Cheap/Free Disk Imaging Solutions

Partimage (GPL'd Ghost Type App) http://www.partimage.org/
Description: "Partition Image is a Linux/UNIX utility which saves partitions in many formats (see below) to an image file. The image file can be compressed in the GZIP/BZIP2 formats to save disk space, and split into multiple files to be copied on removable floppies (ZIP for example), .... The partition can be saved across the network since version 0.6.0 ." - Yet to be tested personally.
As an aside, WinXP's Shadow Volume functions should make it's backup and restore very useful. A suitable replacement for partition backups in many cases.
G4U. BSD licenced, http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/. Works over a network (FTP). Uses bit level copies so it works with NTFS and just about anything else. I've used this, and I like it. Network card support seems pretty good (3 for 3 so far for me). It works with FTP over network, or disk to disk. Great. Unfortunately, I've been having problems with G4U and newer hardware.
Note that it is semi possible to manually do this using various permutations of the *nix 'dd' command.
Slashdot just ran a story asking for tips
Knoppix wins again (both via Samba or SSH!):
http://www.knoppix.net/docs/index.php/ImageYourHardDriveUsingKnoppix
A free for personal use "live" image maker:
http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm
(Not personally tested. Uses VSS in XP and 2K3 to make true live backups. Does Acronis work in 2K?)
Clonezilla: appears to be fairly active: http://clonezilla.sourceforge.net/
USB
- ImageUSB - makes and writes images of USB drives - free by the PassMark people - http://osforensics.com/tools/write-usb-images.html - makes large uncompressed images - meant for forensics, so blank space captured as well
- Rufus - https://rufus.ie/en/
G4L - apparently this at one time had some parts copied from G4U? Anyway, it uses the Linux kernel. It also has more features than G4U. Right now, I'm using the compressed image to local USB drive option that G4U doesn't do (as far as I know it does uncompressed disk to disk, which doesn't work in my situation). Both G4U and G4L do not properly work with the NIC in the new Dell Vostro 200 I am trying to setup (Intel G33 chipset). More options are better, I guess. - http://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l
Deployment options:
- ninite - some easy way to bulk install free apps w/o toolbars and such - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/10/ninite/
Fill unused space with zeros (for better compression of disk images):
Windows: Nullfile - see G4L. On FAT32 partitions, this will error out at 4GB. File stays but have to run again manually.
Linux: maybe "zerofree" https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/44234/clear-unused-space-with-zeros-ext3-ext4
OT: Securely use up freespace in Windows to prevent restore - cipher.exe /W:C:\path\to\folder - built into XP and probably newer! Path can be anything on the drive to secure.
Create highly compressible filler files in Windows. (The problem with nullfile is that it deletes it's work file. If the plan is to re-image every once in a while, it is quicker to keep the drive mostly full of filler files).
One line command that uses CREATFIL from Windows 2003 Resource Kit to create 150 1GB files:
FOR /L %i in (1,1,150) do @ CREATFIL.EXE E:\Temp\DUMMY%i.TMP 1048576
One line for 40 files, consistent file name length:
FOR /L %i in (100,1,140) do @ CREATFIL.EXE C:\Temp\DUMMY%i.TMP 1048576
"Proper" way is to deploy - good thread on WDS, MDT, etc - https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/2g4xbp/ghost_is_dead_and_clonezilla_is_not_perfect_what/

tags: image, disk, ghost, clone, duplicate