USB boot disk + image cloning tool

woopwoop · Oct 17, 2014

I have a USB flashdrive that has a boot disk and image on it. I am guessing there's a partition on there, even though I cannot see it.

I have to reimage 30+ laptops and they're taking 40 minutes each. I have an additional 3 flashdrives (each 64gb, although the original USB shows the files as taking up about 38gb) which should make this a lot quicker.

The problem is dragging and dropping all the files to the new drives doesn't create a workable boot/image drive,

I've reformatted them (NTFS like the original) and tried to clone them using imageUSB but I get an error at the end saying it's out of space and the clone wasn't completed... when I try and use the flashdrive anyway, it has the boot piece, but not the image?!

Does anyone know how I might be able to accomplish getting a complete clone of one 64gh flashdrive to 3 others, maintaining any (hidden) partitions and allowing the destination flashdrives to operate in the same way as the original (boot disk + image location)?

Skinner · Oct 17, 2014

Have you looked at http://www.rmprepusb.com/ this is what I have in my toolbox, never used it tho, but it was recommended multiple times.

woopwoop · Oct 18, 2014

I tried it Skinner but still no luck with me copying everything over. I've given the task to someone else!

Thanks again for replying - you always answer my tech Qs, you definitely should start charging...

Skinner · Oct 18, 2014

Its what keeps the forum rolling that we help each other when we can

It could be that the image is restricted to a certain drive. I have a Windows 7 Ultimate USB stick, and it will only install on Dell Machines and its on a Dell USB Drive. I've not tried copying it but have tried to install it on non-dell systems.

Perhaps the image on your USB is restricted to a certain usb drive vendor ? No reason you couldn't do this, I guess.

My theory is blown to bits if all 3 USBs were bought at once.

aZooZa · Oct 20, 2014

I think you're expecting an ISO image to have a MBR. This may help you:

http://superuser.com/questions/4103...usb-booting-mechanism-and-optical-disk-bootin

Skinner · Oct 20, 2014

arrrgh I didn't even think the usb drives not being bootable, assumption for ya right there.

woopwoop · Oct 23, 2014

Thanks for the help guys. I stumbled into a solution.

The original boot disk also had the image and did it all ( I saw a Norton ghost screen when it paused for me to select a disk image)...

After one of the drives got stuck in raw, I found freeware that converted it back to NTFS, then all files copied over. The new usbs wouldn't work as boots, so I ended up using the original as a boot disk and the additional 3 flash drives as the image...

I already reimaged about 27 computers... About 6 more to go.

Thanks again.