Windows Image Backup: Making a System Disk for Windows 11,10, 8, 7

For Windows system image backup, Handy Backup provides the two options: Disk Image and System Recovery plug-ins, as well as a separate utility for “bare metal” called Disaster Recovery.

• Disk Image creates a full, consistent Windows image backup for a disk or a separate partition in internal binary format that users cannot modify – only restore*.
• System Recovery saves only entire drives, making an image in a readable, comprehensible VHD format, which allows using, say, an image of Windows 8 in a virtual machine.
• Disaster Recovery is a standalone utility, available for free with most Handy Backup editions. It creates a bootable Windows restore disk image on a USB drive.

* You can use a file created by this plug-in for restoring it from scratch with a Disaster Recovery utility.

Windows 11 Image Backup

Discover Handy Backup's tailored solutions for Windows 11 Backup, ensuring the safety and integrity of your system. Benefit from robust features designed specifically for Windows 11, offering unparalleled security and reliability.

Windows 10 Image Backup

Windows 10 is a “roll-up” version, which changes itself constantly. A perfect Windows 10 backup utility, such as Handy Backup, can help avoiding many great problems emerging due to unstable updates.

Windows 8 Image Backup

For Windows 8 and 8.1, Handy Backup can fully automate creating a system image backup, replacing a built-in utility. It also automates Windows 8 restore disk image actions, which is useful for cloning an OS..

Windows 7 Image Backup

Used as system image backup Windows 7 software, Handy Backup provides a protection for many users and companies still utilizing that OS. In addition, it can create a Windows 7 image for a virtual machine.

Two Plug-ins and One Utility

You can select between a whole, consistent binary Windows disk image created by Disk Image plug-in and a readable, usable VHD image file that the System Recovery plug-in can make from an entire drive. In addition, you can rely upon the Disaster Recovery standalone utility, based on a spare USB drive.

Backup for a Disk in Use

Handy Backup utilizes the VSS (Volume Shadow Copying service) to create Windows image backup files without stopping a system. This “hot” mode allows you making regular backups of an entire Windows disk image without any trouble or inconvenience

To create a Windows image backup, you can use a "System Recovery" feature, which can write a VHD file of your entire Windows system drive image. Please follow the simple instruction below, or read the User Manual for some complex details about making backup tasks.

1. Open Handy Backup and call for a new task wizard through a menu item or by pressing Ctrl+N.
2. Create a backup task on Step 1. Go to Step 2 by clicking "Next".
3. Select the "System Recovery" plug-in in the "Disk Clone" group on a left panel of Step 2.

4. In a new window, select a physical drive to copy as a Windows image backup.

5. Click OK and proceed creating a task as usual.

Please read the Disaster Recovery user manual section to make a bootable USB pen or HDD drive, from which you can always restore a system image created by Handy Backup. The Disaster Recovery tool has its own OS, independent from a current OS installed on any machine, which allows making a “cold” Windows restore for a disk image.