Shown is a method and system for provisioning a target computer with an operating system, which calls for booting the target computer in a pre-operating system environment, collecting configuration information for the target computer, and transmitting the configuration information to a predetermined server. The approach shown also provides for searching a database in the server for a pre-existing operating system image corresponding to the configuration information from the target computer. If a corresponding operating system image is found, then the present approach involves transferring the pre-existing operating system image to the target computer and installing the pre-existing operating system image on the target computer.