Creating customized bootable image for client computing device from backup copy

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for creating a customized bootable image for a first computing device in an information management system based on an earlier image of the first computing device, wherein when executed by a second computing device comprising one or more hardware processors, the instructions cause the second computing device to:

• create a first image of the first computing device, wherein the first image comprises a non-default system state of the first computing device at a first time, including:
• a kernel of the first computing device, one or more first drivers, and one or more internal settings of the first computing device;
• create a generic bootable image that includes a default kernel and one or more default drivers;
• in response to a request to restore a target computing device to the non-default system state, create a customized bootable image specific to the target computing device, based on the first image and the generic bootable image,
• wherein the customized bootable image comprises the kernel from the non-default system state of the first computing device,
• wherein the second computing device excludes from the customized bootable image any default drivers from the generic bootable image that are unsuitable for hardware at the target computing device,
• wherein the second computing device includes in the customized bootable image first drivers from the first image that are suitable for hardware at the target computing device, and
• wherein the customized bootable image is configured to directly restore the target computing device to the non-default system state;
• and
• reboot the target computing device to the non-default system state by loading the customized bootable image, wherein the reboot comprises booting the target computing device from the kernel of the first computing device without booting from the default kernel of the generic bootable image and further without modifying drivers included in the customized bootable image.

A system for creating a customized bootable image for a first computing device based on an earlier image of the first computing device, the system comprising one or more hardware processors configured to:

• create a first image of the first computing device, wherein the first image comprises a non-default system state of the first computing device at a first time, including:
• a kernel of the first computing device, one or more first drivers, and one or more internal settings of the first computing device;
• create a generic bootable image that includes a default kernel and one or more default drivers;
• in response to a request to restore a target computing device to the non-default system state, create a customized bootable image specific to the target computing device, based on the first image and the generic bootable image,
• wherein the customized bootable image comprises the kernel from the non-default system state of the first computing device,
• wherein the customized bootable image excludes any default drivers from the generic bootable image that are unsuitable for hardware at the target computing device,
• wherein the customized bootable image includes first drivers from the first image that are suitable for hardware at the target computing device, and
• wherein the customized bootable image is configured to directly restore the target computing device to the non-default system state;
• and
• reboot the target computing device to the non-default system state by loading the customized bootable image, wherein the reboot comprises booting from the kernel of the first computing device without booting from the default kernel of the generic bootable image and further without modifying drivers included in the customized bootable image during the reboot.