Please Recommend a Disk Imaging Program

I am in a bit of a pickle and would greatly appreciate if anyone could recommend disk imaging software for a friend.


Requirements: Freeware, compatible with Windows 2000

Preferences: Backup to and restore from external HD, easy to use, creates its own rescue CD or DVD (no floppy required, I pray)


I am well aware of Norton Ghost and the excellence of Acronis True Image, but money is an issue so I'm looking for absolute freeware. I have already downloaded every program from Majorgeeks that seems to fit the bill, but I would greatly appreciate your input on which software to install on my friend's Jurassic PCs. I would especially value your comments if you have actually used the program to restore an image, since one can never know how good the software is until it completes the second, more important part of what it is intended to do.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

You will be well satisfied with either EASEUS Todo or Macrium Reflect. I'm an Acronis fan myself but I've tested these programs and they both work well, though I haven't specifically tested in W2K. From what you say you have probably already downloaded them.

 

http://redobackup.org/

 

If the external hard drive you want to back up to is either a Seagate or Maxtor brand, there are free imaging programs available that use the Acronis True Image engine (and work almost identically). They are called Seagate Disk Wizard and Maxtor Maxblast. You create an emergency boot disk (CD)with them, and then they re-install your image. I have used Disk Wizard, and it works great, just like Acronis.