Imaghing Software Recommendations

Messages
198
Name
Simon
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi Folks!

I am after some recommendations for some decent imaging software, I don't mind paying, but would prefer free.

I am currently using Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and using the Windows 7 in-built back-up software to back-up my files to a separate networked hard-drive (a Netgear Stora).

What I would like to be able to do is to create a hot-swappable full disc image of my c drive, so if the event that anything goes pete tong with my pc I can just swap the hard drives around, restore any interim copied files and then get going again. If I can get away without restore discs, then all the better.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated; preferably, from those who have used/restored the software, please!!

Many thanks,

Simon.

PS. After a near-disaster with Acronis, I'm not going there again.
 
What Camera make do you own - Canon's free software is very good (esp as it's free !!), I've found Photoshop Elements 8 very good - an upgrade from v5 I used to have, I believe the diff between v7 and v8 are small, so it might be worth a look at v7 as I susupect you could pick it up cheaper.

With regards to you question re seperate / swapable HDD, if you have the disc for any of the above, it's a simple case of re-installation (hopefully won't be needed / happen though).
 
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Software: Either Elements or if you want free software then Gimp.

Seagate have a free bit of software "discWizard" that allows you to copy your harddrive to another Seagate drive. I used it yesterday to copy a drive, make it bootable and then I just swapped the drives over. Not sure if other manufactors also have this type of software. The Seagate software is a re-branding of Acronis.
 
Thanks for the replies. Sorry didn't make myself clear - I mean't disc imaging (as in back-up) software!! I already use Photoshop. My problem is that as well as using my PC for my photography it is also used for my (separate) business. At the moment I just back up files on a sequential basis, which is fine and I can recover these using Windows 7 back-up. However, if I have a hard-drive failure again as I did a few months ago, I don't to have to go through the whole rigmarole of re-installing everything, it took me best part of two days before with all of the windows updates. So, I would like to have a piece opf software which just exactly duplicates the hard drive. I'll track down that 'discWizard' and see what that's like. Thanks.
 
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