Free Hard Disk and Partition Imaging and Backup Software

The hard disk and partition imaging software take a snapshot of your hard disk so that you can restore your system at a later time to the exact same state the system was when you imaged the disk or partition. This is useful for system recovery in case of a hard disk disaster. The term "image" is used because such software often copy the state of the hard disk sector by sector to your image. Hence if your hard disk was (say) defragmented with certain software occupying certain sectors when you backed up, it will be returned to that same state when you restore your backup. The image utilities often do not allow fine control what you backup - you can specify the partitions or hard disks to back up, but you usually will not be able to specify which folders to exclude or include. They are useful for backing up your system drive or partition, that is, the drive that you placed your operating system on. Hard disk imaging software are sometimes also used to clone a hard disk to another (useful for the times you change or upgrade your hard disk).

On the other hand, the hard disk, folder and files backup software listed here allow a finer control over what you back up. You can selectively backup and restore (say) your documents and email while omitting other files and directories. Some of the utilities allow you to schedule your backups, so that you can be sure that your important data are backed up periodically (for example, daily, weekly, monthly, etc). Depending on the utility, it may or may not support the backup of your system drive (the drive you booted from).

Note that commercial equivalents of backup and imaging software, like Acronis TrueImage (free trial download here), Terabyte Unlimited's Image for Windows, (free trial download) and Drive Snapshot are not listed below.

Related Pages

• Free Partitioning Software - Copy, Create, Move, Resize, Convert, Undelete Partitions
• Free Device Driver Backup and Extraction Utilities
• Free Data Recovery, File and Partition Recovery, Undelete and Unformat Software
• Free Defragmentation Utilities / Free Defraggers
• Free Utilities to Delete Currently Used, Locked, Undeletable, Busy Files
• How to Create a Bootable Windows XP Setup CD/DVD on a Preinstalled Windows System
• Free CD and DVD Burners and Copying Software
• Free x86 / PC Emulators and Virtual Machines
• Free Boot Managers and Multi-Boot Loaders

Disclaimer

The information provided on this page comes without any warranty whatsoever. Use it at your own risk. Just because a program, book, document or service is listed here or has a good review does not mean that I endorse or approve of the program or of any of its contents. All the other standard disclaimers also apply.

Free Hard Disk / Partition Imaging and Cloning Software

Clone Maxx

Clone Maxx copies the contents of one hard disk to another. It is run from a bootable diskette, and is useful when you want to transfer everything from one hard disk to another as you might want to do when you buy a new hard drive to replace an existing one. It supports DMA transfer, which speeds up the rate at which your data is transferred. It works independently of the existing file system or the number of partitions the drive has.

PING - PartImage Is Not Ghost

PartImage, or Partition Image, is a Linux/UNIX utility to make an image of your partitions in a file. It is able to image only used portions of the partitions saving time and space. The images are compressed. The utility supports the ext2fs, ext3fs, ReiserFS, FAT16, FAT32, HPFS, JFS, XFS, UFS, HFS, and NTFS file systems. This is a live ISO that you can burn onto a CD so that you can use it on any computer regardless of the operating system that is running.

Dubaron DiskImage

Dubaron DiskImage backs up and restores partitions, hard disks, USB keys, floppy drives and even optical media (like CDROMs and DVDs). The image it makes may be compressed. It is for personal use only. Supported platforms: Windows 2000 and XP.

SelfImage

SelfImage is a utility that allows you to make an image of a hard disk partition or an entire hard disk and restore the image back to a partition or hard disk. Other features include the ability to make an image of a partition that is currently in use, as well as make an image of a partition that is not mounted, or one that Windows does not even recognise (like Linux partitions). It is also able to compress the images it makes. It saves space in your image by skipping unused sectors. Another interesting feature is its ability to make an image of disks on remote machines and restore back to them. SelfImage runs on Windows, and is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Forensic Acquisition Utilities

This is basically the Windows version of the well-known (and versatile) Unix "dd" utility, which allows you to copy every sector from a device to a file (or vice versa, or from one device to another, etc). It requires Windows 2000 or XP. It is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This is a command line program.

NFGDump

nfgdump (NTFS-FAT-Generic dump) is a Windows and Linux tool that dumps (images) and restores NTFS, compressed NTFS, FAT16, FAT32 and any generic partition. Dump files (that is, the backup image) can be compressed, encrypted or split. The page file can also be omitted from the dump file / backup image. The software is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It runs under Windows 2000, XP and Linux. This is a command line program.

WinDD

This is a Windows version of the well-known (and versatile) Unix "dd" utility. It runs on Windows XP and is released under the GNU General Public License. This is a command line program.

