Best open source software / live cd solution to image / backup & restore a WIN 7 ?
 

I really do try to avoid using Windows, however, it is impossible to avoid it. My father has recently acquired a laptop running WIN7. He is keen to have a complete backup of his system in the case of a crash or failure. In the linux environment I have had no problems with Clonezilla or Partimage (except maybe to re-install grub and the MBR separately). Would either of the two work just as well backing up WIN7 ? Do both solutions backup the MBR of the Windows machine as well or is it worthwhile backing up the boot sector manually using the dd command ?

Cheers
uc

With clone zilla live cd/dvd you can backup all the drives on the hdd whether its windows/linux or dual boot system.

yes clonezilla will work.

You can manually specify if you want to do a raw backup or not. It can do a complete backup regardless of the operating system installed including the MBR of the drive.

You can also use dd command if you are really well versed with it but there are chances of breaking the system if you somehow manage to interchange the source and destination. CloneZilla should be far better, easier and less risky.

Thanks gents. I only use dd to back up the MBR and NEVER the whole drive/partition ( except a very small partition over a network ) :-) . Reassuring to know that Clonezilla will back up the WIN 7 boot sector as well.
Thanks again.
uc

But why not also use what's there...

In addition to using linux as a solution to the problem, it might be a good idea to make a DVD backup copy of Windows 7 using the Windows 7 restore copy utility. Two may prove better than one.

You would of course have to balance your aversion to Windows with your father's objective interest in having a set of Windows 7 DVDs.

Cheers Thor. At present the WIN7 machine only has one partition. I want to make an image of the system onto a separate USB backup drive and then add a second partition onto the machine. It is onto this partition that I will use to the backup image created using the inbuilt WIN utilities. I want to be safe and have a backup on hand before going ahead with the partitioning - just in case ! As you wisely said two is better than one. In addition I will make a set of DVDs like yuo said. So three will be better than one ! :-)