Importance of Backups...Part 3

Part 3: Drive Imaging/Cloning
Well, this is it.  That's right, the last article of the "Importance of Backups" series.  In this article, we're going to talk about a third method of performing backups (i.e.: making Hard Drive Images).  If you have purchased a name brand computer within the last several years, you'll know that there is a good possibility that your computer didn't come with any Restore Disks.

Different vendor's handle this matter in different ways.  In one case, my wife's Acer Laptop has no restore media and it doesn't have a built in solution for creating a restore disk.  In event something fouls up her current Windows 7 install, you boot the laptop up while holding down a specific key and it will boot to the Restore Utility and allow a full restore of the Factory image.  In other cases, her old HP laptop came supplied with no Restore Disks either.  However, in this case; there is a utility branded under the HP product name that allowed us to burn 4 copies of the Restore partition to DVD-R's.  In event something happened to that Vista install, boot the laptop using the first Restore DVD we created to restore.

Why do vendor's do this?  Easy, they are swaying to Microsoft's will.  Microsoft often limits how vendor's supply the Windows product in event to try and circumvent piracy of their software.  In reality, this hurts their customers.  Think about it this way, if something happens to the physical Hard Drive itself, that Restore Partition is useless.  Likewise, if the user didn't create the Restore Media, that restore data stored locally is useless as well.  So, you have no restore disks and have no way to create any?  Not true.

This is where making an image (or clone image) of your hard drive comes in handy.  So, what it a Hard Drive Image or Clone?  A Hard Drive Image is a snapshot file of the current state of your hard drive as it is presently setup.  This file is condensed down and stored on an external hard disk or set of backup media for a quick reinstall at a later point in time.

One of the commonly used tools to accomplish this task has always been Norton's Ghost software application.  Norton Ghost is still available and is sold via their website for $69.99 (site).  However, I don't recommend purchasing this program unless you are in an IT position that requires an enterprise based solution with enterprise level support.  If you're like me; the repair guy for your friends and family with the need to only occasionally have a need for imaging hard drives, than there are numerous free solutions out there ready to be used.

The solution I use for making images of my hard drives is DriveImage XML. I have used this program for a while now, and it hasn't let me down yet.  It is a small program, only weighing in at 1.78MB for version 2.22.
If you're PC is at least these specs, you're good to go:
-Intel Pentium Processor or Better
-256MB's of RAM
-Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista or 7

So, what's good about it?  The feature I love the most is the "Hot Imaging" capability.  Simply put, it allows you to run the program and make a complete image of your hard drive while you are using it.  Other programs require you to boot a setup disk that will occupy the computer until the job is complete.  Not with DriveImage XML, simply run it and select the 'Make A Backup' link or button and let it roll.  This is accomplished by utilizing a background service built into the Windows Operating System called "Microsoft's Volume Shadow Service".  This is a really nice feature since you can still work with the machine with very little hit to performance while it does it's job.  It also has the ability to be run with the Scheduler built into Windows so it can be setup to run automatically during downtime or late at night or etc.

Another nice feature is you can access individual files via the programs built in file browser which allows you to mount a Hard Drive Image and extract individual files from it without restoring the entire image to another drive.  If you need to inflate the image to a new drive, no problem that can be accomplished too via a BartPE boot cd/dvd with DriveImg XML on it.  So it is a very versatile application with a very practical use.

To Checkout DriveImage XML swing by: http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

Also, checkout this video about how easy it is to use:







As always, this is not the only free solution for making a hard drive image.  This is however the solution that I currently employee.  Other great imaging apps to look into are:
- Clonezilla- an outstanding Live Linux based CD that allows you to boot the Live CD and select your source drive, destination drive, and other options and clones entire partitions.  Highly recommended for any field tech.  May be somewhat out of range for the average home nerd.  Site: http://clonezilla.org/
*I have successfully used the Live CD for cloning Virtual Box partitions from a smaller Virtual Hard Drive to a larger Virtual Hard Drive with success.  Maybe a video will come soon about this.*

-EaseUS Todo Backup Free- offers a lot of the same backup functions of DriveImage XML.  Supports RAID Hardware and up to 2TB Hard Drives.  Site: http://www.easeus.com/disk-copy/

-Drive Snapshot- very similar to DriveImage XML in that you can let the backup run in the background.  Supports all Windows RAID setups.  Also has one of the widest ranges of supported operating systems from Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/7/2008/2008 r2/PE/x64/and Vista.  Site: http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/

What you'll be looking for in a Drive Imaging software are these attributes:
-Can I use the computer while performing a backup action?
-Can I schedule a Backup Job to run after hours or while I'm asleep?
-Am I able to write the Backup Image to external media whether it be CD/DVD-R or external drives?
-Would I be able to easily deploy that image on my existing hard drive in event of a problem?
-Would I be able to easily deploy the image on a new hard drive or computer in event of a problem?

In my case, I have made a backup image of my drive prior to reloading the Operating System (which I do about once a year to keep things fresh and uncluttered).  When reloading my Operating System I don't actually deploy the image.  Instead I do a clean install and use the DriveImage XML software to mount the backup image and extract any files I may need that I didn't already have backed up elsewhere.  I keep the backup for a while to make sure I'm done with any file migration over time, then once my new install is where I like it to be, I simply make a replacement image with it customized to my liking.  So if anything does happen to my operating system install, it's as easy as booting my BartPE disk and reloading the image.

This wraps up my series on why backups are important and why you should take care of your personal data.  As I mentioned in the last article, these may not be the perfect solutions or even the easiest solutions.  But they are what I use.  And I have been more than happy with the processes I have in place for my situation.  These articles are merely meant to get the thought process flowing for people who have no clue where to start with making their own backups.  It's extremely cheap (and free in most cases); and can cause a drastic drop in stress and headaches when something bad happens to your computer.

And remember, a single copy of a file isn't a backup.  It's just a copy.  Be on the safe side, and use at least 2 backup methods and consider leaving a third backup offsite if your data is that critical to you.  Remember, your data is made by you, so protect your hardwork!