If you have the need for a squeaky-clean hard drive that can be restored in minutes, then we have two great solutions for you. Both of these are free and provide a hard drive backup and clone of your Operating System, applications and data. While these two programs are similar, they provide different functions depending on the role you need your computer to play. The first program creates a clone of the drive so it can be immediately restored whenever you need it to. The second option restores your PC each time you reboot it. Both allow you to retain programs and get back to a clean working state within minutes.
Free Hard Drive Cloning Software
ToDo Backup, by Easeus, is free hard drive cloning software that creates an exact duplicate of your drive. In the event of a hard drive or Operating System failure, you can use the clone to get back to the condition when the clone was made. The program creates a bootable CD so you can restore in the even of a malware attack or other software problem. You can even mount and unmount the drive in read-only mode to copy files from it. As with any cloning software, you will want to periodically do a new image with the latest applications and updates included. Find Todo Backup here.
Windows SteadyState
Windows SteadyState is a great application that reverts a computer back to a known state each time the machine is rebooted. The primary advantage of this machine is once you get it setup to your exact requirements, it will go back to that way each time you restart the computer. Typical scenarios for SteadyState are in libraries, schools, Internet Cafes and the most dangerous situation of all: Your children’s computer. You will no longer have to worry about viruses, system settings being changed or valuable programs being deleted. With a simple restart, the computer is back the way you want it within minutes. Learn more about Windows SteadyState and download it here.
As you can see, both programs allow you to revert a machine back to a known good state, but they behave very differently. Depending on your needs, one of these free solutions can help keep your home or office PC running smooth using cloning and backup techniques.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m a little curious why Acronis True Image was left out. A lot of us in the industry use this software where there are major hard drive issues. There are also hardware based duplicators that work great as well.
Justin, you are right, Acronis is a great solution as well. I just try to promote free solutions whenever possible. If you have a business or special considerations–or if you simply want to use a great product, then Acronis True Image is a great choice.
Backup is the important thing for any data loss. Suppose your hard drive crashed and you don’t have any backup then all the data will be lost and you need to recover the data with the help of data recovery software. If you have already taken backup then all your data will be safe and you don’t need any software help.