Creating an exact image? (more details inside)

I wanted to make an image of my current configuration my installation now. That means the drivers,software,files,settings,registry settings,everything. I know about Norton ghost and Acronis but I don't think they create an image like this? What is the best software for creating a system image (with partion files everything intact like the way when you created the image of it)?

I doesn't have to be free or cheap but I don't know of any programs that can or if it is even possible or even something that can come close to doing most of these things?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

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I don't know if this will fit your needs but maybe worth a look see.

|MG| DriveImage XML 1.21

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I’ll keep using Linux until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

This one is the high dinero version of the of the previous one I suggested.

|MG| Paragon Drive Backup 8.51

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I’ll keep using Linux until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

That is basically the purpose/function of a RAID 01 mirror.

It requires two identical hard drives.

It creates two identical hard drives so if one should mechanically fail you have the other.


If you want to "clone" your current drive to another drive your hard drive manufacturer probably has a cloning tool in the setup software.


The only real advantage in such a setup is to have multiple hard drives.

I have 2 hard drives but they are not identical. The one I want to clone is 100GB the other is 150GB. But the thing is I only want to copy the data and the partition I don't want to have a 100GB image instead just the 25GB used along with the partition.

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I have no personal experience but both Ghost and Acronis appear to have this function.

If I had to choose I'd go with Acronis as it is cheaper as well as I personally dislike Norton software.

Complete hard disk drive copy, cloning and image backup software: computer files and disk copying

Again you could most likely do it for free using either your HDD manufacturers software or GParted.

You just need to create a partition the exact size as the one you want to clone then clone.

However if $50 is not a big deal to you the Acronis program would make it much simpler.

Other possibilities:

Creating an exact disk image - Google Search

Not to mention rokytnji's suggestions which again I am not familiar with.

I bought Acronis and it is amazing. It does exactly what I needed to do. I had Norton and the software is not that good on restoring the backup as Acronis is. I just save the image (Of partition) on the 2nd hard drive and boot from the CD and restore it to the first.

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