Imaging / Backup Software for Win 7

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Hey All,

I’m close to taking the plunge and putting Win 7 on my system. Before I do, I would like to make an image of the disk as is in case something goes goofy. Once Win 7 is all up and running, I woyuld then like to use it to regularly create images to safekeep against problems.

If possible, please offer suggestions for a backup and imaging software. I am looking for a basic program here, simple backups and imaging (unless there’s a better solution offered) As with everyone now a days, money is tight and I’d like to spend as little as possible.

TIA for any info provided and ‘talk’ to you soon.

Regards,
Grant

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Hey All,

If possible, please offer suggestions for a backup and imaging software. I am looking for a basic program here, simple backups and imaging (unless there’s a better solution offered) As with everyone now a days, money is tight and I’d like to spend as little as possible.

As always user preferences abound on this topic. If you click Lobby and scroll down to Other Technologies Security & Backups then you will find alot of previous threads addressing this issue. Maybe you can check these out and post back with further questions until someone else responds.

Hey Jude

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Hey All,

I’m close to taking the plunge and putting Win 7 on my system. Before I do, I would like to make an image of the disk as is in case something goes goofy. Once Win 7 is all up and running, I woyuld then like to use it to regularly create images to safekeep against problems.

If possible, please offer suggestions for a backup and imaging software. I am looking for a basic program here, simple backups and imaging (unless there’s a better solution offered) As with everyone now a days, money is tight and I’d like to spend as little as possible.

TIA for any info provided and ‘talk’ to you soon.

Regards,
Grant

Hi Grant,
If possible maybe you could use a new hard disk for putting win 7 on (They are quite cheap now). Then if goes wrong can just put old hard drive back in. Once happy with win 7 can use old hard disk for extra storage by reformatting.

There is no need to spend money on backup or imaging software for win 7 home premium and higher. Win 7 has built in disk imaging and backup programs that work very well.
I have been using the create disk image regularly and have had no problems at all.

Hope this helps
Clive

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Hi Grant,
If possible maybe you could use a new hard disk for putting win 7 on (They are quite cheap now). Then if goes wrong can just put old hard drive back in. Once happy with win 7 can use old hard disk for extra storage by reformatting.

There is no need to spend money on backup or imaging software for win 7 home premium and higher. Win 7 has built in disk imaging and backup programs that work very well.
I have been using the create disk image regularly and have had no problems at all.

Hope this helps
Clive

Hi Clive,

I have a question about the Win 7 built-in imaging utility that I am hoping you or perhaps someone else can answer. Specifically, is it possible to create a bootable image disk in Win 7? In other words, if the OS fails completely will I be able to re-install my system from the image without having to reinstall the OS first?

Thanks in Advance,
Doug

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Hi Clive,

I have a question about the Win 7 built-in imaging utility that I am hoping you or perhaps someone else can answer. Specifically, is it possible to create a bootable image disk in Win 7? In other words, if the OS fails completely will I be able to re-install my system from the image without having to reinstall the OS first?

Thanks in Advance,
Doug

Do you have the Win 7 DVD???? I created a System Image of my Windows 7 Pro using my Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini EHD. All I did was open Control Panel and clicked Create a System Image and the screen brought up my E: drive and I clicked next and it saved 60 GB in 18 minutes. This is the handy portable HD which a friend told me about a year or so ago. I can take with me when I travel in the event I have any malfunction issues.

You boot from your Win 7 installation disk. When you get to Install or Repair, choose Repair. It will ask you which installation you want to repair, then you get a screen with five options. Choose the third, System Image Recovery, give it about 30 minutes to do its thing, and you’re good to go.

Hey Jude

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Hi Clive,

I have a question about the Win 7 built-in imaging utility that I am hoping you or perhaps someone else can answer. Specifically, is it possible to create a bootable image disk in Win 7? In other words, if the OS fails completely will I be able to re-install my system from the image without having to reinstall the OS first?

Thanks in Advance,
Doug

You do need the win7 install disk. Boot with that and navigate to repair option (not install). In this option there is a choice to restore computer from a backup image.
If you have done the image on an external hard drive you just need to show the program where it is then click go, (often it will find it for you).. It will reformat the hard drive and replace the OS with your backup.
I have tested this on both 32bit and 64bit win 7 and works fine with no problems.
The backup option in windows I have not tried as seems pointless if I have a complete image, so cannot say how good that is.

