The bundled software I picked up with my backup drive doesn’t help create system images and the option to do so through Windows 7 isn’t working (it gets so far and stops every time, despite trying several solutions found online).
Has anyone any recommendations for some 3rd party solution? I’d feel better taking the advice of board members over sites like CNET 
Also don’t mind if this has to move to IMHO.
I use Acronis True Image, but it’s not free if you are looking for a freeware solution.
Norton Ghost used to be the go to for drive imaging, I had disks that came with new drives but never used it. I see freeware versions online, no experience with those, either.
But I can vouch for images made with Acronis, boot right back up on a new drive just like nothing had changed (except maybe some Chrome extensions - they don’t seem to make the trip for some reason).
Formerly I used Norton Ghost for drive imaging but Ghost 15 doesn’t support Windows 10. So now I use Acronis True Image.
HD Clone?
I’ve used Clonezilla a few times and was happy with it.
Whatever you use, make sure your filesystem is in good shape (i.e. run chkdsk on it to find/repair any issues). Otherwise, you may find the imaging software failing during the imaging process.
I’ve used Easeus ToDo a number of times, especially when transferring to a larger hard drive. Freeware from here.
I have used Acronis for years but each successive version has gotten worse. I’m currently using Paragon Free and, although the interface is a bit weird, it works well. And it’s free. A full backups is slower than Acronis, but the incremental backups are fast.
Ah, funny you mention that, as it seems to be the problem that stops Windows’ own disk imaging option from working.
A solution on the MS site itself suggests running Chkdsk, but every time I try to run it I’m told it’s already scheduled to run. When I check my scheduled tasks I’ve no idea where it is to run it or cancel the schedule.
Reboot the computer, it will run during the boot-up procedure.
I’ve used TeraByte Image for Windows for years. It’s not free, but it’s easy to use and I’ve never had any problems with it.
I’ve restored backups created with it without any hassle. In general, it’s painless and it just works.
My current favorite is Macrium Reflect.
It has a free version
Its a little more complicated than some other tools but not unassailable to the lay user and is very powerful with lots of useful features.
Seconded. The free version is very functional. The major drawback of the free version for regular day-to-day use is that it doesn’t support incremental backups, which may not be an issue at all for many users.
Like most backup software, it can create a Linux-based boot CD or USB flash drive, but with a few extra steps it can also create a much more powerful boot CD based on Windows PE. I used the free version a few years ago to do a system transfer of Windows 7 from the old disk drive to a new SSD on my laptop, and it worked perfectly.
I don’t find it complicated at all. It’s so much nicer than Windows’ own built-in backup system, which has a really awkward and confusing approach. I don’t recommend Windows Backup at all, but I would nevertheless advise the OP to find out why it isn’t working because corruption in the file system really should be fixed ASAP.