Drive Imaging-Bare Metal Installs

If someone selects a drive imaging software that does not have provision for paritioning and formatting prior to restoring the image, what are some options for performing the task of partitioning and formatting?

It seems like the following should work. Please share your methods.

1. Start the Windows XP installation process, make partitions, format drive C: partition, Abort the Windows XP install, restart, switch out the Windows XP CD with the Drive Image Software Boot CD and restore the image to the formatted partition.

2. Boot one of the Linux Distros and use GParted to partition and format the hard drive. Also you can download the latest GParted Live CD and boot GParted to do the partitioning and formatting. Then continue with booting the Drive Image Software Boot CD and restore the image to the new hard drive.

3. Use the hard drive manufacturer's utility to do the job.

Thank you.

 

TheKid7,

Most of the imaging software apps can restore an image to unpartitioned HDs. It's your choice whether to pre-partition or not.

 

The drive imaging software that I am considering purchasing is Image for Windows/Image for DOS. I have not yet tried to restore an image. Does it need to have the drive paritioned/formatted prior to restoring?

Thank you.

 

No. Your choice. Unallocated space or a partition.

With IFW/IFD, the image can be restored to a smaller partition (or smaller area of unallocated space) than the original if desired. Or you can resize up to a larger area. IFD is mainly used for restoring the OS partition. Either can be used to restore images of non system partitions.

 

previous versions of shadowprotect didn't resize, so, you should make sure if that would affect you with whatever tool you use when restoring on smaller then original drives/partitions.