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    Need to reformat multiple notebooks

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by _Webster_, Apr 30, 2008.

  1. _Webster_

    _Webster_ Notebook Consultant

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    I have 7 Acer Aspire 1680's I need to reformat for my school. I don't have the recovery discs, but I have 1 notebook that I have manually installed everything on. Is there an easy way to image the drive for the 6 other notebooks, or at least a way to include the new windows updates or Acer drivers along with the windows installation.

    I have windows xp licenses for all the notebooks, and I have downloaded all the necessary Acer drivers.

    Thanks in advance...
     
  2. Breakdaddy

    Breakdaddy Notebook Enthusiast

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    Acronis TrueImage home edition is excellent for this type of thing. Have 1 baseline install and image it to any other laptop with the same hardware configuration. I've used it to do this at work with the enterprise edition of Acronis Trueimage but the desktop ought to work just as well.
     
  3. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    acronis or Norton Ghost are good ideas. A free option would be the Vista Back and restore utility.
     
  4. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    You can multi-cast the image of fresh installed XP using Norton Ghost.
     
  5. _Webster_

    _Webster_ Notebook Consultant

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    Thanks for the replies, but I should have stated was, what free options do I have.

    Is it possible just to directly copy a hard drive via USB (ie. put it in an enclosure) or is there some hidden files that can't be accessed.
     
  6. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    You can put the notebooks HD in an enclosure and image them one by one using acronis

    Make sure the image is freshly installed XP thats NOT activated yet. So when you put this image on the notebooks you can individually activate them and not be a pirate
     
  7. andyasselin

    andyasselin Notebook Deity

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    You can use waik or windows vista opk kit make bootable cd and use imagex to copy it