image backup of O.S and programs?

gogo123_2

i am just restoring my windows 7 o.s, and then putting my program back on . on my pc.

after i have done this is there a way to do an image back up of my o.s. and program, then if i need to reinstall in the future ( instead of installing program by program ) i can run the image and my o.s. and programs will be installed to the point when i did the image backup?

if so is there some free software to do this ?

many thanks

Ximian

There are free applications that can image the whole drive partition and restore when required. Hiren's Boot CD has CloneDisk and G4L (Ghost 4 Linux): http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd(under backup tools)I have used both as a test (backup and restore). I have also tested CloneZilla: http://clonezilla.org/all have performed well and did what they claim. There are some limitations with some of the tools though such as software RAID and differential and incremental backups. I would recommend testing a backup and restore while you have just rebuilt the machine (early stages so no major issue if you trash the drive) and document your process.

Hiren's boot CD can be downloaded from: http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

JJ_Egan

Acronis True Image is the image program i have used for many years .
Others available including some freeware .

O&O Disk Image 5 is free with this months ( Issue 207 Jan) PC Pro magazine .

jje

gogo123_2

many thanks for your post

would this free software do the job http://www.todo-backup.com/products/home/free-backup-software.htm

free4440273

https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

^free and works well ime / .

Norton Ghost is very good too.

dipsomaniac

doesn't windows own system image software do the job?

mart44

I've been using Windows 7's own disk imaging function since getting Windows 7 Home Premium when it first came out. It doesn't have a few of the features that third-party disk imaging software has but it's good for making a full image. It is possible to keep more than one disk image if you want to.

I'm always trying out various programs on the computer. So the system is imaged just before a program's trial. When done, the image is used to restore the system back to how it was before I started. This means the imaging function has been used many times over the period of time I've had the computer. It has always worked OK.