Cloning or Imaging Windows 7

[MisterEd]

Although I'm not sure there's fully functional trials, Symantec Ghost and Acronis True Image are by far the best imaging softwares I've ever used.

@MisterEd Might be a bit tedious, but the Ultimate version allows for changing the display language of Windows. Pro and below can only change keyboard layout and locales. So why it would suggest Serbia for an Alabama resident is beyond me, but you can at least activate and change it to english Might be your key, if you bought it online.

This site used to be a hosting partner for Microsoft, before they removed 7/8.1 ISO from their site. Has maaany ISOs: http://mirror.corenoc.de/digitalrivercontent.net/

Ghost is no longer being sold or supported. I use Acronis True Image. I haven't seen a trial version of it.

The bit about Serbia may have been on purpose. Only people that knew better would continue with the download and change the language.

If a person gets it from the DigitalRiver Mirror he needs to make sure the version he gets matches the one he has. You have to take in account Full version vs Upgrade an whether your version had a service pack.

I actually bought the Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade DVDs at Best Buy. I keep the ISOs in my archives as a backup for the DVDs. I don't remember where I got the ISOs. It is very possible that I made them myself. I started doing this when my CD for Windows XP Pro ($200) became corrupt.

 

[Shinnen]

Hi,
A couple more questions.
1. How much more space is required to clone an OS, than what the OS occupies? (I want to clone 34.6 gig to a 37.0 gig drive.)
2. Anyone with any savy can get the key from an OS. Hell, the UBDCD will do it easily. So, again, why is Microsoft giving away their OS? Call me suspicious, but ........
3. Thanks for the link John. My system is 32 bit; and the title of the Dropbox file suggests to me that it's 64 bit?
4. I still prefer Cloning; but if I have to change to imaging I will. I've read that some of the free imaging softwares can be cantankerous with respect to reconstituting the OS. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't reconstituting from an image involve using the orginal drive(*); so that trying it out to see if it works, could screw up my working system, if it doesn't go well? Whereas, testing a clone only involves flipping the clone in and seeing if it works?
...... john
* I only have two drives.

 

[johnb35]

They are not giving away their OS. You need a key to activate it. You can use the same key for 32 bit and 64 bit installs. Again, you will run into problems cloning to such a small drive. Get a bigger one.

 

[mistersprinkles]

Hi,
A couple more questions.
1. How much more space is required to clone an OS, than what the OS occupies? (I want to clone 34.6 gig to a 37.0 gig drive.)
2. Anyone with any savy can get the key from an OS. Hell, the UBDCD will do it easily. So, again, why is Microsoft giving away their OS? Call me suspicious, but ........
3. Thanks for the link John. My system is 32 bit; and the title of the Dropbox file suggests to me that it's 64 bit?
4. I still prefer Cloning; but if I have to change to imaging I will. I've read that some of the free imaging softwares can be cantankerous with respect to reconstituting the OS. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't reconstituting from an image involve using the orginal drive(*); so that trying it out to see if it works, could screw up my working system, if it doesn't go well? Whereas, testing a clone only involves flipping the clone in and seeing if it works?
...... john
* I only have two drives.

Are you on drugs, sir? There IS NO KEY until you enter one. If you have no key, you can't activate windows. They aren't giving away the keys, they are giving away the ISO, which, without a key, you're not going to get a proper use out of.

Get a bigger drive, use Acronis, and no it won't be "cantankerous" with reconstituting the OS.

Honestly you're starting to peeve me off. I've worked a lot of sales jobs and people like you can't be helped. You have too many irrational doubts and you won't listen to reason.

Why don't you tell us what answer to your questions YOU would feel comfortable with so we can give you that answer and you can stop asking the same question 20,000 times?

 

[Jiniix]

1. How much more space is required to clone an OS, than what the OS occupies?
2. Anyone with any savy can get the key from an OS. Hell, the UBDCD will do it easily. So, again, why is Microsoft giving away their OS? Call me suspicious, but ........
4. I still prefer Cloning; but if I have to change to imaging I will.

1. Just about none. Cloning is a direct exact copy, imaging is saving a copy.
2. Microsoft is giving you a limited, locked down version of Windows that lasts for three days, untill you enter the only part of the OS that costs money - the key. Giving you an incentive to buy it, if you don't have a key. Not suspicious, obvious.
4. If you have a hard drive that's very fragmented, saving an image and re-applying it is often faster than defragmenting. You are very wrong on this part, about it being bad at rebuilding the disk.

 

[Shinnen]

Thank you all for your help.
..... john