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#21
Previous versions is handy - I agree with Wolfgang, I prefer Shadow Explorer.
That is just as well - they have removed previous versions from windows 8.
It means what it says. You can image any partition, the system reserved, the Windows OS, factory recovery partition or a partition that just has general data on it.
Macrium stores the image (snapshot) in a compressed file format with extension .mrimg.
The thing with imaging is that it copies everything of value including OS and installed programs so that you could recover your system even to a Brand new HDD. File/folder backup doesn't do this. Why Macrium - it's robust easy to use and has proven itself.
1. You can image a data partition like a system partition. It is one of the options to backup data. But there are many other options ranging from a simple copy to sync.
2. Free Macrium is the most reliable, fastest and easiest imaging program I have used. I have also tried and used a half a dozen other free and paid imaging programs, but none are as good as free Macrium. Here is a tutorial I made for your convenience: Imaging with free Macrium
3. Shadow Explorer works the same in Vista, Windows7 and Windows8.