I deal a lot at work with drive imaging.
I prefer using Microsoft’s ImageX tool. Clonezilla is also used as an alternative imaging method. I find it useful to give our techs multiple methods to image a system. This allows flexibility if hardware issues make one method less reliable or problematic (usually due to available system RAM).
Both are “file based” imaging tools rather than “sector based” tool. Therefore they aren’t useful for forensic drive imaging, but that’s another post.
Anyway, I came across Macrium Reflect FREE Edition which looked interesting as it contains some neat options:
Create a disk image whilst running Windows using Microsoft Volume Shadow copy Service (VSS). Image to Network, USB, FireWire drives and DVD. Built in scheduler. 32 bit and native 64 bit versions. Industry leading compression levels and speed. Linux based Rescue CD with Network access and full GUI. Only 6.5MB in size! Built in CD/DVD packet writing engine. Supports packet writing to DVD DL media with Windows Vista. HTML log files.
Being able to image running systems, to a network share, on a schedule sounds pretty cool. It looks like it also falls into the “file-based” imaging category of image software.
Restoration can be done with either a Linux of WinPE based disk. The tool has a wizard to assist you in the process.
There is a nice review here where I learned about the tool:
- How To Create Full Windows Backup by Imaging Without Using Norton Ghost - Raymond.CC Blog
It reminded me quite a bit of the DriveImage XML Backup software I also am familiar with.
Has anyone used or formed an opinion on Macrium Reflect? If time allows, I plan to test it out next week.
For a big list of other disk imaging software check out this GSD post:
- Drive Imaging and Cloning Solutions – Grand Stream Dreams Blog
FYI,
--Claus V.
0 comments:
Post a Comment