Windows 8 system image

[ArisVer]

Can it be done? Windows 8.1 to be precise. I have not seen any options to create a system image, only the refresh and reset options.

Edit. Never mind. I found it hidden in Control Panel > File History.

 

[Elixer]

Why not use acronis (or whatever [free]) to clone it to a file? File history does NOT do images of the whole OS partition.

 

[ArisVer]

I have already cloned my disk but I also wanted an extra system image. It is a system image not a file backup. Microsoft decided to place it there for Windows 8.1.

 

[matricks]

ImageX from Microsofts Assessment and Deployment Kit (free) can do it. It's designed for support technicians though, it doesn't have an end user-friendly interface. You might be able to copy the imagex.exe binary to a USB drive and run it from the Windows recovery environment, less hassle than building your own Windows PE environment from what I remember (it can't capture an image of a running OS, or "online" in ADK terms).

Also, it is primarily used for creating an image of one computer to be installed on several identical computers. Therefore you will hear "sysprep" mentioned along with ImageX, sysprep generalizes the image and removes unique computer identifiers from the image. If this image will only be used on your one computer you don't have to worry about it, but ImageX might complain about it anyway, so you may want to do it.

 

[WinOutreach2]

ArisVer is correct, System Image Backup (from the Windows 7 Backup and Restore functionality) is still present under File History, the link is in the bottom left corner of the File History window. See What happened to Backup and Restore? At Windows Support.

Brandon
Windows Outreach Team- IT Pro
Windows for IT Pros on TechNet

 

[razel]

For others... 'System Image Backup' will appear after file history has attempted to locate disks to backup to.