IMAGING/CLONING  

Windows XP or Later

Acronis
True Image

  Acronis True Image software helps you to completely clone your current system drive onto your new hard drive. Cloning makes an exact copy of your old system drive on your new hard drive, including the operating system, applications, data, preferences, and email settings. Everything will be present and operate exactly as it did on your old hard drive. Acronis True Image supports Advanced Format Drives and ensures that all partitions are optimally aligned.

This software is only available for use in conjunction with specific hard drive makes.
 

Windows XP or Later

Macrium
Reflect

  Macrium Reflect Free Edition. An award winning disk imaging solution for free. A complete disaster recovery solution for your home and office. Protect your personal documents, photos, music and e-mails. Upgrade your hard disk or try new operating systems in the safe knowledge that everything is securely saved in an easily recovered backup file. Macrium Reflect supports backup to local, network and USB drives as well as burning to all DVD formats. This version is for non-commercial home use.


For more information
 

Windows 98 or Later

Clone
Zilla

  Clonezilla, based on DRBL, Partition Image, ntfsclone, partclone, and udpcast, allows you to do bare metal backup and recovery.

Two types of Clonezilla are available, Clonezilla live and Clonezilla SE (server edition). Clonezilla live is suitable for single machine backup and restore. While Clonezilla SE is for massive deployment, it can clone many (40 plus!) computers simultaneously. Clonezilla saves and restores only used blocks in the harddisk. This increases the clone efficiency.

The program is provided as an .ISO image so you will need to use a program like 'Burn4Free' as listed in my CD/DVD Writing section.


For more information
 

Windows XP or Later

Drive Image
XML

   DriveImage XML is an easy to use and reliable program for imaging and backing up partitions and logical drives.

The program allows you to: Backup logical drives and partitions to image files, Browse these images, view and extract files, Restore these images to the same or a different drive, Copy directly from drive to drive, Schedule automatic backups with your Task Scheduler.  Image creation uses Microsoft's Volume Shadow Services (VSS), allowing you to create safe "hot images" even from drives currently in use. Images are stored in XML files, allowing you to process them with 3rd party tools. Never again be stuck with a useless backup! Restore images to drives without having to reboot.

  PARTITIONING  

Windows XP or Later

MiniTool
Partition
Wizard

Home Edition

  MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition is a free partition manager software designed by MiniTool Solution Ltd. Home users can perform complicated partition operations by using this powerful yet free partition manager to manage their hard disk. Functions include: Resizing partitions, Copying partitions, Create partition, Delete partition, Format partition, Convert partition, Explore partition, Hide partition, Change drive letter, Set active partition, Partition Recovery.


For more information

Windows 2000 or Later

Easesu
Partition
Master

Home Edition

  Easeus Partition Master is a disk partition management tool with which you can easily create, format and delete partitions in your hard drive at will. The program features a very intuitive, user-friendly interface which makes all these tasks a child's play.

It works with different file types and can handle hard drives of up to 800GB. But the most outstanding feature is definitely the fact that you can move and resize partitions live, that is, without erasing them or losing any data.


For more information

Not Windows Dependant

Parted
Magic

  Parted Magic is an easy to use "on-the-fly" partition manipulation program.

Although it was developed for use with Linux partitions, its just as happy manipulating Windows partitions. But due to the non-windows nature of this software a small amount of setup is required.

The program is provided as an .ISO image so you will need to use a program like 'Burn4Free' as listed in my CD/DVD Writing section.
 

For more information

  DEFRAGING  

Windows 2000 or Later

Ultra
Defrag

  UltraDefrag is a powerful disk defragmentation tool for Windows. It is the first open source defragmenter with full support of system locked files defragmentation. Actually all files including registry hives and paging file can be processed by UltraDefrag during the Windows boot process.

For more information

Windows XP or Later

Puran
Defrag

  Puran Defrag is a very simple disk defragmenter which will defrag the files and optimize your system, collecting all the fragments of a file and putting them together, as well as moving some frequently used files and all directories to faster disk areas.

For more information

Windows XP or Later

Auslogic
Disk Defrag

  Auslogics Disk Defrag was designed to remedy system sluggishness and crashes caused by disk fragmentation. It is optimized to work with today's modern hard disks. Auslogics Disk Defrag is extremely simple to use, does not require any analysis phase and is faster than most of the other disk defragmentation software. It will help you get the maximum performance out of your expensive hardware investments. And, what’s most important, it's absolutely free.


For more information

Windows 2000 or Later

Smart
Defrag

  Smart Defrag has the world’s fastest defragmenting engine. It’s been specially designed for modern, large hard drives, so it eliminates long waiting times. Smart Defrag doesn’t just use simple defragmentation. It also streamlines your file system, places the frequently used files and directories into the fastest area of the disk, enabling your computer to run at top speed with the most stability.


For more information

Windows 2000 or Later

Defraggler

  Defraggler differs from other defrag tools on the market, by enabling you to quickly and simply defrag the files you want to, without having to process the whole drive.

Simply run it, select the file and defragment in seconds. No more struggling with the Windows defragmentation tool!


For more information

Windows 2000 or Later

My
Defrag

  MyDefrag is a disk defragmenter and optimizer (a maintenance utility to make your harddisk faster) for Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 2008, and for X64. It is freeware, no time limit, fully functional, no advertisements. Fast, low overhead, with many optimization strategies, can handle floppies, USB disks, memory sticks, and anything else that looks like a disk to Windows.

Included are a set of easy to use scripts for endusers, a scripting engine for demanding users, a screensaver, and a combined Windows plus commandline version that can be scheduled by the Windows task scheduler or for use from administrator scripts.

For more information

  SCANNING  

Windows 2000 or Later

HD Tune

  HD Tune is a hard disk utility with many features including, Hard disk information display, 'Smart' status check, Error scan, Temperature check, folder usage view, and even Benchmark.

HD Tune is free for personal use.


For more information

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