Best way to clone boot drive?

Megalith

Megalith

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So I'm on the verge of installing Windows 8.1. In the event of a fuck-up, I'd like to be able to restore the contents of my C: drive to EXACTLY the way it was before installation.

Most cloning software should allow me to do this, correct? Ideally, I'd like to be able to create a copy of C: on another internal drive and restore from that if 8.1 boots up and there's something severely broken.

My concern is that the restored version won't be a 1:1 copy or problematic in some way based on the sensitive nature of boot files.
 
I recommend clonezilla however I myself would use ddrescue (being a person who uses windows and linux almost daily since the 1990s).

Either of these you would boot off a linux livecd (or as I prefer a usbstick) to do the clone. Possibly with only the source and destination drive installed.
 
Acronis True Image, will allow to select exactly what folders do you want to clone from a disk to other.. i've used that software tons of times no single issue at all, specially the western digital edition..
 
Windows has built-in Backup & Restore. Just type in Backup in the search bar.

It will have you burn a bootable disc that will let you re-image the drive.

It can restore from an image on internal harddrive, external harddrive, and even another Windows computer on your network.
 
Araxie said:
Acronis True Image, will allow to select exactly what folders do you want to clone from a disk to other.. i've used that software tons of times no single issue at all, specially the western digital edition..
Click to expand...
^This..and with the wd edition..You just have to have a wd drive plugged in,It doesn't have to be involved...and it's free! :D

Or you can use an Older Hiren's boot cd and Norton Ghost.
You have to go back several versions, though.
 
It takes extra work with GParted to get all the boot sector stuff correct - not that I don't love GParted, but Clonezilla is a better option in this case.
 
clonezilla is what i used to move from spinning disk to SSD :) and several other systems.
 
Firebug24k said:
It takes extra work with GParted to get all the boot sector stuff correct - not that I don't love GParted, but Clonezilla is a better option in this case.
Click to expand...

You have to click the partition, go to manage flags, and click the "boot" checkbox.

Not that much work.
 
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