Why use imaging software

It provides a suite of features that can enhance, make over or add to the overall appearance of an image. These features include increasing or decreasing an image's resolution, changing its color modes and schemes, removing any element from an image, cropping and more. However, most imaging software is centered on the manipulation and adjustment of colors. Imaging software supports popular image formats created by cameras or computers by default. Share this Term. Tech moves fast!

Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia! Compressed files cannot be accessed directly, just like a zipped file must be extracted before it can be used. Therefore, if it becomes necessary to restore the image, the same software must be used to decompress the image and copy it to the targeted drive.

This can be a new drive, or a drive that became corrupted. If the restore process is required for the boot drive, the drive that contains the operating system , it requires a bootable, self-contained CD made from, or provided by, the imaging software program. Booting from this CD will allow the user to direct the software to the archived disk image , then start the process of restoring the image to the boot drive. Once the image is restored, the system can be rebooted from the hard disk. It also allows the standardization of computer settings and it stores and installs all necessary hardware drivers along with the operating system.

A great feature of this on-premises software is that the Free edition has all of the functions offered in the Professional version. However, it does have a limit on the number of endpoints that it will serve.

An interesting feature is that the system is able to query the services and hardware on each device and only install and activate those drivers that it requires. ManageEngine OS Deployer is our top pick for a disk imaging software package because it enables you to use stored OS images to be applied to all new devices, allowing you to standardize and automate the setup of your fleet. The deployer has smart processors that only applies drivers that are appropriate to the OS version of the device that is being set up.

Better still, there is a free version of this package among its three editions. The paid versions are both offered on a free trial. Download: Start day Free Trial. One problem with selecting a disk imaging service is that most utilities either work for Windows or Linux. Acronis Cyber Project is one of the few disk imaging systems that is available for both. It is also able to operate on mobile devices running Android or iOS. The capabilities and extra facilities of Acronis Cyber Project make it a standout product that is way ahead of the competition.

It only installs on one device at a time and there is no networked version. That means that it needs to be installed on each supported PC and the technician would have to visit each machine and run the service manually in order to get an image or install it. Pricing Model: Small businesses that operate out of a single office would find this tool suitable.

The system includes ransomware protection and anti-malware. Download link : Acronis Cyber Project offers a day free trial. This Acronis Disk Director backup product is aimed at businesses. It can be used to create virtual drives and it runs on Windows. The tool is able to back up just about every known operating system.

A disk editing feature in the tool enables you to access disk content down to memory block level, which enables you to recover lost data and reassemble fractured pointers on storage segments. Images can be made of the entire volume or disk right down to and including the operating system, enabling bare metal installs. Download Acronis Disk Director for a day free trial.

Clonezilla is a free utility that is good to have on hand for emergency disk backups through imaging. The program can be run from a USB stick, which makes it possible to use it on different operating systems. It will just copy and store an entire volume or disk and write out the whole lot. The user interface is a little clunky. However, many systems administrators prefer to use the command-line utility of Clonezilla to build it into their own automation scripts. Download: Get your free copy.

EaseUS has two modes: incremental backup and disk cloning. The backup service works through the operating system to copy files, while the cloning service gets down to the hardware and copies segments off the disk.

Both services have a corresponding restore system. EaseUS is available for free , which makes it very attractive. There is also a paid version that has more features.

This is called the Home edition and this is where the disk imaging service is available — the Free edition only has file backups. Tools like Acronis Cyber Project , Acronis Cyber Backup, and Macrium Reflect provide a comprehensive, but the cost-effective solution for creating backups and disk images. Features like continuous backups and scheduled backups make it easier to conduct regular backups so that your data is always up-to-date. Before committing to a purchase we recommend conducting your own research to evaluate which solution is right for your environment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Comparitech uses cookies. More info. Menu Close. We are funded by our readers and we may receive a commission when you make purchases using the links on our site. A single system failure can lose years of files in a matter of seconds. We review the nine best disk imaging software on the market. Tim Keary Network administration expert. Full disk image and incremental backups, continuous backups, notifications, automatic cloud storage, anti-ransomware, and more.

Macrium Reflect Disk imaging and cloning software with incremental, differential, and scheduled backups, partition recovery, anti-ransomware, encryption, and more. Minitool Partition Wizard and MiniTool Partition Wizard Pro Free partition manager for Windows with disk image copying and partitioning, space analysis, a bootable media builder, and more.

EaseUS Todo Backup Free disk cloning tool that can copy full disk images or partitions with automatic backups, enterprise upgrades, and more. Iperius Backup A backup tool with disk image copying, incremental and differential backups, AES encryption, and more. Clonezilla Open source disk imaging software with bare metal recovery, AES encryption, custom boot parameters, and more.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager Disk imaging software with backup and recovery, a partition manager, automatic backups, AES encryption, and more.

Active Disk Image Free disk-imaging tool for Windows with disk partitioning, scheduled backups, encryption, and more. Key Features: Backup full disk images and individual files Continuous backups Notifications Automatically replicate backups in the cloud Cloud restore Universal restore Anti-ransomware Any files backed up locally can be replicated in the cloud automatically with the dual protection feature. Pros: Creating a backup schedule takes just a few minutes Great option for both home users and established businesses Supports mobile devices via iOS and Android app Is easy to use without sacrificing advanced features Available for Windows and Mac, a great cross-platform solution.

Cons: Advanced features may take time to fully learn and utilize. Pros: A backup service that can be used for replication Take an image of a disk or an entire server Other options for backup, including application-by application A system that stores backups locally and on provided cloud storage A system that can be sold on to MSP clients. Cons: Plans include a fixed amount of disk space.

Pros: Geared towards enterprises and larger companies Offers cloud hosting in data centers across the globe, good for BDR Can conduct bare metal recoveries remotely through the WAN, great feature to have for remote sites Blends a simple interface with the technical tools sysadmins need for both proactive backups and emergency restores Available on both Linux and Windows.

Cons: Not for home users, designed for network professionals. Pros: Can rapidly compress machine data into image files for easy access or reinstallation Supports living imaging, allowing it to backup during working hours Can backup virtual disk drives in Hyper-V. Cons: Enterprise pricing is a bit high compared to similar tools Designed for technical users, not ideal for those new to backup software.

Cons: Is designed for home use, not ideal for larger companies Marketed toward home use, but can be complicated for non-technical users. Cons: Only available for Windows User interface can be complicated at times Might not be the best option for enterprise-level replication.

Cons: Only available for Windows operating systems Interface can be confusing at times, with many nested tabs Built for technical users, not the best option for home backups. Pros: Open-source transparent software Can recover and restore to bare metal servers Server version can clone up to 40 machines at once, making it a decent option for larger networks.

Cons: Users are dependent on the open-source community for support and bug fixes Must install on USB or CD after configuration for deployment Interface is barebones, and not intuitive for new users.