free windows image/backup

Glaucus · 17 Dec 2008 at 20:38

Is there any good preferably open source or free windows image/back up software. I can just make an identical image on a separate harddrive of the entire C drive. Encase windows goes pear shaped.

Greenlizard0 · 18 Dec 2008 at 00:48

Acronis Trueimage?

Craig321 · 18 Dec 2008 at 00:58

Greenlizard0 said:
Acronis Trueimage?

This. It's given away a lot with magazines etc

MikeHunt79 · 18 Dec 2008 at 00:59

Driveimage XML - it's free and works

jas07 · 18 Dec 2008 at 01:08

If you can get Acronis for free then go for it.

Its nothing short of Superb. I use it all the time!

jbloggs · 18 Dec 2008 at 10:17

If you have a Seagate or Maxtor HDD in your system, then DiscWizard or MaxBlast, which is basically Acronis True Image 11 Home...

There is also:

DriveImage XML

Macrium Reflect

O&O DiskImage

Drive Backup 9 Express

All the above are free....

swinnie · 18 Dec 2008 at 14:05

What about PING?

I've never used it, but heard some good recommendations for it on here.

Glaucus · 18 Dec 2008 at 14:14

What I want to do is once I have windows set up and all updates and software loaded. Then save an image and restore it if windows ever breaks or get clogged. Do all these need windows to work or can you make some sort of boot disc, if windows completely fails?

Faffer · 18 Dec 2008 at 14:19

I've been using PING for a couple of months. It's pretty good and backs up/restores images at a decent speed, but I've had occasional problems with it not being able to see the hard drive on a few machines I have tried to image.

Will probably give Acronis True Image a go, if it's free.

Faffer · 18 Dec 2008 at 14:22

AcidHell2 said:
What I want to do is once I have windows set up and all updates and software loaded. Then save an image and restore it if windows ever breaks or get clogged. Do all these need windows to work or can you make some sort of boot disc, if windows completely fails?

PING will boot off a CD and create or restore an image of your drives/partitions. It's Linux based and does not need to run in Windows. It can even include your BIOS settings in the image if you choose.

spider2003 · 18 Dec 2008 at 14:55

I use acronis trueimage and it's the best image software.

Skeeter · 18 Dec 2008 at 22:41

I will be imaging my HTPC soon, as ive just got it how I like it.

IS there any way you can have any of these apps automatically take an image of a drive? Say once a week it restarts the PC and takes a backup image of C: and saves it somewhere? Combined with my nightly document backups that would be a decent failsafe against a HDD failure.

helmutcheese · 18 Dec 2008 at 22:49

IntoTheVoid · 31 Dec 2008 at 17:59

I have been using the free version of Macrium Reflect and have restored and backed up around 10 times recently with no problems whatsoever. You can also create a restore cd. I backup to an external usb hard disk and use the cd to restore. Backup is quick too with a 10gb backup taking around 10 minutes. Restore takes a bit longer with around 20-30 minutes being the norm for me. Must add that it only supports Windows, so if you want to image a Linux install you will need to use something else.