With disk imaging software, it is possible to create a perfect copy of your hard drive, which is suitable for backup or data migration. You will be able to restore the system to its original state, even in case of hard drive failure. In order to restore disk images, a boot DVD or a similar media has to be created, which will allow you to run software outside of Windows. Disk imaging software is easy to use and it offers a great set of features to clone your hard drive. Some of the main features to consider when looking for disk imaging software are encryption, compression and the option to create incremental backups, which is crucial, given that full disk images require a lot of space. Below you will find a list of the best disk imaging solutions available.
Acronis True Image
Acronis True Image is a leading disk imaging solution that is recognized for its powerful performance and ease of use. With this program, you will be able to create disk image backups in only a few clicks. It is possible to create full, incremental or differential type backups. With incremental backups, which is the default option, you can save more space. True Image also allows you to customize options like compression, email notifications and encryption. It also supports file and folder backups, clone disk, image mounting and more.
Paragon Backup & Recovery
Paragon Backup & Recovery allows you to backup entire hard drives, files, folders and also single partitions. It is a reliable solution that makes things simple when it comes to disk imaging creation. You will be guided through the process so even if you don’t have previous experience with this type of software, you won’t have any issues. It is possible to back up your disk image to different locations, including USB drives, network drives and also offsite using FTP and SFTP. In addition, Paragon Backup & Recovery supports compression, scheduling and encryption.
Handy Backup Professional
There are several versions of Handy Backup available, but the professional edition is the one that allows you to create full disk images. It is also convenient when it comes to backing up folders and files. There are multiple types of backup available, including incremental, differential, full and mirroring. ZIP compression is supported and your backups are protected with encryption.
EaseUS Todo Backup Free
This popular free disk imaging application is trusted by millions of users around the world. EaseUS Todo Backup is available for free and it lest you backup partitions, hard drives, files and folders. With EaseUS it is possible to perform incremental backups and the software also supports compression, email notifications and other practical features. The disk cloning tool is a convenient solution to migrate data to a new hard drive.
AOMEI Backupper Standard
AOMEI Backupper Standard is another very popular solution and it offers a wide selection of features that allow you to back up with ease. It is possible to create disk image backups in just a few clicks and restoring the backups is also quite easy. This free solution is updated on a regular basis, with new features to improve customers’ experience.
NTI Backup Now EZ
NTI Corporation offers an easy to use solution that can back up files and folders, and that also has a Complete System Backup option to protect your entire hard drive. NTI Backup Now EZ supports different backup destinations including internal and external hard drives, NAS and network drives. It is possible to perform incremental backups of disk image backups and file/folder backups.
Macrium Reflect
This disk imaging program allows you to backup all local disk on a computer, or only the partitions needed to restore Windows. You can also create a file and folder backup. It is possible to select Windows PE or Linux as the rescue solution. Both of them do the same thing, which is allowing you to boot into Macrium to restore your computer in case of system failure.
Veeam Endpoint Backup free
Simple and lightweight, Veem Endpoint Backup is a free solution that stands out for its modern interface that lets you see how much space is being taken up by your backups. You can backup an entire computer, backup files or volumes. The best option is to backup the entire computers. A volume level backup allows you to back up everything, except deleted files, page files and temporary files. With Veeam, you can also perform incremental backups, which only copies changes to files since the last backup. It is possible to store backups on local storage or network locations. Email notifications are also supported.
ShadowProtect Desktop
Although it is not the best option for beginners, advanced users can rely on ShadowProtect. This solution is perfect for businesses that need features that take disk imaging to the next level. With ShadowProtect, it is possible to manage desktop clients from a central computer. You can also take disk image backups and ensure that you don’t lose more than a few minutes of data. You can convert disk images into a variety of formats including .VHD and .VMDK.
Retrospect
This professional disk imaging and backup solution offers advanced functionality, but thanks to the Backup Wizard, you will be able to follow all the steps without issues. Retrospect offers block-level deduplication and it saves space by focusing on the backup of parts of files that have been changed. It supports Mac, which makes it a good alternative to Time Machine.
I didn’t see Clonezilla listed in the article. I’ve been using that for the last 15 or so years. It just works and doesn’t cost anything.