Member Avatar for hungry_for_info

I was hoping someone could guide me in the right direction. I need to image 1000 notebooks but I'm not sure how I should go by doing so(fastest and most efficient way). How much should I charge per image? What kind equipment will I need to use and so on.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I hope I can return the favor in the future.

  • 4 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 99 Views
  • 1 Month Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by ITchimes

Dani AI

Generated

A practical, repeatable plan beats ad-hoc cloning when you have 1,000 notebooks. The thread rightly points at disk-imaging tools (thanks and ) and licensing concerns (good point ). For scale, use a PXE-based server with multicast or a dedicated imaging appliance so one “golden” image can be pushed to many machines at once. For open-source options see Clonezilla or FOG Project. Use Sysprep/generalize on Windows images before capture; Microsoft guidance is here: .

Essential equipment and software (short):

  • Imaging server with fast storage and PXE/DHCP capability.
  • 1Gbps (or 10Gbps backbone if available) switch and cabling; multicast-capable.
  • Boot media (WinPE), USB adapters/docking station for outliers.
  • Spare batteries / power plan for notebooks; USB-to-SATA docks for offline clones.
  • Volume licensing strategy (KMS/MAK/AD-based activation) and driver packages per model.

Suggested workflow:

  1. Build and test a golden image on representative hardware. Remove model-specific drivers and run Sysprep.
  2. Capture image (WIM/Clonezilla) to the server. Create driver bundles per notebook model.
  3. Deploy via PXE + multicast or automated USB for problem units. Automate post-setup tasks: domain join, activation, Windows Update, and validation.
  4. Pilot with 20–50 units, verify drivers/activation, then scale.

Pricing and logistics:
Charge based on a per-job cost model: labor hours × hourly rate + amortized equipment + per-device license costs + travel/overhead, divided by units. Run a timed pilot to measure real throughput (network, image size, and first-boot tasks determine speed) and adjust your per-device quote. Plan for QA, rollback, and handling BitLocker/UEFI differences before mass rollout.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for rangarecon

I know theres a Ghost Disk Imaging Program on the net you could look at trying. Mac books are alot easier to image though.
Let me know how you go.
rangarecon

Member Avatar for caperjack

. How much should I charge per image?

Base it on time ,charge what you charge per hr for fixing computer now .
you will need a windows multi license with 1000 keys
so as for charging you will have to factor in cost and time and go from there

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.