What exactly is a disk "image"?

[brianz]

I've been using the Win 7 disk image for my operating disk backup, and I just have no idea what it is. What is an "image"? How does it achieve the file compression - I assume it's some kind of lossless compression? How is it all written into just a couple files?

I've been doing data back-ups for years, but I'm new to images... can somebody explain?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[ryo]

look on this Disk image - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Night Hawk]

Hi brianz Typically a drive image is actually an archive where all folders and files from a particular drive or partition see a bit of compression and packed up somewhat on the idea of a few large zip files in the location where the backup is sent to. When browsing to the assigned location you will see a folder in some cases with a sub folder inside that contains a dated set of odd looking files which contains everything.

For the system image you browse to the specified location and will find a folder named "WindowsImageBackup". The images attached here will show how that looks as well as a second one created in the first being slightly renamed in order to prevent being overwritten by the next.

 

[Faladu]

Hi Brian,

Also disc images can be created and used with tools such as Daemon Tools, where the data is faked as an active drive, but it's also protected, you can't write to it like a normal drive, but you can see it and take what you need from it (copying can be prevented too, if you needed to do that).

It can be used across networks for large scale over the network installs and/or protecting sensitive data amongst other uses.

There are a lot of products for making/using images available, just have to look for them.

 

[noyb]

Here's some recommended Imaging Freeware.
It seems the most popular Imaging programs are Macrium and Acronis.

Windows 7 can also make an Image backup.
Here's some tutorials ...
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html?ltr=B
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[electrotune1200]

All the previous posts have explained quite well what an image is.

Just look at it as your get out of jail for free card.

 

[Night Hawk]

Hi Brian,

Also disc images can be created and used with tools such as Daemon Tools, where the data is faked as an active drive, but it's also protected, you can't write to it like a normal drive, but you can see it and take what you need from it (copying can be prevented too, if you needed to do that).

That depends on the imaging software you are using. One good example is the Acronis True Image feature in that software which allows you to mount an image for read only or read & write capabilities where once you add anything the backup is incremental.

With Acronis in use here notice the highlighted M drive is identical to the C drive seen in the image attached here.