# Imaging Overview

**Last Updated On**: 07 Nov 2025  
**4 minutes read**

The primary task of OS deployment involves capturing the OS image. OS imaging is a process to capture the image of a specific OS from the desired system along with a set of applications. The captured image will be stored in an image repository, a network share from where images will be deployed to client computers. This OS image can be deployed on a new bare metal computer or an existing system with an OS.

### When do you perform PC imaging?

1. You may want to deploy OS with a specific set of applications in the following cases:
   - To the new joiners of various teams in your organization.
   - To conduct a lab exam for the students of your college.

   For the above cases you can decide on the desired system for each team/students and **capture different images** and store it in the image repository. This captured image can be deployed across the machines of new joiners/students.

2. With the recent Ransomware and Malware threats, it is mandatory for administrators to protect their systems from cyber attacks. By imaging technique, you can easily take the **system's image backup** and then perform necessary troubleshooting steps to protect the systems.

3. When you **migrate systems** from one model/manufacturer to another, you can take an image backup of the old model and later reuse it.

4. When you want to perform **hard disk upgradation** or change the existing hard disk.

### Types of imaging

ManageEngine Endpoint Central offers two types of imaging techniques to capture images, online and offline imaging.

![image creation](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/os-deployer/help/imaging/image-creation-final.png)

### Online imaging

Online imaging is when an active system is remotely imaged without any user intervention. To perform online imaging in a system, **image creator components** will be installed by OSD Server (On-premises) / Distribution Server (Cloud). This image creator component will capture the image of the system. Basically, it is the imaging of the OS of a computer where the OS is active and running.

### Offline imaging

In offline imaging, the system is stopped and booted into Windows Pre-installed Environment (WinPE). Imaging is later performed using the WinPE component. WinPE component is stored within a media (USB, PXE or ISO). Basically, it is the imaging of the OS of a computer which is actually shutdown.

[Steps to perform online imaging](https://www.manageengine.com/products/os-deployer/help/imaging/creating-os-image.html)

[Steps to perform offline imaging](https://www.manageengine.com/products/os-deployer/help/imaging/offline-imaging.html)

[What is PXE?](https://www.manageengine.com/products/os-deployer/help/bootable-media/how-to-use-pxe-tool.html)