W.in7 disc image backup software

[ChrisGreaves]

This thread having re-sparked my interest in disc images, coupled with a plan to reinstall a clean version of Win7 I started looking at backup software.

Acronis seems to be a 30-day trial, and I was looking for a cheap ("FREE") that will function on the day in the future I need it to function.
Shadowprotect wants my email address and stuff and wants to send me stuff. I'm somewhat leery of that.
Macrium reflect has that annoying "install online" feature I have learned to hate. I much prefer the idea of being able to download the complete file and then (re) install it at will.

Given that I am very picky about having a copy of the software that I can control forever without being plagued with emails, is there a package that can be downloaded that just does the job?

P.S. I will be essaying with the How To Geek article that suggests for Win 7 "You’ll have to create system repair disc on a CD or DVD"

[John Gray]

You will be aware that the reason why some software manufacturers use a small 'installer' to download and install the 'real' software is so they can guarantee that you have the latest, supposedly-bug-fixed, version of their program!

[BobArch2]

This thread having re-sparked my interest in disc images, coupled with a plan to reinstall a clean version of Win7 I started looking at backup software.
[stuff deleted]

Given that I am very picky about having a copy of the software that I can control forever without being plagued with emails, is there a package that can be downloaded that just does the job?

If I am not mistaken Windows 7 includes in their backup environment, the ability to create an image. And 1) you do not have to provide your email address, 2) it's free and 3) you can have it forever!

Microsoft Backup

[ChrisGreaves]

You will be aware ... latest, supposedly-bug-fixed, version of their program!

Oh, absolutely.
But still and all I think that one should have the option of maintaining a stable well-defined platform.

Perhaps for people like me (1% of 1% of the population) if a stable platform is that important to me, I should fork out the $20 and get a full copy.

[ChrisGreaves]

If I am not mistaken Windows 7 includes in their backup environment, the ability to create an image. ...

Quite so, although I am currently getting an error when I try to create a backup image under Win7, trying CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RW.
Investigation follows ...

[BobArch2]

If I am not mistaken Windows 7 includes in their backup environment, the ability to create an image. ...

Quite so, although I am currently getting an error when I try to create a backup image under Win7, trying CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RW.
Investigation follows ...

Not sure if you have an external drive. That would be my recommendation for housing images, and other backups. Just saying.

[BobArch2]

Hello again,

I just remembered that certain external Western Digital drives comes with a free customized version of Acronis True Image. Worth checking into?

[ChrisGreaves]

Not sure if you have an external drive. That would be my recommendation for housing images, and other backups. Just saying.

Hi Bob, and thanks for the nudge.
It's a built-in drive, DELL laptop; I've been able to create CDs and DVds with other data before this.
I get the following error:-

SystemRepairDisc.png

I searched the error message and found this thread which suggests I dismount my (TrueCrypt) data partition.
I'll try that once I get home and have lunch.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Win7 will try to make a disk image of the TrueCrypt partition, too, in which case I might take the liberty of backing up that partition and removing it.
(There's a limit to the weight of blank discs I can lug home from the store !)

[ChrisGreaves]

.... Macrium reflect has that annoying "install online" feature I have learned to hate. I much prefer the idea of being able to download the complete file and then (re) install it at will.

(much later)
I'm getting there.

Macrium_downloaded.png

After all the kerfuffle over the past two weeks regarding WiFi I am plodding through the process.
My old version of Macrium couldn't find the image files.
The "online" version I d/l a few days ago did the trick, but again Macrium wants me to store only the stub.

Major Geeks has offered me the whole, as we say, hog (snapshot above) so I will now try that.

FWIW I was playing around with the latest version of Macrium last night and the boot-from-CD needed to install USB drivers (my image is on a 100GB USB drive) and appears to have clobbered the WiFi drivers.
I take back all the nasty things I said about Starbucks and the Toronto Public Library (mea culpa!)

[ChrisGreaves]

Major Geeks has offered me the whole, as we say, hog (snapshot above) so I will now try that.

Silly of me not to start the install just to see.
I found out later that this full version is the 32-bit version.