Can you make images of a single hard drive system and reinstall it later without first installing an O/S?

[9nines]

I am not sure how images work, so I do not know if I can do what I want to do: I want to reinstall Vista, do all patching, get all device drivers up to date etc. then make an image saved to DVDs.

Later, as my system become sluggish etc., I want to be able to reinstall that image on a fresh, newly formatted, single hard drive, without reinstalling the O/S (i.e. re-install Vista in its original installed state, with updates up to that point, etc. onto a fresh single hard drive with nothing on it.) Is that possible? On a single hard drive system, can you use the image disk to reinstall the image without installing an O/S or does installing the imaging require running software that would need an O/S installed, therefore not possible on a single drive system?

 

[bruceb]

Yes, that is one of the ways it can work. It would be used like that in the event of hard drive failure. In most other cases, the image is stored either on another hard drive or on DVD and is then restored to the drive currently in the computer.

 

[9nines]

Originally posted by: bruceb
Yes, that is one of the ways it can work. It would be used like that in the event of hard drive failure. In most other cases, the image is stored either on another hard drive or on DVD and is then restored to the drive currently in the computer.

Thanks Another question, how do you install the image on a newly formatted drive on a single hard drive system? If the image is on a DVD, will it boot and install itself to a newly formatted hard drive on a single hard drive system?


What would be the general steps to reinstall the image in my scenario?

 

[Aberforth]

You make a boot disc with Restore program on it.

 

[9nines]

Originally posted by: Aberforth
You make a boot disc with Restore program on it.

Thanks. Would most image software do all that (make boot disc, with restore)?

 

[Aberforth]

Originally posted by: 9nines

Originally posted by: Aberforth
You make a boot disc with Restore program on it.

Thanks. Would most image software do all that (make boot disc, with restore)?

Acronis True Image Home Editon, you need a workstation version if you want to restore it to a new PC.

 

[9nines]

thanks

 

[Aberforth]

^ You are welcome