Program for cloning hard disks: an overview of several products

The old computer joke says that users are divided into two types: the first do not make backups, and the second ones are already doing. Copying important files manually takes too much time. It is much easier to use popular products. The article will describe the programs that allow cloning HDD partitions.

Why did Norton Ghost disappear from the reviews?

, разрабатываемая изначально компанией Binary Research, а впоследствии Symantec, считалась лучшей в своем классе. The program for cloning hard drives Ghost , developed originally by Binary Research, and later Symantec, was considered the best in its class. However, in 2013 the sale of the utility stopped. And in 2014 its support was over.

Now this software is included in a complex complex for the administration of Ghost Solution Suite networks. It includes both server and client components. In this regard, the product has lost relevance for home use.

True Image

программа для клонирования жестких дисков на русском языке. True Image - a program for cloning hard disks in Russian. The utility offers the user a choice of four options for creating a backup.

One version. The simplest and most reliable mode, however, is the most resource-intensive one. Each time during a backup, the hard drive is completely cloned.

Incremental mode (it is activated by default). At the first start, the HDD partition is copied, as is. After that, copying is not complete. записывает только изменения, которые произошли в файловой системе за период, начиная с последнего копирования по данный момент. The program for cloning hard drives records only the changes that have occurred in the file system for the period since the last copy to date. After a certain number (specified in the settings) of backups, the disk is completely cloned again, and the old backup files are deleted.

The main advantage of this approach is that it takes a little time to create the next backup. Disadvantage - after each incremental copy, the changes are not added to the image, but are copied to the new containers. программа для клонирования жестких дисков потребует все ранее созданные файлы. To perform system recovery, the program for cloning hard drives will require all previously created files. If at least one of them is damaged, the user runs the risk of losing some of the data.

Differential mode. Unlike the incremental method, all changes are written to a single container. The reference point is always the first copy. Thus, to restore the system, you will need a primary image and any backup with changes.

Chain versions. In this mode, the program creates any number of differential backups (user configurable). After a specified period of time, the old backups are deleted.

Additional Features

может пропускать битые секторы. The program for cloning hard disks with errors can skip the broken sectors. This approach is effective if the OS malfunctions are caused by HDD malfunction.

The utility allows you to automatically backup backups to cloud storage, a local disk or an external drive. The first time you try to copy an image using the Cloud Storage service for a month, the subscription is activated. When this time passes, the utility will require payment.

DriveImage XML

Runtime Software products are popular with service specialists. Most of them are aimed at restoring data due to accidental formatting or a faulty file system. от Runtime Software. DriveImage XML - a program for cloning hard drives from Runtime Software. The software is completely free.

The utility can be installed in Windows or create a bootable flash drive, which includes the Knoppix OS. I must say that the latter option provides the user with a lot more tools. In addition to DriveImage XML, Knoppix includes all products developed by Runtime Software. To use commercial programs, they must first be registered.

включает в себя службу теневого копирования. The program for cloning hard drives includes a shadow copy service. That is, the HDD image will include all the system files that Windows uses during its operation. This means you do not need to reboot to clone the partition.

After the backup is created, the utility will output a file, which will contain all the volume data, and a document with the partition description. Some options that are bound to Windows built-in services may not work in Knoppix. Therefore, the developer recommends creating a bootable flash drive independently using Windows PE. Automatic tools are suitable only for inexperienced users.

If the operating system does not load, Knoppix can partially replace it. It has a video and audio files, a text editor and an Internet browser. Using the latter, you can search for instructions for troubleshooting or download the OS distribution to reinstall it. In older versions of Knoppix there was even an office suite, but from its pre-installation they refused to reduce the size of the final product.