Hope this helps
Clive

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Hi Clive,

I have a question about the Win 7 built-in imaging utility that I am hoping you or perhaps someone else can answer. Specifically, is it possible to create a bootable image disk in Win 7? In other words, if the OS fails completely will I be able to re-install my system from the image without having to reinstall the OS first?

Thanks in Advance,
Doug

Yes you can. When you make your image, after it finishes it will ask if you wish to create a system repair disk. This repair disk is bootable.

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Hello all, as Hey Jude posted there are a number of threads already in the Security/Backups forum and you will likely find plenty of answers to your questions in those already established threads.
It is better to check out threads to see if your issue has been addressed already.

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Do you have a Seagate or Western Digital hard drive? If so, download Seagate Tools from the Seagate web site. This is a striped-down version of Acronis (sp?) and provides partition imaging. I have used it to move my OS partition among drives, and to take occasional backup snapshots of my OS.

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I switched from Acronis True Image 11 to Macrium Reflect 4.2 a couple for months ago. It’s $40 and doing a spectacular job for my needs.

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I switched from Acronis True Image 11 to Macrium Reflect 4.2 a couple for months ago. It’s $40 and doing a spectacular job for my needs.

Acronis has released True Image 2010 for $40.

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Acronis has released True Image 2010 for $40.

That $40.00 no longer includes the interim updates or support. Those options now add $12.00 and $9.00 respectively, raising the total to nearly $69.00. That’s the full and honest price of TIH 2010.

-- rc primak

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That $40.00 no longer includes the interim updates or support. Those options now add $12.00 and $9.00 raising the total to nearly $69.00. That’s the full and honest price of TIH 2010.

This is directly from my account page at Acronis:

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This is directly from my account page at Acronis:

[edited] Latest entry was for Acronis True Image Home 11 (2008 or 2009 version) [end edit]

You do not have True Image Home 2010. This is the version where the changes have taken place. You will no longer get the free interim updates if you upgrade to the current Acronis version.

-- rc primak

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You do not have True Image Home 2010. This is the version where the changes have taken place. You will no longer get the free interim updates if you upgrade to the current Acronis version.

I agree, I have Acronis True Image Home 2010, I forgot the Home in my original listing. I do indeed get updates, and all for $40. According to the link I included in my original post this is the latest released version of True Image Home 2010. I do not need to upgrade to the latest version since this is it!! I am actually not sure if there is much difference between True Image 2010 and True Image Home 2010, but reading the list of uses for the Home version, this is more than sufficient for most users, and probably all home users. This does not include the plus pack, but I do not see why I need the plus pack at this time.

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I switched from Acronis True Image 11 to Macrium Reflect 4.2 a couple for months ago. It’s $40 and doing a spectacular job for my needs.

Macrium Reflect also has a FREE edition which does full backup images and does not allow for incremental, etc. Check out the FREE edition first.

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Clonezilla is free and will create a drive image or restore a drive from the image.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/clonezilla/

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Clonezilla is free and will create a drive image or restore a drive from the image.

http://sourceforge.n…cts/clonezilla/

Clonezilla has few features and a lousy interface. Definitely not for novices!

-- rc primak

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Thanks to everyone for their assistance. It would seem that the long & short of it is that Microsoft has provided the necessary tools in Win 7 so I’ll take the plunge today.

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I am using Win7 Pro and have used the in-built imaging software. My HDD has 2 partitions so I made an image of the C: drive onto the D: drive and also on an external HDD. But what happens in case the C: partition fails and I have to format it, then how do I use the image made using Win7. Hence I think it is not a very good option.
My preferred option is using DriveImageXML, http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm. It is free and I have successfully used it in the past to restore XP images without any problem. It can be used from within Win7 but it is much better to use it from a bootable recovery CD like UBCD4Win. I have also successfully created a bootable UBCD4Win USB and used DriveImageXML from within this. It works very well.

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But what happens in case the C: partition fails and I have to format it, then how do I use the image made using Win7.

See Restore your computer from a system image backup & Windows 7 System Restore from Backup Image.

Joe

--Joe

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See Restore your computer from a system image backup & Windows 7 System Restore from Backup Image.

Joe

Thanks, I understand now that this is possible. But I still feel an independent solution like UBCD4Win with DriveImageXML is better.

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Thanks, I understand now that this is possible. But I still feel an independent solution like UBCD4Win with DriveImageXML is better.

That is fine. Backup software and regime is a personal choice. I just wanted you to be aware that you can recover using the standard Windows 7 imaging mechanism.

Joe

--Joe

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