Complete backup of original HD

I recently received my Lenovo W510 and wanted to create a full Ghost image of the HD in this system in the event that the HD crashed or whatever so that I could restore a replacement HD to exactly how the original HD was. I've been reading up on how Lenovo packages their HDs with a hidden/protected partition and this is one of the things I would like to include as part of the image so it's saved along with the boot sectors and the partitions. I have read that in the past Lenovo actually had an option in the BIOS to unhide this partition, but it's nowhere to be found in the current BIOS. Would the -IB function of Ghost let me image the disk 1:1?

 

Usually most systems allow you to make a "system restore" set of DVD's. This, at least in cases I've used them, restores the system including this "hidden" partition. I don't know about Lenovo, but a Dell and Toshiba I did recently did just that.

 

You would have to create the system recovery disks via the ThinkVantage Recovery Media Creator (I forgot what it's called). This would do exactly what you want.

 

Is there any way to do this without booting into the Windows 7 OS on the machine?

 

You can use a trial version of Acronis True Image, or give Easeus Todo Backup a try. You will have to install the software on your computer which would then remain in the backup.

I would highly recommend you create the factory recovery discs with the preinstalled Lenovo software. You will be booting the machine either way.

Any reason why you don't want to boot into Windows 7?

 

Being that I have not booted into Windows 7 yet on this machine, I wanted the installation to remain pristine so that the image I create will always give me that "first fresh boot" into how this computer arrived when I first booted into Windows 7.

Am I correct to believe that the factory recovery discs created from the preinstalled Lenovo software would give me exactly what I'm looking for?

 

They will. If you want to clone it with out booting, plug it in to your desktop and create a image of it that way. That's what I usually do.

 

ummm, isn't that what the recovery media DOES? It will basically wipe (or at least an option to) your machine and restore it back to factory state?

 

Yes, the factory recovery discs are what you want. But as htwingnut has said, they will restore your computer to its factory settings, or the "first fresh boot" that you're looking for so booting into windows doesn't really matter

 

There is not need to worry about that dimm0k. The technology to create the factory disk set isn't using the data on the hard drive you would use as a user of Windows 7. It creates the factory disk set from a completely independent set of data. You'll need three blank DVD's. After you have created the factory disk set from the "Rescue and Recovery" toolset, you can do whatever you want and always restore back to that just out of the box factory state.

That comes in really handy later if you decide to sell the machine.

 

Thanks guys for the reassurance and knowledge on the details of what the recovery discs do! First thing I did was create them!