Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

in my case, only the C: drive, yes?

kado897 said:

Do you have the tiny 100MB System Reserved partition? If so that will also be included in the image.

No I don't have.
Sorry, I meant what previous drives will be erased. For example When I want to use the image (which is in E) to restore the Windows, to the C: drive so only the C: drive will be overwritten and the E: drive (after installing the image) will not be erased, yes? I expect the E: drive still contains the image file even after installing the image onto C:.

If you don't have a system reserved partition, then the only partition you need to make an image of is C if that is all you would ever want to restore. The only exception I can think of is that some OEM PCs supposedly put boot files in strange locations, like in recovery partitions. But that's uncommon and wouldn't be the case for a home-built PC. A home-built would likely have C and system reserved or C alone.

If you store that image of C on D and later restore, no other partition would be touched or involved at all UNLESS you make an error and tell the imaging program to restore the C image to E--in which case E would be wiped out. That's why you have to understand the imaging program and be quite careful.

Best to do a practice run through so you are familiar with the interface and on-screen messages you might encounter. Better to be confused during a dry run than when it's for real.

Some imaging programs are fairly easy to understand and others are somewhere between cryptic and outright confusing, especially if you haven't played with them a bit to gain familiarity.

So I can backup my inactive hard drive that has my OS on it? My hard drive last functioned in another system board. I want to be able to boot up in my current system with this hard drive.

As a secondary drive that is not active. Primary drive is being used to backup this secondary drive. Does this help?