DriveImage XML

DriveImage XML is a hard disk imaging utility that allows you to backup a PC's hard disk or partition from within Windows XP (XP Home and/or XP Professional only). It can image a partition that is currently in use (such as the system drive), compress the image while backing up, restore an image to another partition/drive and clone a drive. Note that although it is able to image the system drive while you're working in it, it cannot restore the image to the system drive if it is currently in use (obviously). The solution is to use their BartPE plugin (what they call the "WinPE boot CD-ROM") to create a BartPE CDROM. You can then restore your system partition after booting from the CDROM. See my tutorial on How to Create a Bootable "Live" Windows Rescue CD for more information on how to create such a CD.

g4u - Harddisk Image Cloning for PCs

g4u is a bootable CDROM, or if you prefer, floppy, that allows you to clone an image of a PC's hard disk for deployment on other PCs using FTP. The bootable floppy and CDROM supports both the cloning and restoration process. g4u supports any operating system on any filesystem. All you need are two floppy disks or one CD-R/RW, an FTP server and a DHCP server. The bootable disk uses a NetBSD system.

Partition Saving

Partition Saving is an MSDOS hard disk imaging utility. Place it on an MSDOS boot disk and use it to image your Windows, MSDOS and Linux partitions. It supports the imaging of NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, FAT12, ext2 (and possibly other) partitions. It can do a sector-by-sector copy or (for the partition-types listed here) copy only the occupied sectors thereby saving space and time in your backups. It is able to automatically split the backup file into smaller files of a size you specify (useful if you plan to burn the backup to a CDR(W) or DVD+/-R(W) later). The backup file may be compressed with a compression level you select. Updated: starting from version 3.50, Partition Saving now works in Windows and can be placed on a BartPE Rescue CD.

PartImage

PartImage, or Partition Image, is a Linux/UNIX utility to make an image of your partitions in a file. It is able to image only used portions of the partitions saving time and space. The images are compressed. The utility supports the ext2fs, ext3fs, ReiserFS, FAT16, FAT32, HPFS, JFS, XFS, UFS, HFS, and NTFS file systems. Note that if you are not using Linux, and want to use Parition Image on a PC, look at the other entries on this page for PING.

SystemRescueCD

SystemRescueCD is a bootable system rescue CD-ROM for PCs containing utilities that allow you to manage and edit your hard disk partitions (GNU Parted and QTParted), image your hard disk partitions (Partimage), a partition table backup and restore utility (Sfdisk), various file system tools that allow you to format, resize and edit existing partitions on your hard disk. It does not depend on the operating system you have installed on your hard disk - the CDROM is self-contained and is designed to serve as a rescue disk. There is also a version for the blind (it incorporates a speech reader).

Ultimate Boot CD

Ultimate Boot CD is a bootable CDROM for PCs that contain a variety of software for diagnosing and fixing problems on your computer, managing your hard disk partitions, imaging or cloning your hard disk partitions (it includes Partition Saving, see elsewhere on this page), resetting your (forgotten) password on NT, Win2k, or XP, scanning your hard disks for viruses (it includes some free antivirus utilities), etc.

DiscWizard for Windows

If you are moving your system from an old hard disk to a Seagate disk, you can download this free software from Seagate make a clone of your existing hard disk on your new Seagate hard disk. The version, at the time this was written, also allows you to make a backup image of your hard disk and restore it. Besides running from your Windows system, you can also create a bootable rescue CD from which you can image, clone and restore your hard disk.

MaxBlast

Seagate/Maxtor MaxBlast is free for those who have bought Maxtor hard disks on PCs. One of its features is that it can make an exact duplicate (clone) of your existing drive onto your new hard disk. The cloning facility supports FAT32 and NTFS partitions, among others. Besides cloning your hard disk, you can also make a backup image of the disk onto another hard disk, and restore it. This is a Windows program. It also allows you to create a bootable CD from which you can image, clone and restore your fixed disks.

HDClone Free Edition

HDClone allows you to copy the contents of an IDE hard disk onto a larger capacity hard disk (SCSI drives are not supported). It is useful when you upgrade or change your hard disk and don't want to reinstall your system again. It creates a bootable floppy disk and allows you to clone your disk when you boot from it. It cannot copy to another disk of the same size, nor does it support the Ultra-DMA of modern computers (it uses the old and slower PIO modes).

Free Hard Disk Backup and Restore Utilities

BackupPC Open Source Backup

BackupPC allows you to back up your Windows, Linux and Mac OS X PCs, desktops and laptops to a server's disk. It either uses SMB, tar over SSH/RSH/NFS or rsync. The program is written in Perl and is open source.

