backing up full system windows 7

[BIG-HOL]

hello guys, basically iv just installed a fresh copy of windows 7 on my laptop, got everything setup correctly and all programs installed that i need, but iv now decided i want to try windows 8, but in the event i dont quite get along with it id like a usb backup copy of my current setup with windows 7, or a disc backup if need be, so that if i do need to go back to it i can just reinstall the backup and have all my settings and programs as they were as of right now, all upto date, is this possible and how would i go about it if so.

thanks in advance

 

[BIG-HOL]

what i think im wanting to do is create a full disc image of my whole system and settings, then ill need to make this into a bootable disc/usb somehow!

 

[ManofScience]

Get Hiren's 11 ( i think) , i personally use Ghost then full hard disk backup to a USB drive - make sure it's MASSIVE depending how big the image will be

Hiren's is bootable and supports USB.

Acronis on there will do the same job too, i've seen people use it.

 

[Napster]

dont you have a spare hard drive you can stick in, save all the hastle of backing up

 

[BIG-HOL]

how do these work then, do they create an iso file, then i could make a usb drive a bootable drive with windows 7 usb dvd download tool

 

[BIG-HOL]

dont you have a spare hard drive you can stick in, save all the hastle of backing up

i do have a couple of 2.5 drives i could use but id prefer to use my ssd drive to get a full feel of how it will run!

 

[ManofScience]

how do these work then, do they create an iso file, then i could make a usb drive a bootable drive with windows 7 usb dvd download tool

most make an image in it's own format - then u need the app to restore it.

 

[BIG-HOL]

so if i made a backup of my full system, then installed a fresh copy of windows 8, if i wanted to go back to my windows 7 full backup id have to install the software, ie, ghost or acronis etc, then reinstall the backup from within the software i made it with, am i along the right lines there!

 

[ManofScience]

so if i made a backup of my full system, then installed a fresh copy of windows 8, if i wanted to go back to my windows 7 full backup id have to install the software, ie, ghost or acronis etc, then reinstall the backup from within the software i made it with, am i along the right lines there!

Nope, boot back to Hiren's that has Ghost on it - so the OS isn't loaded either when u create an image or restore it. Its what Toshiba used to use for their laptop images

 

[BIG-HOL]

arrr right, so i would do both backup/restore from within hirens boot cd, without running any windows os, i will use an external hard drive then if thats the case, is it easy to do it then. does it just make 1 file once backed up then i select it from within ghost and it will reapply it, im gunna go and try and find hirens!

 

[ManofScience]

arrr right, so i would do both backup/restore from within hirens boot cd, without running any windows os, i will use an external hard drive then if thats the case, is it easy to do it then. does it just make 1 file once backed up then i select it from within ghost and it will reapply it, im gunna go and try and find hirens!

yes. u CAN make it split it into shunks and it renames them (so u can drop them on CD's as backup) but you'll see that when u run Ghost from within Hirens, 1 of the options is 'split -700' which gives bit in 700mb files. but otherwise, it'll do 1 massive archive basically.

 

[Napster]

is there such a thing as ghost that will boot from a memory stick as it seems thats the best to use.

 

[ManofScience]

is there such a thing as ghost that will boot from a memory stick as it seems thats the best to use.

ghost is just a DOS proggy, make a USB dos bootable " Boot From A USB Flash/Pen/Key Drive " then stick it on there - bosh. i had 1 set up for ages

 

[BIG-HOL]

so all i need really is a copy of that ghost and use method 1 in link provided to make a bootable usb

 

[ManofScience]

Making the USB DOS bootable is a bit tricky but once thats done, you'll need to extract Ghost from Hiren's

EDIT : i've attached my version!!! Works in DOS, supports USB

 

[Napster]

i must need glasses cant see download link

 

[ManofScience]

i must need glasses cant see download link

you do - see the attachement on it, rather than a link!

 

[BIG-HOL]

im burning hirens 15.2 at the minute so aslong as i can get to ghost from within that then i should be good to go, setting up ghost as a usb bootable looks abit tricky to me, so this should do the trick!

 

[ManofScience]

im burning hirens 15.2 at the minute so aslong as i can get to ghost from within that then i should be good to go, setting up ghost as a usb bootable looks abit tricky to me, so this should do the trick!

later versions of Hiren's aint as good, some apps are removed due to licencing issues, hence i still use an older one. Check see if Ghost is on it

 

[Napster]

which is the method to make the usb stick bootable just tried wintoflash and it popped up with a virus.