An old computer joke says that users are divided into two types: the former do not backup, and the latter already do. Copying important files manually takes too much time. It’s much easier to use popular products. The article will describe programs that allow you to clone HDD partitions.
Why did Norton Ghost disappear from the reviews?
The Ghost hard drive cloning program , originally developed by Binary Research and later Symantec, was considered the best in its class. However, in 2013, the sale of the utility ceased. And in 2014, its support ended.
Now this software is included in the complex complex for network administration Ghost Solution Suite. It includes both server and client components. In this regard, the product has lost relevance for home use.
True image
True Image - a program for cloning hard drives in Russian. The utility offers the user a choice of four options for creating a backup.
One version. The simplest and most reliable mode, but also the most resource-intensive. Each time during backup, the hard drive is fully cloned.
Incremental mode (it is activated by default). At the first start, the HDD partition is copied as is. After that, the copying is not complete. The program for cloning hard drives records only changes that have occurred in the file system over the period from the last copy to the moment. After a certain number (set in the settings) of backups, the disk is fully cloned again, and the old backup files are deleted.
The main advantage of this approach is that it takes a little time to create the next backup. The disadvantage is that after each incremental copy, changes are not added to the image, but are copied to new containers. To perform system recovery, a hard disk cloning program will require all previously created files. If at least one of them is damaged, the user runs the risk of losing some of the data.
Differential mode. Unlike the incremental method, all changes are written to one container. The reference point is always the first copy. Thus, to restore the system, you will need a primary image and any backup with changes.
Chain of versions. In this mode, the program creates any number of differential backups (user-configurable). After a specified period of time, the old backups are erased.
Additional features
The program for cloning hard drives with errors can skip bad sectors. This approach is effective if the OS malfunctions are caused by a HDD malfunction.
The utility allows you to automatically duplicate backups to cloud storage, local disk or external drive. The first time you try to copy an image using the Cloud Storage service, a subscription is activated for a month. When this period passes, the utility will require payment.
DriveImage XML
Runtime Software products are popular with service technicians. Most of them are aimed at data recovery due to accidental formatting or a faulty file system. DriveImage XML is a program for cloning hard drives from Runtime Software. The software is completely free.
The utility can be installed on Windows or create a bootable USB flash drive that includes the Knoppix OS. I must say that the latter option provides the user with a lot more tools. In addition to DriveImage XML, Knoppix includes all products developed by Runtime Software. To use commercial programs, you must first register them.
The program for cloning hard drives includes a shadow copy service . That is, the HDD image will include all the system files that Windows uses during its operation. This means that cloning a partition does not require a reboot.
After creating a backup, the utility will issue a file that will contain all the volume data, and a document with a description of the partition. Some options tied to services built into Windows may not work in Knoppix. Therefore, the developer recommends creating a bootable USB flash drive yourself using Windows PE. Automated tools are only suitable for inexperienced users.
If the operating system does not boot, Knoppix may partially replace it. It has play video and audio files, a text editor and an Internet browser. Using the latter, you can search for instructions for troubleshooting or download the OS distribution kit to reinstall it. In older versions of Knoppix there was even an office suite, but its pre-installation was abandoned to reduce the size of the final product.