Clone a PC via Network cable?

[muchlux]

Hi,

I want to make a 1:1 backup copy of a system to a 2nd PC.

I do not want to open the PCs or use external storage media.

So I thought it must be possible to connect the 2 PCs via Network cable and use a HDD clone program

(each on a Bart PE CD?) running on both PCs.

But I did not found a program which is capable yet.

Does anybody have experience with this?

[Zxian]

I know it's possible, but the two hard drives need to be the same size, if not the same model. I only know of a way using Linux, and it's not really all that reliable...

You'll need three things - A Knoppix boot CD, the sockpipe tarball, and the built in program dd. I've got the exact instructions on my other computer... but it's a bit of Linux, so you might not be all to happy with that.

[SmaugyGrrr]

VMWare Converter can convert a remote PC to a VMWare image.

Acronis TrueImage Workstation can remotely install the TrueImage "agent" and you can remotely control the imaging service. For me when I tried it, it was a little awkward though - I had to choose to save the image either locally on the client PC or via SMB as though you were located at the client pc itself... i.e. you have to be able to mount a visible (non-hidden) share on the PC you're doing the remote controlling from, in order to save it to the remote-controlling PC.

[IcemanND]

You could use Symantec Ghost and do a Peer-to Peer connection and clone one system to the other. Supports LPT, USB, TCP/IP. I vaguely recall you could use firewire also but don't quote me on that.

[Woomera]

You could use Symantec Ghost and do a Peer-to Peer connection and clone one system to the other. Supports LPT, USB, TCP/IP.

That would be your best call.i tried it and it works.

[killerb255]

You could use Symantec Ghost and do a Peer-to Peer connection and clone one system to the other. Supports LPT, USB, TCP/IP.

That would be your best call.i tried it and it works.

The company I work for does this religiously.

Use BartPE, WinPE (any version), or an Ultimate Boot CD (DOS or Windows). Ghost 8 is perfect for this, as there are 16 and 32-bit executables that can be used on DOS or Win-based boot disk©s respectively.