Use Windows 7 imaging routine on the same/source disk

Just now I've seen a lot of questions here on using Macrium. I have tried that myself and I only wound up with a bunch of rescue disks and no ISO cd. While there seems to be a lot of enthusiasm for it here, any of the recent backup or clone progs have been confusing to me. Or worse-- a Linux prog like Clonezilla have eaten the source drive much less any target.

My question is still on a safe and workable backup strategy. Win 7 contains a system image option on the Recovery Environment Disk and gives an option for it from the program itself.

My usual backup is just to clone using Norton Ghost from the cd keeping in mind to run chkdsk first-- it seems to avoid a lot of problems. Maybe older is best but this process must have a simple answer that Sevenforums has discovered over the years.

--> To begin with, just say if the Win 7 Image option is any good and how does it differ from Macrium and all the other programs like Acronis and Paragon.

I now have enough disk space on one HD to create the image on the same drive just as a test.

There is only one partition. My understanding is that a folder is made to store the image but I know little more from reading the procedures.

These things make sense and are logical.
I have some older HDs . My plan for this practice is to use a sacrifice HD for practice.
First use administrative tools to do a simple reformat on that one.
The just go through the make an image option in Win7. Win7 should see the newly
formated/wiped drive. If a 'folder is needed in the process it should be evident.

Will answer Macrium Separate.

Layback Bear said:

mjf has given some good advice. I also have used the built in Windows 7 backup and Macrium. I now only use Macrium Reflect. It's easy to use.

This tutorial by whs with it's video should help you.

Imaging with free Macrium

There's 101 pages showing below whatever video runs.

I have seen a Macrium Quick Start with sections. I recall starting at the top which
is making a Recovery disk. I have that. Must have had the program on my system.

But what I'm not following is how the Macrium program will run from the cd drive
to clone a disk as an example: a bootable ISO .

I have the Recovery disk made. If I have to start fresh with a Macrium free version for
Win7 64 is there a direct link to do so?

But my goal is to be able to clone a drive as is possible with Acronis, Ghost etc from the removable media which seems most practical and safe... safe here meaning not wiping something by accident.

I have diverted from the making of images only slightly. What I need is a fresh start
with the Macrium program.