SelfImage: The open-source hard disk imaging utility

[KenR]

Here is a nice, freeware program for creating backups of your operating system and software. If you don't already have a backup program of this type, you would be doing yourself an enormous favor by downloading and trying this program. To give you some perspective, it would take someone between 80-100 hours for me to rebuild my system from scratch. With my backup program though (analogous to this freeware program), I can restore it from my 8GB image in about 30 minutes.

SelfImage is the little hard drive utility with big aspirations.
SelfImage is capable of making an image file of a hard disk or hard disk partition, and can restore an image back to any drive or partition that doesn't have open files.  Useful for making backups.  Unlike dd for Windows (or cygwin), SelfImage is capable of creating an image of a partition that is currently in use.
Additionally, when run on Windows 2000 or XP, SelfImage can create images of partitions that Windows doesn't even recognize or have mounted on a drive letter.  Perfect for the dual-boot system, you can create an image backup of a Linux partition directly from Windows.
Features include:
    * Create 1:1 image files of any mounted (or unmounted on Windows 2000/XP) hard disk partition
    * Can create an image of an entire hard disk, including the master boot record, partition table, and all partitions (Windows 2000/XP)...

http://selfimage.excelcia.org/

from http://shellcity.net/

[mouser]

This looks like a very promising tool, but just keep in mind that it is relatively new and probably not nearly as thoroughly tested as some of the big disk cloning/backup tools.  So I agree with ken completely that you need a disk imaging tool, i'd be a little hesitant to depend on a new tool until you check it out thoroughly and get some more reports about it, etc.  I'd be very interested in hearing if anyone uses it and how they like it and how well it works, etc.

[TucknDar]

Ok, so beeing a Necromancer here, but is anyone using SelfImage actively? It hasn't been updated since this thread was started, so either it's working just as it should be or it's just been abandoned...

I'd like to hear if anyone has any experiences using this to restore an image

[40hz]

Words of wisdom: Never 'beta' when it comes to backup and security software.


Two tools that you can depend on to create reliable disk images are Conezilla and Acronis TrueImage.


Clonezilla is much more powerful, sports an uglier interface, uses a lot of non-Windows terminology, and must be run from the live CD if you're a Windows user. It is free under GPL. It gets the job done - and the some.  http://www.clonezilla.org

TrueImage is also quite powerful, has a very pretty graphic interface, uses terminology most users are familiar with, and can be run either from within Windows, or from the live CD. It also gets the job done.

For most people, TrueImage is probably the better choice. The only real knock I have with TrueImage is that there seems to be more and more "feature bloat" (and price hikes) with each new release.

I vastly prefer the simplicity of Version 8 or 9 to the current Version 11. I still use version 8 even though I have the newest versions.  Opinions aside, TrueImage is still an excellent program, although the average $39 US street price makes it somewhat expensive for such a specialized app.

Especially when you hope you're never going to actually need to use it.

[TucknDar]

Thanks, 40hz! I'll take a look at Clonezilla. I've considered Acronis, but hoping to find something that's free...

[Deozaan]

Thanks, 40hz! I'll take a look at Clonezilla. I've considered Acronis, but hoping to find something that's free...

I don't know if this offer is still good or not, but last week I got Acronis TrueImage and DiskDirector for $10. That's pretty close to free.

The thread with the deal on TrueImage is here.

[PhilB66]

Daily Cup of Tech put together a list of Free or Open Source Imaging Solutions...

[tomos]

Thanks, 40hz! I'll take a look at Clonezilla. I've considered Acronis, but hoping to find something that's free...

# well, there's DriveImageXML, I used it for a short while - did a restore to a second partition (maybe not a true test but it worked)
# here's another but I dont know anything about it - Irestorer - far as I remember it's based on DriveSnapshot (which I think is well thought of here) but cant find a homepage for it (Irestorer) so not sure
# I cant remember third - maybe it's just my dream one :p

I think problem with free is doesnt normally do incremental/differential imaging


40hz!
true image interface is one of my pet bugs as in bugs the $§%& out of me (for manual imaging at any rate: in spite of being able to save a "default" "backup" I have to click SEVENTEEN times if I want to add a comment & I'm still not sure do I need to change the selection to the last increment saved in order to make a new incremental image, so I do it anyway - it's just another click after all )

[PhilB66]

cant find a homepage for it (Irestorer)

http://irestorer.parsaspace.ir/

Apparently, there was a problem with irestorer and the project is discontinued. See this thread @ http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r21076200-Need-Info-Lost-post-software

[tymrwt33]

In addition to Acronis True Image there is also Macrium Reflect and Paragon Drive Copy. All thee are quite good and full of features. Recently Paragon was available for $20 on some special deal direct from the company. I got an e-mail offer because I used Paragon Partition Manager for years. Macrium has a free version that does full partitions only. Paid version will backup and restore files and folders as well, as do the other two programs. That was also recently available as a one day deal for $20
for Iconico bulletin subscribers.

Macrium seems a little faster in backup and restore than ATI and I quite like it, but so far have only restored one image. Went well. 

I agree with 40hz that ATI V11 is too bloated, and for me full of features I will never use. I stick with it because upgrades to new versions used to be reasonable. I think they are readying a new version.