I think its called a ghost

[alanwest09872]

i think what i am looking to do is make a ghost image. Basically I want to install windows 7 and place in all the correct drivers and everything. Then I wanna take that install and make a copy of it and place it somewhere for safe keepings. Incase I get a virus or something. Then all I will need to do is copy it over my excisting windows install. at least thats how I think its done. Basically I want to be able to take a windows install and reveret it back to its orginal when It was installed on the pc without having to go through the trouble of reinstalling windows. Is there a way to easyily do this.

and when I say original I mean orignial you know when you copy an old folder on top of a new one. Anything that was installed recently on the new one will still be there if you copy the old one of top of it. Now I dont want that. I want it to be the same as the old image. That way it will be like day one install without all t he extra stuff inside.

 

[mechBgon]

Acronis TrueImage can do that, more or less. If you have Win7 Pro or Ultimate, it can also make an image-based backup using the built-in Backup thingie, too.

 

[alanwest09872]

I dont think I am looking for an image based backup. What I wanna be able to do is right now my Intel ssd is being rma at newegg. Its going to be at least another week before I get it. I wanna be able to install Windows 7 on my raid drive (thats 2 veloraptor drives) and when I get my ssd back from newegg I dont wanna have to go through the hassle of reinstalling everything. I wanna take the files that I have and hopefully just copy them over to the ssd then format the veloraptor raid drives and use that for my games and the ssd as my os drive

So taking a raid drive current os ----> taking everything I have and then Placing it on my SSD to make that into my current os. Then I will also have a backup of my Windows 7 install so I dont have to spend all that time reinstalling everything if the drive fails. I just have to copy and paste. WIll these softwares all me to do that?


and I am hoping to get a free ware program. If at all possible. The ones you posted there are for trials. at least one was the other wasn't

 

[mpilchfamily]

Yes Trueimage will make a copy of that drive that can be moved to another drive. So if you want everything to be current then make the image just before you want to install the SSD. Now i'm not sure if it will work with a raid. Basicly i'm not sure if an image of a raid can be placed on a single drive. I guess if i knew more about true image that would help.