Help with steps of disk imaging/restoring with 2 different Windows OS

[DaRuSsIaMaN]

This is probably a noob question... I'm considering jumping back to Windows 7 after a bit of fooling around with a fresh install of Windows 10 on my laptop. (Let's not get into details about why.) However, I want to back up my current configuration as an image and to have the option of restoring this image again.

In a nutshell, what I'm confused about is how do I use a 3rd party program to restore an image to its own HDD, since that would involve deleting the HDD on which the backup software (and Windows) is currently running.

Let's call one disk image Y (with OS Y installed) and another disk image Z (with OS Z installed). If my disk is currently in state Y, and I have an image of the same disk in state Z, how can a backup software wipe its own disk and write onto that same disk the other image, Z? Wouldn't I need to be running the software outside the Windows environment to do that? Like if it's a portable program or if it runs on restart before Windows boots? I don't get it...

I recently restored this laptop to the factory image via Dell's Backup & Restore. But (if I understand correctly) Dell put the program on its own separate partition, and I was able to load the program before Windows boots. That makes sense to me because it's running on a different partition and is wiping the partition that Windows is on while Windows is not running.

However, the Dell backup can only take me in one direction, let's call it Z --> Y. What if I want to go from Y --> Z? I'm still confused how I would use one of the freeware programs to do that, since the program apparently requires to be running in Windows to work...

 

[gimp]

Why not use Windows' built-in backup?
It can create a system image. You can then restore that image if you boot off the install disc/usb.

3rd party applications you boot in to a pre-boot environment to restore an image, also.

 

[DaRuSsIaMaN]

3rd party applications you boot in to a pre-boot environment to restore an image, also.

Ah, okay. That's what I thought needs to happen, but I was confused because I saw no sign that an application was supposed to do that. I remember with other applications I've used, that required pre-boot environment, for example I think I've used GParted for partitioning -- I had to make a bootable CD and boot off it. But this backup application that I'm experimenting with didn't require any such thing; it simply installed itself the ordinary way like any other software. So how will it operate in a pre-boot environment??


In any case, you're right -- I should've probably just used the built-in Windows backup. Still curious about the above, though.

 

[gimp]

But this backup application that I'm experimenting with didn't require any such thing; it simply installed itself the ordinary way like any other software. So how will it operate in a pre-boot environment??

Which application?
Does it maybe have an option inside the app to create the bootable disc?