Cloning Windows XP machine with free Clonezilla software

Clonezilla is a free disaster recovery, disk cloning, disk imaging and deployment solution. ‘Clonezilla Live’ enables an user to clone a single computer’s storage media, or a single partition on the media, to a separate medium device. The cloned data can be saved as an image-file or as a duplicated copy of the data. The data can be saved to locally attached storage device, a SSH server, Samba Server or a NFS file-share. The clone file can then be used to restore the original when needed.
The Clonezilla application can be run from a USB-flash-drive, a CD-ROM, or a DVD-ROM. Clonezilla requires no modification to the computer; the software runs in its own booted environment. Here’s a little guide I’ve written on how to clone Windows XP machine and make sure that SID is not duplicated. First let’s have a look on how to take a good image of the machine which then can be used for deployment. First we proceed with the standard build. Once finished do not join the machine to the domain to prevent duplicated SID. The entire save/restore image process can be described in these steps:
Run Sysprep -> Turn off PC -> Create Image
Install Image -> Start PC -> Sysprep Regenerates SID
Next, we need to download Sysprep which can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyId=3E90DC91-AC56-4665-949B-BEDA3080E0F6&displaylang=en
Save Sysprep on the local drive of the cloned machine and follow this procedure:
Check minisetup and click on reseal. The next time you’ll boot sysprep will regenerate the SID. So it is very important to not boot into Windows XP after running sysprep. Clonezilla Live CD should be used to boot the PC immediately after Sysprep reboots the machine.

Now we can take the Image using Clonezilla Live CD. Power on the PC and insert the Clonezilla CD into the drive. Make sure that you choose Optical Drive as boot device. On Dell machines pressing F12 (Dell) key at the POST screen gives that option. On the Clonezilla boot screen choose the resolution – usually 800×600 is the best choice.

Select the language – English recommended

Next, Choose Keymap settings for the keyboard – leave default settings and choose to start Clonezilla.

Choose device-image option. This means that you will be able to restore the partition to a disk with different size which might be helpful when restoring an image to slightly different machine.

Choose imaging source/destination – ‘samba server’. Samba server means that image will be read/written from/to shared folder on the network. Once the selection is made hit enter to confirm NIC driver initialization.

Choose DHCP option for automatic IP address. Available DHCP server will be queried for IP address which will be used to communicate with the share were images are located.

Provide IP address of the server containing images and domain name for the server.

Provide an account name with read/write privileges to the share.

Enter the share name to read images to/from. Note the forward slash instead of DOS style backward slash. Please note that the screen shot below only represent an example so enter the share name according to your environment.

When asked to provide a password enter your domain password. Once successful you will be presented a list of shares and available space.

Choose ‘saveparts’ option to save existing partition into an image.

Choose the first option.

Leave the settings as they are and choose ok.

You can now choose compression level of the image. No compression method is most recommended due to increased speed of the process.

Choose a name for an image and confirm. This name will appear as a folder name on the share server.

Choose the source partition and confirm. Normally this would be a system partition (drice C).

Now imaging should start. Once completed hit Enter and choose appropriate for you option.

Ok this is it! Now let’s how to restore the image on the new machine.
To restore the image a PC has to be booted with Clonezilla Live CD. Once it’s done follow steps below.
Choose Language and Keymap settings.

Choose to Start Clonezilla and then choose the following option.

Choose imaging source/destination – ‘samba server’. Samba server means that image will be read/written from/to shared folder on the network. Once the selection is made hit enter to confirm NIC driver initialization.

Choose DHCP option for automatic IP address. Available DHCP server will be queried for IP address which will be used to communicate with the share were images are located.
Provide IP address of the server containing images and choose domain name of the server same as in the previous step. Also enter user credentials that has needed permission on the share where the image is saved.
This time choose restore parts option.

Leave all option as they are and choose ok.

Choose an image to restore system from.

Choose the destination partition for the process. Usually it would be a main partition on the hard drive.

During the next reboot Sysprep process will continue and you will have to provide a license key and choose language settings. After this machine can be given a proper name and joined to the domain.

So this is it! I know it looks complicated but once you mastered it can save you lots £££ on Symantec Ghost, for example

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