggesting.

 

[hoss6800]

The base OS is xp and the EPOS is called Intouch by a company called integeruk

 

[oneman]

what CPU's are the laptop and existing desktop ?

 

[hoss6800]

According to my friend the PC has Intel Pentium D 3.00GHZ and Laptop is Intel Pentium 4
I might go and check them this weekend and get more info