Trying to Image my Work Laptop to a home desktop...is this correct...

[dankduke]

hello - im new to this and new to trying this below i have two questions about duplicating a hard drive and I'm trying to learn this using this program I purchased.

StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop Edition

My work computer is encrypted using McAfee Endpoint Encryption. My work makes me login using a user name and pw and then i can either hop on the VPN to access work related files.

my question is this...

1) I used this program StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop Edition to create an image of this computer. Can I reload this image onto a new computer and essentially have created two work computers? or is this impossible based on the encryption of my machine?

2) for my personal laptop, i am looking at duplicating the hard drive 128gb SSD and putting it on a new laptop with a 256gb SSD. Do i just create an image of this 128gb ssd, format my new laptop to install windows and then re-image the new 256gb ssd with the old image will that put eveyrthing the way it was on my new ssd?

thanks to anyone who can assist!

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

I'm guessing you want to use your work laptop more like a PC when at home? If so why not hook the laptop up to a monitor then connect a USB mouse / keyboard to it?

 

As for cloning the harddrive on the work laptop i don't think you will get anywhere with this, especially if its encrypted. If you some how managed to you would be lucky to get the Windows install to boot on totally different hardware, even if you did manage that the Windows install would need activating and invalidate your licence on the laptop. Then you probably don't have admin rights to install any drivers.

[_dandy_]

This raises so many potential questions.  I'll stick with the one about cloning your work machine...

 

Have you asked your employer's IT department for advice?  Are they even ok with you cloning the software they purchased licenses for onto your personal hardware at home?

 

Because that's the first reason I would think you'd even want to clone a work machine--you want to avoid the hassle of reinstalling the apps that are already there...correct?  I'm not suggesting there's anything wrong with that, but this is how, if not done properly, things start to get out of control and IT (typically) frowns upon the idea of letting machine images get off the premises.

[dankduke]

I'm guessing you want to use your work laptop more like a PC when at home? If so why not hook the laptop up to a monitor then connect a USB mouse / keyboard to it?

--------The laptop is OLD so I wanted to use it on a faster machine...thing sux major....

Have you asked your employer's IT department for advice? Are they even ok with you cloning the software they purchased licenses for onto your personal hardware at home?

---------I was really just trying to do this to be more productive since the laptop is so slow....I don't mind buying the licenses etc if it means i can work better (better work = more money for me)...

as of right now i can install drivers onto my dell work laptop...just the other day i updated the display, wifi drivers etc....

i dont work for any like high end data senstive company...we just service buildings for their fire extinguishers etc...

this is a good start and thanks so far for the help...

[binaryzero]

Why not ask your employer to buy you a faster machine? If you can justify that it'd help your productivity\work flow then I see no reason why they'd say no. 

 

Tax write off..

[zhangm Supervisor]

2) for my personal laptop, i am looking at duplicating the hard drive 128gb SSD and putting it on a new laptop with a 256gb SSD. Do i just create an image of this 128gb ssd, format my new laptop to install windows and then re-image the new 256gb ssd with the old image will that put eveyrthing the way it was on my new ssd?

This should be fine. Going to a same-size or larger drive is almost always not an issue.

Transferring an image from one machine to another is not going to be clean if the hardware configurations are substantially different. Aside from the hurdle of achieving a functional/booting image, there will be additional issues with software licensing/activation checks that will doom the effort. It may be advisable to check with your IT staff to see whether they can supply you with a secured portable machine so that you can more practically work at home.

[REM2000]

Ask your employer to give you a VM image of your work machine, if they give it to you in a VHD you can use the OSS Virtualbox to run it on your home pc, you won't need to worry about hardware etc.. and the great thing is your home machine can remain your home machine.

 

If they are worried about data leaking which an encrypted hard disk sounds like they are, ask them to buy VMWorkstation which allows you to encrypt VM's it's only ?100/?150 (off the top of my head)

 

It's how ive always worked, i have a work VM on my home machine with VPN, Office etc.. load that up everything is nice and silo'd and kept away from my home data.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I'm guessing you want to use your work laptop more like a PC when at home? If so why not hook the laptop up to a monitor then connect a USB mouse / keyboard to it? --------The laptop is OLD so I wanted to use it on a faster machine...thing sux major....

Have you asked your employer's IT department for advice? Are they even ok with you cloning the software they purchased licenses for onto your personal hardware at home? ---------I was really just trying to do this to be more productive since the laptop is so slow...

I would really recommend consulting your IT department about this. While you might have the best intentions in this situation, there can be other issues with regards to company information. Also, talk to your team leader/department head about wanting a replacement laptop. Depending on the size of the company, 9/10 times if you can justify the reason for a different machine you'll get it.

[binaryzero]

Ask your employer to give you a VM image of your work machine, if they give it to you in a VHD you can use the OSS Virtualbox to run it on your home pc, you won't need to worry about hardware etc.. and the great thing is your home machine can remain your home machine.

 

If they are worried about data leaking which an encrypted hard disk sounds like they are, ask them to buy VMWorkstation which allows you to encrypt VM's it's only ?100/?150 (off the top of my head)

 

It's how ive always worked, i have a work VM on my home machine with VPN, Office etc.. load that up everything is nice and silo'd and kept away from my home data.

 

Your work is happy to pay for the extra licenses for home users? Sweet! Next time they have a job opening let me know, I'd love to go in there and make them spend some spare cash :D!

 

FYI - it's situations like this IT Pros enable Bitlocker on laptops (and sometime desktops). I wouldn't be too impressed if I found out users were taking images of the machines I manage. Last thing I need is a cached profile sitting in a vmdk on someone's home PC.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Working as a sys admin I'd smack you over the head for trying to clone your work laptop onto a private machine. It doesn't matter if the data on it isn't too sensitive - it doesn't belong on a private machine, period.

 

Talk to your IT department and ask for a new machine.