To begin you will need a copy of Linux LiveCD that you can use to boot your computer.  Using a LiveCD allows you to run your computer from the CD and not the hard drive.  This allows you complete control over the hard drive files.  You can copy, delete, modify, repair, or backup files, folders, partitions, or complete hard drives.  LiveCDs have become a very important tool for maintaining computers.  I use the Insert LiveCD that has both Gparted and Partimage and is less than 100MB.  Because of its small size it boots and runs very quickly.  You can even install it on a flash drive for added convenience.

1.  Boot your computer using Insert LiveCD.  You might have to change your boot settings in BIOS to allow the CDROM to boot first.  You can access the BIOS settings during startup by pressing a key on the keyboard.  There is usually [...]]]> Partimage is a great program for backing up important files.  I have successfully used it in a large computer lab to backup and maintain operating system images for a numbers of computers using different operating systems.  Partimage is fast and reliable and since it is Open Source it is also free.

To begin you will need a copy of Linux LiveCD that you can use to boot your computer.  Using a LiveCD allows you to run your computer from the CD and not the hard drive.  This allows you complete control over the hard drive files.  You can copy, delete, modify, repair, or backup files, folders, partitions, or complete hard drives.  LiveCDs have become a very important tool for maintaining computers.  I use the Insert LiveCD that has both Gparted and Partimage and is less than 100MB.  Because of its small size it boots and runs very quickly.  You can even install it on a flash drive for added convenience.

1.  Boot your computer using Insert LiveCD.  You might have to change your boot settings in BIOS to allow the CDROM to boot first.  You can access the BIOS settings during startup by pressing a key on the keyboard.  There is usually a message that appears and tells you which key to press.  (Usually the Delete key.)

2.  After Insert starts up right click on the blue desktop and select Terminal Session>Aterm -super user.  This open a terminal window.  Now type mkdir /backup and press enter.  This creates a /backup directory using the mkdir command.

3.  Now type mount -t vfat /dev/hda6 /backup and press enter.  This mounts hda6 and allows files to be routed to the /backup directory.

4.  Now right click again on the blue desktop and select Applications>Recovery/Backup>Partimage.  You will have a window that opens showing you the hard drive partition information.  The partitions are listed hda1, hda2, hda5, and hda6.  Hda1 is the first and primary partition that is set active and therefore bootable.  Hda2 is the extended partition which is divided into 2 logical drives hda5 and hda6.  The numbers hda3 and hda 4 are reserved.  Hda1 is selected by default so tab to the next area.  Here you will type /backup/WinXP.img and this will tell Partimage you use the /backup directory and file name WinXP.img.  Tab again the default is Save partition.  Press F5 to go to the next windows.

5.  This windows provides some configuration setting options which you can leave in their default and press F5 to go to the next window.

6.  For the next several windows you can accept the default settings and just keep pressing F5 and/or Tab until Partimage starts creating the image and saving the file.  It will finish with a report of elapsed time, speed, and size of the image.

7.  I also have a Partimage YouTube video that you

The Computer Repair Training website has some additional information you might find helpful.

might find helpful.