Amanda Backup and Recovery Software Community Edition

The Amanda Community Edition is an open source backup and recovery software for Linux. Administrators can set up a backup server to back up mulitiple host computers to a single tape drive, tape changer or hard disk via the network.

Microsoft SyncToy

Microsoft SyncToy allows you to synchronize your data between two storage locations, so that you can keep the latest version of your files in both locations. The tool is also able to track situations when you rename a file, and it makes sure that the file in the other storage area is also renamed. The tool only works under Windows XP SP 2 and requires the .NET framework.

Back4Win

Back4Win allows home users the ability to backup and restore your data to ZIP and self-extracting EXE files. You can control the level of compression of your data files, span disks, predefine the disk size (to suit CD-Rs and CD-RWs), password-lock your backups, burn to CD-R/W, restore from damaged backups, etc.

Cobian Backup

Cobian Backup is a backup and restore utility that can backup your files and directories to another directory or drive on the same computer or to another computer on your network. It also supports FTP backup. You can compress and encrypt your backups. Standalone decompression and decryption utilities are also available so that if you wish, you can recover your files without having to use the backup program. Included with the backup program is a scheduler, so that you can schedule your backups to occur, say, every night when you are not using the computer. The program also supports remote backups. This is a Windows program.

FreeByte Backup

Freebyte Backup is a Windows program that supports the backing up files and directories to a backup directory. It also handles incremental backups, where only files not already in the backup set is saved, scheduled backups and profiles.

Unison File Synchronizer

Unison synchronizes files and directories stored on different hosts on the Internet. It can handle changes made to either replica of a distributed directory structure, and hence is more than just a mirroring utility. It is open source, distributed under the GNU GPL, and works on Windows, Linux, Solaris, OS X, etc.

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• How to Back Up Your Hard Disk in Windows
• Free Utilities to Delete Currently Used, Locked, Undeletable, Busy Files
• Free Antivirus Software, Free Online Virus Scans
• Free Spyware/Adware/Trojan/Hijackers Detection, Removal and Prevention
• Free HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System), Application and System Monitoring Software
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• The Beginner's A-Z Guide to Starting/Creating Your Own Website
• Free Personal Firewalls

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• Free Data Recovery, File and Partition Recovery, Undelete and Unformat Software
• How to Create an Emergency Windows Rescue CD
• Free Spyware / Malware Detection, Removal and Prevention Software
• Free DVD Authoring and Creation Software
• Free CD and DVD Burners and Copying Software
• Free Hard Disk Backup and Restore, Hard Disk Image and Cloning Utilities

아이팟 나노 3세대를 샀습니다.

아무런 표시장치도 없는, 그래도 방수 기능이 있는 MP3를 3년 정도 써왔을까나....
근래에 닛케이 팟캐스트를 듣는데, 익숙한 일본어라 해도, 외국어는 외국어.
일하면서 듣는 컴퓨터 스피커의 소리보다는 아무래도 이어폰으로 듣는 게 쏙쏙 귀에 들어오고 해서,
mp3 플레이어에 복사해서 잠들기 전에 듣곤 했는데 며칠 사용해 보니까
팟캐스트 파일 복사하는 것이 너무 성가신거다.
거기에 언제 원하는 파일이 나올지 전혀 감을 잡을 수 없는 플레이어...
결심했다. 팟캐스트에는 역시 아이팟!!!

USB포트에 연결만 하면, iTunes 실행되고, 팟캐스트 새로운 에피소드가 있는지 확인해서 갱신도 해주지... 너무나 편한거다. 동기화도 자동이고...
정말 팟캐스트가 메인이라면 아이팟이 딱이다. 추천!!!
나노 3세대라면 동영상 재생도 되니까 비디오 팟캐스트도 구독할 수 있고, 너무너무 맘에 든다.

근데, 게임이 3가지 들어있는데, 별로 재미가 없다. iTunes Music Store에서 게임을 사고 싶은 충동...
iPod을 사고나니까 여기저기 돈이 들어갈 데가 많아지는데...
그래도 게임 사야지!

지난 주부터 명품 브랜드와 거래하는 일본의 디자인 회사의 메일서버를 구축중이다.
디자인 관련 자료를 메일로 받는 경우도 있고,
큰 파일들이 자주 들어오다보면 호스팅 서버가 다운되는 경우가 허다하다고...
그래서 전용 메일서버를 지금 만들고 있는데, qmail을 이용해서 구축중.

그런데 컴파일도 무사히 마치고, 여느 서버처럼 잘 돌아가고 있으리라 생각했는데
오늘 테스트를 해보니, smtp 포트가 열려있지 않고, 움직임이 이상했다.
qmail 서버야 한두번이 아니고보니, 그저 막연하게 문제없을 거라 생각했었는데...
프로세스를 살펴보니,

tcpserver <defunct>.
대략 난감!

