@
NightOwlQuestions are good!
It was a fun procedure and not something that you would do by choice as Wireless N speed for the restore was around 3 MB/sec. Even so, I can restore a fairly basic WinXP partition in less than 10 minutes. A wired network would restore five times faster and internal HD to HD would be faster again.
A is my computer. I can be running WinXP or Win7 for the procedure. B is my son's computer, running WinXP or Win7. Yes, I can create images of his computer partitions without leaving my computer. The images can be written to his or my computer. Wired or wireless network. I use IFW rather than IFL to create the images as it is easier and can be done without his computer restarting.
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=358A Linux OS has to be used to create the special IFL ISO which will subsequently be use to create Windows "bootfiles". In Linux you can add scripts containing your wireless information (SSID, WPA2 password), network username, password, IPaddress of computer A and restore command line. In Windows this ISO is used to create the final 3 bootfiles which are copied to a folder in computer B.
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto/howto-ifl-bootfile.htmComputers A and B are both running a Windows OS. Computer A sends a psexec batch file to computer B. This file runs the 3 bootfiles in computer B causing a restart into IFL where networking is established and the restore occurs. When the restore has completed computer B restarts into the restored OS.
IFL and IFD create and restore images outside of Windows. IFW is the only one that will image the running OS. IFW can restore OS images but it has to be done outside of Windows in a WinPE.
Although the above IFL test was done using a wireless network the method is the same if using a wired network. A wired network is preferable because of speed.