backing up and reinstalling OS

[tadler]

Hi
I'm about to clean-install XP on my TP X60S. after installing my favorite programs and updated drivers, I want to make an image of C partition and keep it on an external USB drive, as a backup that i can always go back to and re-install on my laptop, in case of hard disk disaster (i'm going to remove the hidden partition and not using any of the IBM software for recovery, etc..)

have you any experience with good free utilities that support external USB drives?
will i need to make a partition on the target drive? will I also be able to use it to store other data?

Thanks !

[ryengineer]

Acronis True Image works great, I recently created an image on external USB drive including the hidden partition. The 30 days trial version is free to use also.

If you're going to delete hidden partition then you should create a set of Product recovery disks yourself first.

Following is for Windows Vista but you'll get an idea:

How to create recovery media using ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery.

snip....will I also be able to use it to store other data?....snip

I haven't tried it but I think you would be, just don't move the cloned files or erase them.

[tadler]

thanks ryengineer,
for some reason i stopped receiving email notifications for replies, i guess my internet provider started blocking mail from this server too.. (i don't use spam filters locally) i've had this problem before.

dis anybody work with XXCLONE? it's a freeware.

[Stargate199]

You should be able to use any disk imaging software you like. You just need to be sure the software had a CD boot program as well to make a bootable disk that will allow you to copy the image to the hard drive on the computer you are doing this on, otherwise you will need to find another computer, hook up both hard drives to it, and copy the image. For freeware, I think GParted will do this just fine. Best of all, this comes on Ubuntu so you can try to rescue files off a crashed hard drive with Ubuntu before trying a clean wipe.

[tadler]

Thanks! i ended up making a BartPe boot disk, and put "DriveImage xml" on it. both work great!