PC Imaging

[tvrforever]

Ok here's what I want to be able to do :-

I've a laptop that I can't login into that I want to be able to boot-up from a CD and take an image of the current HD onto an external USB drive as a file - and then at a later date be able to restore the file image back onto the laptop's HD again.

Any thoughts as to what's the best package to use for this? And any free ones suitable?

[road2ruin]

Cor, you do like to make it hard for yourself. Personnaly I would take the hard drive out and attach it to a desktop PC as a slave. Install ghost or something similar (there is a free one but cant remember what its called) then do a copy of the hard disk while it is plugged into that PC. Then you can put a new hard disk into your PC (if thats what is required, you didnt say) and burn the image back. Incidentally I am a bit confused as to why you cant log in to the laptop. Do you not know the lo in passwaord or do you mean the hard disk is knackered, coz either way you might have problems with imaging it or login in again afterwards.

Good luck.
Pete

[k77-widow maker]

I'd agree with the last comment, check out Acronis products.
I've used them in the past to do exactly what you are trying to do.

[malman]

pretty much as above but you can do it without removing the drive using a ghost network boot disk.

1)boot off network boot disk
2)map network drive to another pc
3)ghost to image file on mapped drive

I think you can do it to and ftp server too but never tried