Best disk image/clone that uses bootable media (CD, USB)?

topcat989

topcat989

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Well I'm putting together about 5 different systems for friends and family. Each computer is a scrap built out of existing stuff I have laying around, so no one image to clone to all the systems. I need something like the ghost of old where you put it on a boot floppy (or CD) and simply made an image of a disk or partition, stored it on another drive, and when needed restored it. That way when I continue to add updates/service packs I can restore an image if the install goes bad. And also because 3 out of 5 have black thumbs as far as fucking up a pristine install.:rolleyes: The ghost Boot CD I have is not recognizing many drives (esp SATA). It's old and flaky.

I hear good things about Acronis True Image, but don't have the $50 to buy. Help a brother out with recommendations on the best and simplest freeware/low cost to do what I want. Thanks
 
Id recommend Clonezilla or the Windows 7 Baremetal backup if available...and store the images on a portable USB drive...
I remember UBCD had some cloning utilities as well
 
UBCD had some cloning utilities as well
Click to expand...

One of them was driveimagexml. I have used that a few times for the same purpose as the OP. I have also used linux dd / ddrescue and clonezilla.
 
thanks for the replies, I'll check them out. Like I said, simple making images of disks/partitions and storing in case I need a restore. The easier and simpler, the better
 
Well clonezilla works nice EXCEPT it will not work on my RAID (2x WD 74GB Raptors). Clonezilla only works with pure hardware RAID, it does NOT work with on mobo or software RAID. Which is :rolleyes: , because that's where a lot of folks like me want the performance of stripping but need something to make easy backups. *sigh*

let's see if ghost will work on this, clonezilla works fine for non RAID systems....
 
How about the built in Windows backup? I've tested it out once with an external usb HD, worked fine.

You pop in the Windows install disc and pick repair when you want to restore.
 
CD + software RAID, it's pretty normal if it doesn't work out of the box, the CD can't have the drivers by default. I don't know clonezilla, but acronis will allow you to make a CD with the drivers, and I think DXML too (personally, I'd rather backup on the fly than with a CD, as I don't always have a reader).
 
I expected clonezilla to work since linux has buitin support for fakeraid via the dmraid module. As far as controllers most sata ports would automatically work via the ahci driver. If I had time I would look into that (but sadly I do not).

John
 
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