Use a disk imaging tool to capture the entire drive along with all partitions.
Use a disk imaging tool to capture the entire drive along with all partitions.
I upgraded to Windows 11 using a fresh installation on a new storage device. I created a backup of all my data, and as a precaution, I plan to create an image of the older Windows 10 drive. I’m considering using an old SSD for another purpose and want to capture the entire drive, including its partitions, which Windows usually splits into multiple partitions. Do you have any suggestions for free imaging software? Also, could it be possible to include everything—even files that have been deleted—in the image? You’re right; when a file is deleted, it doesn’t disappear immediately and can still be recovered. Even if I don’t need those files, having them included would be helpful.
CloneZilla captures exact drive images, covering partitions and tables. Simply start with a USB drive.
I prefer staying on the current system. Can it still work while booting into Windows 11? I’m running an installation that should last around four hours and must finish without interruption or I’ll have to restart everything. If possible, doing it in parallel would really save time since it will also take a long time.
It's noted that Macrium Reflect can operate within Windows during execution. Installing it on the same drive as the imaging process isn't recommended, but since you mentioned another option, it should be clear now.
The process you're seeing varies from the Windows environment. I'm currently using Macrium and one of their features highlights that this type of image helps restore deleted files, which matches what I need. A quick question: does the resulting image file become exclusive to Macrium, so I can only access it through their software?