Making an image of Windows 7 64-bit

[thedoc46]

Just spent 12hrs reformatting my pc after picking up a nasty virus. Time mostly spent on re-installing all my apps, games and game saves & cfg files..

Anyway, 12hrs was waaaaaaaay too long for my liking, and it's now prompted me to investigate using some kind of image tool, to make a backup of my entire o/s partition.

Any recommendations? Acronis, ghost? or even doesn't windows 7 now include an image creator? Not sure and just starting my investigations.

Interested in hearing pro's and cons of using such tools... Just need image to be exactly as it is today, clean everything on and configured to how i like.

 

[thedoc46]

As above, Windows 7 backup to image is fine

Thanks all, i think i'm going to just try the Windows 7 image maker.. Can you specify just one partition to backup?

I'm at work at the mo' so i can't try.. Well ok i did, but i only have a c: drive on my work laptop, and it picked up c: and system reserved, with no option to not choose system reserve.

I don't want it to backup my WinXP partition or my data partition.

Will that be possible..

Also can you use the machine while it makes the image? What about open files?

 

[thedoc46]

oh man, it just gets better and better ! Hats off to Microsoft !

 

[thedoc46]

One last question..... I'm going to image about 300gig tonight... How long does it take to make an image of that size to an external USB 2.0... Approx