Windows 7 image creation

GunRunner · 2 Nov 2009 at 12:59

I wanted to make an image of my HD in windows 7 pro and store it on my NAS. I saw the link below, but cannot seem to find the settings on my machine. Am I missing something, or is this from the Win 7 beta evaluation version?

http://www.shivaranjan.com/2009/05/...a-hard-disk-partition-or-windows-7-partition/

If I am correct and it does not now exist, does anyone have an equivalent disc image copy procedure? I dont mean acronis, or Norton ghost! I just need to create an image and put it on a NAS or onto another HD to re-install back to my HD if my system gets screwed up. It would be better if it was on a bootable CD/DVD, so that it would be a very simple procedure, just to boot from the CD/DVD and dump the saved image onto the HD. I remember when I went on a Windows NT server and administrators course many many years ago and we carried out this procedure and recreated everything on another HD in very short order directly from the network.

Many thanks.

UKDTweak · 2 Nov 2009 at 13:04

In your start menu, type Backup, you should get the option there.
I use it on my install of W7 64bit Ultimate and it works really well.

robcat101 · 2 Nov 2009 at 17:02

UKDTweak said:
In your start menu, type Backup, you should get the option there.
I use it on my install of W7 64bit Ultimate and it works really well.

I'd agree. The system image creation works very well in Window 7. I've backed up and restored from it and all went fine.

It's as quick and efficient as Acronis True Image (which I have sworn by in the past) but importantly if you are a SSD user it keeps your partitions aligned (which may or may not be important depending on who you listen to - but all else being equal I'd rather keep alignment)

Raumarik · 2 Nov 2009 at 17:03

Definately use the Win 7 pro backup since you have it, works fine.

Uther · 2 Nov 2009 at 17:06

Do you get the backup utility on Win7 HP?

Broken Hope · 2 Nov 2009 at 17:13

Uther said:
Do you get the backup utility on Win7 HP?

As far as I know you do, it just can't back up to network shares like it can on pro and above.

GunRunner · 2 Nov 2009 at 19:23

Thanks for the responses...I am embarrassed now, as I have eventually found it on the menu.

One problem. I found that windows 7 Pro does not see the QNAP server when running the backup tool, or put it this way, it is not available on the menu to put the image backup. Hummm... I have to put the image on the other spare hard drive.