검색에서 비슷한 문제로 고생하는 케이스를 많이 발견했지만, 명확한 답이 없었다.
kldp에서 발견한 질문에서는 run 스크립트를 쉘에서 직접 실행하는 경우에는 문제없이 동작을 하지만,
기동 스크립트에서는 defunct 떨어진다는 질문.
나도 쉘에서 직접 run 스크립트를 실행해 봤더니, 마찬가지로 아무런 문제없이 smtpd가 작동을 한다.
모른 척하고 rc.local에 한줄 적어주고 끝낼까 했는데 도무지 찝찝한 기분을 어찌할 수 없었다.

해결은 의외로 간단했다.

run 스크립트에서 softlimit 부분을 없애면 문제없이 작동한다면, softlimit를 높은 값에서 서서히 줄여가는 방법으로 설정을 변경해 보면 해결이 된다. 일반적으로 설치문서에 2000000으로 되어 있지만, 10메가 정도로 늘려주거나, 적당한 값으로 수정하고 시도해 보면 말끔히 해결이 된다.
softlimit를 완전히 없애버리면 작동은 하지만, 메모리 무제한 사용과 같은 의미가 되므로 조금 위험할 수 있겠다.

아침에 컴퓨터가 부팅이 완료되고, 브라우저를 연 뒤,
방화벽 팝업이 뜬다.
수상쩍은 프로그램이 인터넷에 접속을 시도한다는 메시지...

/system32/indt2.sys

제작회사가 그냥 "a", 냄새가 나서 우선 차단을 하고, 국내 스파이웨어 관련 사이트를
검색해 보고, 안철수 연구소 관련 사이트에서도 검색을 했지만, 정체를 알 수 없는 이 놈.

구글 검색을 해보니 malware라고? 한글 정보는 하나도 없어서
일단 어딘지도 모르는, 게재 사이트를 신뢰하기로 했다.

http://www.prevx.com/filenames/X1421215510810167129-X1/INDT2.SYS.html

2007. 11. 11 스페인에서 발견되고, 같은 날 미국에서도 발견.
어제 어둠의 경로에서 받을 게 있어서 해외 사이트 몇군데 갔던게 화근인가...
아직 국내 스파이웨어 제거프로그램이나, V3계열에서도 진단이 안된다.
해당 파일만 삭제하면 될라나...

indt2.sys이외의

지난 주말에 그간 사용해 오던 컴퓨터를 껍데기만 남기고 바꿨습니다.
CPU, RAM, M/B... 최대의 성능을 얻기 위해서 찜찜한 것은 다 바꿨죠.
이전 메인보드에도 실질적으로 큰 성능 차이 없다며 SATA인터페이스가 있음에도 PATA 하드를 고집했었는데... 그간 SATA2 규격도 일반화 되었고... 쓸 수 없는 것은 아닌데, 하드디스크까지 SATA로.
DVD+R 드라이브 초기 제품인 Ricoh MP5125A도 국내에서 70만원 정도하던 시절, 나만의 DVD를 만들 수 있는 것에 끌려서 삿뽀로의 요도바시 카메라에서 거금 4만엔 정도를 주고 사다가, 지금까지 써왔는데, 이번에 현역에서 은퇴하였습니다. ODD까지 SATA로 바꿨습니다. 비싸게 사서 그 동안 바꾸기가 쉽지 않았는데, 당시 가격의 1/10이면 수퍼멀티드라이브를 살 수 있는 시대이고 보니... DVD+R, +RW인 제품보다는 SATA인터페이스에 DVD-RAM까지 지원되는 LG제품을 샀습니다.

Ricoh MP5125A

그런데... 코어2듀오! 역시 바꾸길 잘했다고 생각하면서 흡족해 하고 있었는데, 정말 편하게 잘 써왔던 최대절전모드에 들어가려고 하면 "API를 완료하기 위한 시스템 리소스가 부족합니다." 라면서 다시 윈도우로 돌아와버리길 수차례.
Vista에서는 최대절전모드 스피드도 많이 개선이 됐던데... XP는 벌써 구닥다리 OS? 무슨 날벼락이람...
어쩔 수 없이 며칠간은 전원을 껐는데, MS에서 이미 패치가 나와 있는 것을 우연히 검색중에 발견했습니다.
혹시 같은 문제로 고생하시는 분, 패치로 간단하게 해결하실 수 있습니다.
아래 MS의 기술자료 문서를 보시면 자세한 설명이 있습니다.
일반적으로 RAM 1G 이상에서 나타난다고 합니다.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=909095