target mode copying

[bapkan]

We've got about 70 laptops to roll out and all of them need the same image on them...including Bootcamp running Windows 7. If I build a master and clone it using Target Mode, will the Windows partition copy as well?

Thanks!!!!

[Slydude]

Hopefully someone else can confirm this but I think you are going to need two images. One will be the OS X installation and the other covers the Windows 7 installation. Initial setup will be to create an image of OS X and an image of the Windows 7 installation. Winclonce might work or perhaps others can suggest a better tool.

After creating the initial installation the following process should work for the remainder of the machines:

1. Load OS X software from the image you've created.
2. If the Windows 7 partition does not already exist run Bootcamp to create the partition.
3. Install Windows 7 fromm the image you've created.

I'm sure others will be able to give better advice.

[chscag]

Hopefully someone else can confirm this but I think you are going to need two images.

Correct. As far as I know, there's currently no way to do it all with one image. If the machines were PCs it could be done since PCs still operate by way of a BIOS. But Macs use EFI and Boot Camp actually sets up and creates - emulates the Windows boot sector. There may be a way to do it that I'm not familiar with so you might want to do additional research.

[bapkan]

Thanks CHSCG! That's what I was thinking would be the answer. I've got a drive dupe machine that will copy everything but, it requires taking the drive out of the laptop and loading it on a sled. We do our towers that way. Not an efficient solution for laptops though. Cheers!