[alexBB]

Hi there,

I've got a couple of GX-280 DELL machines that still work very well but I am running out of space on my C: drive. I've purchased a new 300 GB 10,000 RTM internal HDD and want to transfer the complete image of my old C:\ to this drive and then replace them. I can probably do it with some C# instructions but I've decided to focus first on oscdimg command that comes with WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit). I installed it yeasterday. I also spent a couple of hours researching evrything I could get my hands on about this command and found that it is mostly used to create a bootable image of Vista (or XP for this matter).

Please, correct me if I am wrong because it is very important. This cmd is used in such a way: You set parameters that will list some exclusion directories you don't want to be present in the image, you can potentially leave just a couple of directories or so and define what's includeed into the boot sector, like if it is a single or multiboot, etc.

This is not what I need. I can clean my system before I used this cmd. I can clean the recycle bin, temporary internet files, etc. I want to make a bootable image of the entire disk. Can I do it with this cmd?

That failed I will try to use CreateFile C++ command (in C# with P/Invoke, or even directly in C++) and try to copy my C: drive byte by byte. I understand I may have hard time doing it in Vista because of some additional protection over XP but my reading is that I can set up some constants (options) in such a way that it will be overridden. Is it true?

That failed I will try to create an executable, take it to my XP partition (on yet another HDD) and run it from there taking image of Vista in C:\.

Now, this is how I shaped my command this morning:

oscdimg -a -g -g1 \\?\Volume{979e819d-7cc1-11dc-a6fd-806e6f6e6963}\ J:\WindowsXP_Iso_File\winXP.iso.

I want to mention that here I am trying to create an image not of my C:\ but of my XP D:\ drive in an attempt to gain some experience. Bear in mind it is not Vista but I am running the command from my Vista partition (C:\)

Therefore that volume's label is my D:\ drive's label, J: drive is an external HDD (500 GB MyBook by WD) and I am getting these warnings and one error right from the outset:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright © 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>oscdimg -a -g -g1 \\?\Volume{979e819d-7cc1-11dc-a6aa-806e6f6e6963}\ J:\WindowsXP_Iso_File\winXP.iso

OSCDIMG 2.54 CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Premastering Utility
Copyright © Microsoft, 1993-2007. All rights reserved.
Licensed only for producing Microsoft authorized content.

Scanning source tree
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "DOCUME~1" for "\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "OPENMA~1" for "\OPENMANAGE"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "PROGRA~1" for "\PROGRAM FILES"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "VFP_PR~1" for "\VFP_PROJECTS"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "XPINST~1" for "\XP INSTALLATION FILES"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "ALEXBL~1" for "\DOCUME~1\ALEX BL"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "ALLUSE~1" for "\DOCUME~1\ALL USERS"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "DOWNLO~1" for "\DOCUME~1\ALEXBL~1\DOWNLOADS"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "FAVORI~1" for "\DOCUME~1\ALEXBL~1\FAVORITES"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "MYDOCU~1" for "\DOCUME~1\ALEXBL~1\MY DOCUMENTS"
WARNING: Using alternate directory name "STARTM~1" for "\DOCUME~1\ALEXBL~1\START MENU"
ERROR: Failure enumerating files in directory "\\?\VOLUME{979E819D-7CC1-11DC-A6AA-806E6F6E6963}\DOCUME~1\ALEXBL~1\COOKIE
S"

Error 5: Access is denied.

C:\Windows\system32>

I want to mention that I placed oscdimg.exe into Windows\system32\ directory.

What is it all about? Any comments? I would appreciate is someone reads it carefully and possibly make comments of everything I've said.

Even why I am typing this I am thinking as to what my options could be? If so much is protected even in XP how about Vista? How other people manage to do it. Many people have reported great success with this command. I should study those reports.

Many thanks.

P.S. I don't want to use any commercial third party software, please don't recomment those.

This post has been edited by alexBB: 15 September 2008 - 09:38 AM

[alexBB]

Further musings.

There was this post by Nepali that I read yesterday:

http://www.msfn.org/board/MAKE-VISTA-DVD-B...ded#entry633950

In it he is saying that one should first place all Vista source files into a separate directory and then run this command creating a bootable image. If I follow this advice the problem it that there seem to be too much software already loaded, perhaps hundreds of APIs, etc. Many of them have been hooked up to the registry. How is oscdimg.exe going to take care of it? Is it looking into the registry as well? I don't think it is even possible if one places the software into a different drive altogether.

This is what he says:

place/extract all your vista source to ur E:\vistaDVD
then open command prompt and type this command (you need to have oscdimg inside system32 directory)

QUOTE
oscdimg -bE:\vistaDVD\boot\etfsboot.com -h -u2 -m -lVISTA_EN_DVD E:\vistaDVD\ E:\VistaDVD.iso

Output will be stored on E:\ with file name vistadvd.iso
The output vistaDVD.iso will be in UDF format and will be bootable as well ( Tried more then 10 times and 100% successful)
Now check if ur DVD is bootable (set the option to boot from CD/DVD from BIOS)

I am confused how it can relate to my situation. Also I noticed that he uses etfsboot.com . Is it a part of WAIK also? So far I could not find it in there.

Any comment?

Thanks.

This post has been edited by alexBB: 15 September 2008 - 08:49 AM

[IcemanND]

OSCDIMG is not what you want to use. ImageX would be the correct tool out of the WAIK to use. It will create a file base disk image of your selected drive/directory in the Windows Image (WIM) format.

I have a guide here on using ImageX with XP: http://www.msfn.org/board/GUIDE-Creating-W...-X-t101383.html

And I know you didn't want a 3rd party tool but since people have bugged me about mentioning my guide without mentioning this list here it is: http://www.msfn.org/...re-t100299.html

[alexBB]

Thank you very much, IcemanND. It is a wealth of information. I've got my work cut out for me.

What is the differnece between taking an image of a hard drive and cloning? Logically there should be none.

Thanks.

This post has been edited by alexBB: 15 September 2008 - 12:10 PM

[IcemanND]

Cloning is copying disk A to disk B.

Imaging you create a single file image of the hard drive to the copy to another or multiple machines. Like an ISO of a CD.

[alexBB]

Well, IcemanND, as another poster has said, you've probably saved me tons of time and money. Many thanks.

It is a very clear and well organized compendium of yours. You've got an exceptionally clear mind which is not that common.

I first focused on XXCOPY for the very same reason: unbelievabley clear and thorough documentation. You seldom see anything like this, a compete documentation plus a review of the subject and a tutorial on the matter. I will most likely purchase a Pro because I may need it for other purposes: driving files across VPNs. However, then I read a note about WD SafeDataGuard and realized that I got it with the HDD I purchased and this is what Iam going to do. I will simply instlal the 10,000 rpm in the second bay, run SafeDataGuard in my Vista and hopefully it will create an exact clone of my C:\.

It's been very educational. Thanks.