Creating a backup image

BillD · Apr 11, 2011

Hey folks. I just put together an older comp for a friend, and would like to make an image of the fresh install. It takes so long to get all the updates I thought if I could back it up for a future re install it would save me a lot of time. Can someone recommend a program? I assume it needs to be in a bootable format. Thanks.

DavidGP · Apr 11, 2011

Hi

Yes as few applications can do this for you, all of the ones I'm going to suggest do need a bootup/restore master disk creating, but the applications do prompt or have the option to create these disks.

Acronis True Image is one of my favs but its retail software and user guide HERE

Easeus ToDo is freeware and very good and easy to use, with alot of help and instruction HERE and HERE on how to create and restore backup images.

Macrium Reflect is another option HERE with help HERE

You idea is a great one and one I always use, I create my image files of a default Windows install in Acronis TI though and pop them onto a spare HDD for safe keeping. If putting them onto DVD you may need a few of them as the space needed is whats used space on the HDD and less some compression.

BillD · Apr 11, 2011

Thanks for the reply. I will look into them.

Earthling · Apr 11, 2011

I use Acronis too, and it has got me out of trouble more times than I care to think about, but I also think there are few things more useless than a well out-of-date backup of a fresh install. The time required to install service packs and updates, plus installing and configuring all required software makes it hardly any more useful than a fresh install. So I would say take a new up-to-date image at least once a month and just keep the last two. That's how you really save the time and the hassle.

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Creating a backup image

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DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

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Earthling Interplanetary Geek