Windows 7: Best software to backup XP before 7 install

Im just about to upgrade a friends computer to Windows 7 its currently running XP

The comp only has one drive which i will be formatting for a clean install, but before i do i want to take an image of the drive that can be restored in case i run into any problems, the drive isnt very big and i dont really want to do a dual boot.

So which program do you think i should use for the drive image?
Does XP have anything built in that i can use like 7 has, if not i was looking at the free versions of paragon & acronis but i havnt used either before so im open to suggestions.
Trying to get prepared before i go there to do it.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

The "best" one is the one that works when you go to do the restore. There are several good imaging backup programs. The fly in the ointment is if you have an unusual disk controller, when you boot the Restore CD to lay the image back on, it may not recognize the HD. Before even doing the backup, make the Restore CD and see if you can boot it and go into the restore program without errors. If you can see your HD then do the backup. Esp. if you have to burn to DVD this will save a lot of wasted discs since each backup program uses its own format.

It's easier if you have an external USB drive to store the backup image. The free Macrium Reflect program is a nice backup. There are other free ones available also. None of it does you any good if you can't restore when the PC won't boot from the HD(disaster recovery.) Just make sure the Restore CD supports your hardware, then choose from the ones that do.

You can find some profiled on Gizmo's site:
Gizmo's Freeware Reviews

also try:
thefreecountry.com: Free Programmers' Resources, Free Webmasters' Resources, Free Security Resources

I'm sure there are a few in the Free Software List on this forum too.