Reference Image: Creation, Maintenance, Updates
Reference Image: Creation, Maintenance, Updates
Section titled “Reference Image: Creation, Maintenance, Updates”A reference image is a “snapshot” of a PC’s disk in fully ready-to-use state: Windows installed, IZI client configured, all needed games, launchers, antivirus, and browser present. When a failing PC needs to be recovered or a new machine deployed — IZI Boot deploys this image in 15–30 minutes.
Without a current image, every breakdown turns into a manual Windows and games reinstall. With an image — resetting a PC takes under half an hour without a technician.
This page covers the full lifecycle: from preparing the first PC to updating the image on a running hall.
What You’ll Need
Section titled “What You’ll Need”- A PC with Windows 10/11 installed, IZI client, and disk protection configured
- NAS on the local network with Gigabit Ethernet and at least 150 GB free space (recommended), or an SMB/NFS network folder on any computer
- Access to the Devices and Hall sections in the CRM with Administrator or Owner role
- An open shift in the club
Step 1. Prepare the “Master PC”
Section titled “Step 1. Prepare the “Master PC””Select one PC that will serve as the reference. This is the first machine where you assemble the full configuration. All other PCs will receive a copy of this disk.
What must be configured on the master PC before creating the image:
- Windows installed and activated (see Windows and Game Licenses)
- IZI client installed, device paired with CRM and showing as “Active”
- Drivers updated: GPU, network card, audio — current versions
- Games installed and verified — launch without errors
- Launchers configured: Steam, Epic Games, Battle.net — logged into the club account
- Browser configured: bookmarks, start page, extensions
- IZI client autostart enabled — verify in Task Manager → Startup
- Junk removed: temp files, browser cache, download history, personal data
Verify disk protection works. Reboot the PC with protection enabled — confirm system files haven’t changed. This confirms protection is working correctly and the image will be created in a “clean” state.
Step 2. Put the PC on Hold
Section titled “Step 2. Put the PC on Hold”Before creating the image, the master PC must be in hold mode: no active sessions, the machine is not accepting players.
In the Hall section → device menu (three dots) → Create Hold. Enter reason “Image creation,” time — with buffer (2–4 hours).
Step 3. Remove Disk Protection
Section titled “Step 3. Remove Disk Protection”On the PC card, click the green shield icon → Disable disk protection → confirm.
The PC will reboot. After reboot, the shield icon turns red — the disk is open for writing.
Step 4. Create the Image
Section titled “Step 4. Create the Image”Use the command from the CRM (Devices section → device card → Create Image).
Specify:
- Image name — use a clear name with version:
standard-v1,vip-2026-05. The name cannot be changed after creation — name it meaningfully. - Location — path to the NAS or network folder where the image will be saved.
Image creation takes from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the amount of data on the disk and the connection speed to the NAS. The PC must not be rebooted during creation.
After completion, the image will appear in the available images list — Devices section → Images.
Step 5. Enable Disk Protection and Release Hold
Section titled “Step 5. Enable Disk Protection and Release Hold”After image creation:
- Click the red shield icon → Enable disk protection → confirm.
- The PC reboots, the shield icon returns to green.
- Release the hold: three dots → End Hold.
The master PC is ready for use. The image is created.
Step 6. Test the Image on One PC
Section titled “Step 6. Test the Image on One PC”Before deploying the image across the hall — test it on a single machine.
Select a PC other than the master PC, put it on hold, perform a reset:
Devices section → test PC card → Restore from Image → select the image you just created → confirm.
The PC boots over the network (PXE), the image deploys. After completion, verify:
- Windows boots
- IZI client started, PC shows in CRM as “Active”
- Several games launch without errors
- Steam/Epic launcher is logged in
- Browser with correct bookmarks works
If something is wrong — do not deploy across the hall. Return to the master PC, fix the problem, create the image again.
Step 7. Deploy the Image to Remaining PCs
Section titled “Step 7. Deploy the Image to Remaining PCs”After a successful test, deploy the image across the hall. Can be done in batches — not necessarily all machines simultaneously.
For each PC:
- Put on hold.
- Devices section → Restore from Image → select image → confirm.
- After completion, release hold.
If the NAS is connected via Gigabit Ethernet — several PCs can be restored in parallel without noticeable speed degradation. The external internet channel is not loaded during this.
Updating the Image
Section titled “Updating the Image”When new games need to be added, Windows updated, or configuration changed — the image is updated the same way as creation, with one nuance: a new version is created, not the old one overwritten.
Recommended procedure:
- Select the master PC (or any hall PC).
- Remove protection, make changes (game installation, software update — see Installing and Updating Games).
- Create a new image named
standard-v2(increment version). - Test on one machine.
- After confirmation — deploy across the hall.
- Keep the old image (
standard-v1) on the NAS for another 2–4 weeks — in case a problem surfaces in the new version. Then it can be deleted.
Do not delete a working image until the new one is verified. Two image versions on the NAS is sufficient for a safe update.
Storing Multiple Images (for Zones with Different Configurations)
Section titled “Storing Multiple Images (for Zones with Different Configurations)”If you have multiple zones with different game sets or hardware — create a separate image for each configuration. Example naming:
| Image Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
standard-v3 | Standard zone, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1660 |
vip-v2 | VIP zone, 32 GB RAM, RTX 4070 |
cyber-v1 | Esports zone, specific game set |
In the Devices section → Images, a default image can be assigned to each PC — this simplifies mass restores.
What Gets Into the Image and What Doesn’t
Section titled “What Gets Into the Image and What Doesn’t”| What Enters the Image | What Does NOT Enter |
|---|---|
| Windows and all system settings | Files created after enabling disk protection |
| Installed games and software | Player personal data (if created after protection) |
| Browser settings and bookmarks | Cloud saves (they’re in Steam Cloud, not on disk) |
| IZI client and its configuration | Device UUID (stored in CRM, not in image) |
| GPU, audio, network drivers | Logs and temp files after image date |
Related
Section titled “Related”- IZI Boot: What It Is and How It Works — disk protection and PXE mechanism
- IZI Client — Overview
- Installing and Updating Games
- Disk Protection
- PC Recovery After Disk Crash
See Also
Section titled “See Also”Frequently asked questions
Should a separate image be created for each zone in a club?
Depends on whether the configurations differ. If the VIP zone and standard zone have different game sets or settings — create a separate image for each. If the configuration is the same — one image for the entire hall. Multiple images are easy to version by name: 'standard-v3', 'vip-v2'.
Can the image be updated without shutting down the entire hall?
Yes. Select one machine, put it on hold, remove protection, make changes, create a new image. The rest of the hall continues operating. After verifying the new image, gradually deploy it to other PCs.
What happens if power is lost during image creation?
The image creation process will be interrupted. The PC's disk will remain in working condition — no damage expected since the process is reading (not writing). Restart image creation.
How much space does an image take on the NAS?
A typical image with Windows 11, the IZI client, and a basic game set is 30–80 GB. When storing two versions of an image, allow a minimum of 150–200 GB of free space on the NAS with buffer.
How often should the image be updated?
No strict schedule. Practical guideline: after adding new games, updating Windows or a major software patch, changing the software configuration. Once every 1–3 months for an actively used hall.
Should old images be deleted?
Recommended: keep 1–2 previous image versions — in case the new one turns out unstable. Older versions can be deleted to save NAS space.
Can one image be used for PCs with different hardware?
Partially. Windows and games transfer without problems. But drivers — especially GPU — are tied to specific hardware models. If the hall has different GPUs, you'll need to either install all needed drivers in the image (with the right one selected on first boot) or create separate images for each hardware configuration.