Software to backup my system

[personalcomputer]

Hi, I would like to find out which software to use to backup my system, preferably a free software.
Another question, instead of creating a rescue CD, if I save my backup system image into an external hard drive, will it work?
Thanks in advance.

[A Guy]

For a free image backup program, have a look at [url=http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx]Macrium Reflect. And yes, backing up to a 2nd hard drive, either external or internal, is the preferred method. A Guy

[hal9000]

+1 for Macrium Reflect. EaseUs Todo Backup is also quite good and the one I use at the moment. There are loads of other good free backup software about including Clonezilla, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2011, Seagate Disc Wizard (by Acronis) and Acronis True Image WD Edition to name a few.

If you backup to external drive (or any other drive), you'll still need a rescue cd in case you can't boot to your OS.

[jason7619]

1. Macrium Reflect free ver5
2. Seagate DiscWizard / ATI-WD > good clone disc feature
3. Paragon Backup & Recovery 10.2 Free Edition
4. EASEUS Todo Backup ver3 -- now with WinPE boot media included!!!

In addition, I found a great way to make a pe3 media boot cd HERE

Might worth a try there

[leofelix]

if I save my backup system image into an external hard drive, will it work?
Thanks in advance.

It depends on your mother board and BIOS even though some external devices do not work properly when some images back up software are installed (ie: acronis true image home need to modify your Master Boot Record, hence some extarnal HDD might not work properly as they are not recognized during your sistem boot)

[curlysue]

It depends on your mother board and BIOS even though some external devices do not work properly when some images back up software are installed (ie: acronis true image home need to modify your Master Boot Record, hence some extarnal HDD might not work properly as they are not recognized during your sistem boot)

-- that's interesting. will let the bf know that.

[Bearcat]

If you are running Windows 7, you can create a full system backup from Restore and Recovery in the Control Panel. It will create a system image that can be backed up and restored from an external HDD.

[personalcomputer]

It depends on your mother board and BIOS even though some external devices do not work properly when some images back up software are installed (ie: acronis true image home need to modify your Master Boot Record, hence some extarnal HDD might not work properly as they are not recognized during your sistem boot)

That is exactly what happened to me before, i couldn't read the system image from my external HDD. Thanks for the info.

Comparing a system imaging software to Windows Backup, which is better?

[Bearcat]

Comparing a system imaging software to Windows Backup, which is better?

It depends on what you are looking for. Windows Backup and Restore is a no frills software that doesn't have all the options of other imaging software, but I can tell you from personal experience, that it does a good job. I like to test software and when I'm done with the tests and decide I don't like it, I use a system image created by Windows Backup, rather than doing a System Restore to put things back to exactly the way they were.

[magoo]

+1 Macrium Reflect