Windows 7: Creating full Image of Hard disk System & recovery partitions (Dell)

I have a Dell Inspiron 1520 with Vista Home Premium factory installed and now I need to install Windows 7. Before doing that I want to make sure I can restore my computer exactly to the way it came if anything goes wrong in the process of installing Win 7 or I needed back my original laptop with Vista.



Figured out the best way to create a complete image of my Hard drive.

• Capacity is 320GB
• 4 partitions - System Partition (C), Recovery Partition, some other 2 small partitions.

I have to modify these partitions and sizes when installing Windows 7. I want to completely image this HDD so I can get these back exactly the way they are now.

What is the best software I can use and what are the best methods? Please give me your opinions and instructions. Thanks.

(1) Download Macrium Reflect (Free)
(2) Create an image with all 4 partitions selected
(3) Make the linux recovery boot CD
(4) Make sure the linux boot CD works and can locate the image you just made and shows the 4 partitions for selection. Exit.

If the linux boot CD fails to work as will happen on some system configurations you can try in place of the linux CD:
(1) Hirens Boot CD Macrium Reflect is part of the mini XP environment
OR
(2) Macrium pe recovery disk. To make this you will need to download the Macrium Reflect V5 trial and be prepared to do a large MS download of WAIK (~1GB). Macrium guides you through the quite straightforward process.

Free Macrium is definitely a good choice. Here is a video tutorial: Imaging with free Macrium --- Free Paragon is another alternative. It has some features (e.g. restore with shrink) that Macrium does not have. But it is a bit more difficult to navigate.

Create a set of recovery disks also.

I think you are going to have to update that tutorial Wolfgang now that the free version 5 is out. The layout is quite different.

Yeah, maybe one day. But I am not using V5.0 yet. Why switch if something works perfectly. I am gettting lazy - else I already would have made a tutorial for Paragon.

I will do it through Macrium to do my job. Thanks for all the quick responses, useful links and information. Post back if there is any problem.