Backing up your windows installation.

aflaba · #1 05-09-2007, 01:39 PM

I "often" feel like reformatting my computer. When I do I have to reinstall windows and then all the apps I like to have. This usually takes 5 hours of so. It's a real time sink. Is there any piece of software that can backup an entire windows application (similarly to how you can copy VMWare machines)? That would be very awesome! (If there's one that is free then of course that would be the awesomest)

kerowo · #2 05-09-2007, 01:41 PM

Ghost used to be the standard.

SamIAm · #3 05-09-2007, 01:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Ghost used to be the standard.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ghost, before it became NortonGhost, was awesome. It just barely fit on a floppy, so it was a great tool to carry around. Then Norton bought it, and apparently adding the word "Norton" to all the file-names made them a couple megs bigger. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
-Sam

P.S. This isn't meant to be useful in anyway; just reminiscing.

LeapFrog · #4 05-09-2007, 02:35 PM

I had some success with the trial version of Acronis true image. During the trial period (15 days) you can create bootable media and make backups. After the trial period ends you can't make any more backups but you can restore using the bootable media and the images.

One item of note: I did numerous backups using a USB HD -- that worked fine. However when I backed up to DVD I wound
up with a corrupted image.

Check my 'never reinstall OS again' thread for a few more details but this essentially sums it up.