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Now a new generation of disk-imaging software is emerging that combines elements of both, along with enhanced usability. In this group test we review five of these disk-imaging programs.

Many PCs are now sold with the operating system and applications pre-installed as a compressed hidden partition on the hard disk.

In the event of a serious corruption or deletion of the OS, or applications that are installed on the main working partition, providing there is no hardware fault, the system can be restored to its original condition from the hidden partition. However, this doesn't protect your work files and is ineffective if there is a permanent hard disk failure.

Backup has always been a foreign concept for the average home PC user, at least in part because of the extra work, time, cost and complexity involved.

Probably the only way this situation will ever really change is if backup is built in to the operating system and hardware and by default happens automatically and transparently to the end user. At least some versions of Windows Vista will include a basic imaging utility that uses the VHD (Microsoft virtual hard disk) file format.

For some time the only suitable media for low-cost backup with suitable speed and capacity has been an auxiliary hard disk.

The availability of low-cost external drives, with USB2 and/or Firewire interfaces, is beginning to make personal backup a more palatable proposition. Now let's look at the best tools for the actual job of getting the data onto these drives.

Working with disk images

With hard disks today commonly offering between 80 and 500GB, disk images are large awkward things to manage.

Some of the imaging software in this group test offers an almost bewildering range of options, so it helps if you have a clear idea of the various features available in your chosen imaging software and a clear strategy for your approach to image backups.

The other half of the solution

The big stumbling block for many people when backing up or imaging a system is that the software is only half the solution.

Image storage, in the form of a Firewire or USB plug-in drive, or a network server with dedicated imaging space, is also required.

Even with image compression, this will need to be close to the size of the source data set. Luckily the price of large internal hard drives is now reasonable, and even external drives (pictured) are dropping rapidly in price: these are much more convenient as they can be removed and stored in a safe place away from your PC. You can even make your own external drive by buying a DIY enclosure for around �20 or so.

Different types of backup

Image backups of many gigabytes can take a long time so many new imaging applications allow incremental and/or differential backup after the initial full image is saved.

Incremental backups save space and time, since a chain of incremental files, each file containing only the changes made since the previous file, is created. This continues until a specified number of files are reached and then the process starts again. Incremental backups are vulnerable to breaks in this chain of files.

Differential backups also start with a full backup, but then record only the differences between this and the current state, in a single differential file. Incremental or differential backup, plus compression, can save a lot of time and backup disk space.

Incremental backups allow multiple recovery points, so that your working disk can be restored to the state it was in at different points in time. The number of recovery points can often be specified and the process scheduled, so for example you can choose to save images for each week of your last four weeks worth of work, with an image increment saved every Friday at 6pm.

Rather than using a timed schedule you can also set events as triggers. So for example an incremental backup could be triggered whenever a user logs off, or when a new application is installed.

Image browsing

The huge drawback with the early backup solutions was that the backup files and their contents were, at best, only identified by a log and could not be read or searched for contents.

Modern imaging software includes a browser that allows the contents of an image to be viewed just like an ordinary hard drive or directory, and even allow individual files to be selected and restored.

Editor's choice and recommended buy

Once a very niche category, some of these disk-imaging products are now taking over more of the functions of traditional backup software.

This means your choice will be determined very much by your specific needs for a feature or mix of features.

For example, only the Paragon product runs under Windows 95. If you need to back up Windows 95 PCs, Paragon is your only choice in this group. Or if you want to back up your Outlook files separately, only Acronis True Image 10 Home offers a specific option to do this.

Also, for the four programs that do have built-in CD and DVD burning, each one varies in its list of supported CD and DVD writers — be sure to check before you buy.

R-Tools' R-Drive Image 3.0 is low cost, very easy to use and has a very reasonable selection of features. On cost grounds, Runtime's Drive Image XML is unbeatable, because it's freeware.

It's also very easy to use, but has limited features and no built-in facility to burn to CD or DVD. In an emergency when you don't have access to other backup software and need to image a partition, Drive Image XML will get you out of trouble at no cost.

Apart from a few rough spots in the interface, Symantec's Save & Restore 2006 is easy to use, with reasonable features, but it's one of the more expensive products and it only runs on Windows XP.

As our overall scores show, the pros and cons of each program balance out to give all five products very similar overall scores, which is good news for buyers and a reflection of the maturity of this software category.

However, it's our task to choose winners here and, based on its outstanding imaging flexibility we've given our Editor's Choice award to Acronis True Image 10 Home. It's feature-rich, reasonably priced and offers unsurpassed flexibility. Although we thought the menu system was a little fussy, the various dedicated wizards make any backup or restore task extremely easy.

If you don't mind paying a bit more and want extra partition maintenance and recovery tools, Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8 Personal is our Recommended choice. Its 'virtual mode' default setting could confuse novice users, but its extra features justify the higher cost if you prefer an all-in-one approach.

Verdict
Editor's choice: Acronis True Image 10 Home

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