# Software to backup my hard drive **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337 "2008-04-22T01:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/1 "2008-04-22T01:11:19Z")
I’m looking for a software product for creating a backup image of my hard drive so I can restore the whole thing at once. It’s a Vista PC if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/2 "2008-04-22T01:24:22Z")
The best imaging software I’ve used: > **[Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (Formerly True Image) - Integrated Backup...](https://www.acronis.com/en-us/products/true-image/)** > > Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office, formerly True Image - the only personal cyber protection solution that delivers easy-to-use, integrated backup and anti-malware in one ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/3 "2008-04-22T04:55:31Z")
Another vote for Acronis. I love it, and so do several of my colleagues. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/4 "2008-04-22T05:05:29Z")
Whenever i hear the word Acronis i have a little dry orgasm… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/5 "2008-04-22T06:53:59Z")
I stumbled across this page of free drive imaging utilities the other day - can’t recommend any of them, as I’ve not tried them… [http://cyberpunkcafe.com/page.php?82](http://cyberpunkcafe.com/page.php?82) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/6 "2008-04-22T11:30:13Z")
Not sure if all versions of Vista have this, but there is a back up feature in Vista already. Control Panel will give you a choice. You can back up files (which I use) or image backup (I don’t use because we have a good back up solution here at work). Other Vista features like migrating from a different computer to Vista works really well, so this probably does too. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/7 "2008-04-22T12:31:37Z")
[QUOTE=China Guy] Not sure if all versions of Vista have this, but there is a back up feature in Vista already. Control Panel will give you a choice. You can back up files (which I use) or image backup (I don’t use because we have a good back up solution here at work). Other Vista features like migrating from a different computer to Vista works really well, so this probably does too. [/QUOTE] Unfortunately it’s only for certain versions, of which Home Premium isn’t one of them. (why are there like six versions?) I’ll check out this Acronis ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/8 "2008-04-22T22:35:24Z")
Hmmm… Clearly I did something wrong with this Acronis business since it seemed to lock up my hard drive so it is no longer bootable. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/9 "2008-04-22T23:05:58Z")
Yeah-you did something wrong. I’ve had Acronis on Win 98SE and XP Pro-no problems. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/10 "2008-04-22T23:12:09Z")
Another vote for Acronis - it’s fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/11 "2008-04-22T23:58:12Z")
I’ve used DriveImage XML (which is free) successfully, never used Acronis so I cannot say how it compares. > **[DriveImage XML Backup Software — Data Recovery](http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm)** > > DriveImage XML is an easy to use backup and restore program for Windows. Part of Runtime's Data Recovery Software products. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-to-backup-my-hard-drive/446337/12 "2008-04-23T00:28:22Z")
Ok I think I know what I did. I “cloned” my drive to the backup drive and must have accidently wiped the old partitions. Reversing the process restored my original drive back to the way it was. So this Acronis program is pretty much what I’m looking for. Thanks