Fast and simple disk image restore

Hello,

In order to make it nice and easy you can use Acronis True Image, or "Norton Ghost".

Below are all the steps the tech person would need to create an image with Acronis. you can use cd's/DVD's, another disk on the same machine, external drive (the best option if you have one) or another machine.
http://www.tweakhound.com/xp/backup/diskimage2.htm

In order to restore:
1. Insert the CD and boot up. Your BIOS must be configured to boot from CD. A screen will pop up, choose "Full Version". After TI loads click on Recovery. Click Next
2. Browse to your saved image in the left pane(other HD, external drive or the DVD's/CD's), highlight it by clicking on it once and click Next.
3.Choose Restore disks or partitions, click Next
4. Make the appropriate choice
5. Pick the drive you want to restore. Be sure you have choosen the right one! Please make sure the tech person who helps you with the image specifies which drive he is imaging. Click Next.
6. Full OS backups should choose Yes, I want to delete all... click Next
7. It will ask you if you want to restore other partitions or drives, choose "no".
8. Choose default
9. Double-check you got everything right. (If you were trying to do the drive XP is on you'll see the little reboot screen) Click Proceed. Should be all set after this.


I had good results with Acronis.

Good luck!

Thanks all.
Juliez: The steps you describe would daunt a typical homeowner and training is out of the question.  So, I'm looking for something much simpler where few, if any, choices are necessary.  That said, I'd be willing to script something for their use.

I'm reasonably familiar with all those tools.  It's that experience that leads me to ask this question. How to make the restore very simple, perhaps automatic once started?

I have a question then - Win XP will be done on April 14th 2014, as you probably know.
Your home user will have to upgrade to Vista or Win7, which have Windows Imaging built in, and very easy to restore once in the "Repair your computer" Menu. Perhaps now is the time to upgrade? What type of machine usage are we talking about? Is it for school/lab that is it gets ruined they want to roll back to when it was working? You could consider "DeepFreeze" and storing files on an "uthawed" space... If something goes wrong, they will simply reboot and back to when it was working with all the applications.

Then again, if you provided a restore step by step with screenshots, they can't mess it up, and the screenshots will be from their system. Can't go wrong there!

I understand that you want something simple - one button solution, but I don't know if it exists.
Spin a hyper-v Win XP machine, take a snapshot and show user how to roll back?

I did the online tour of Paragon B&R Free.  
I'm sure that it works well and I'd be happy to use it myself.
But, it very much does not meet the stated objective.
Now, if it could be scripted then ......
But I can't see the "from Windows" restore interface...  is it any different.

Juliez: I appreciate the comment about XP.  But it's simply not correct that they *must* do anything at all.  Not the same as "recommended".
I believe conventional wisdom suggests that the issue with XP will be vulnerability to parasites.  And, I rather believe that.
Perhaps that's why I'm looking into easy restoration...?
I am planning to help those who will procrastinate.  I have no doubts there will be a need.

Online touring will not give you much. Downloading and running through basic scenario you need is a right approach.

Deepfreeze the application and System part and leave documents/pics/music thawed?

>>  Now, if it could be scripted then ......  <<  you never asked for this, but why do you need it scripted? you can accompany if it with a paper on what knobs to click if you want to guide your users

I said originally:

Then, I want a non-technical person to be able to restore the image.

Some responses suggest that a non-technical person *would* be willing, or in some cases be able, to follow technical instructions.   Believe me, they won't.....  Thus the notion of a script that could be launched from an icon and accomplish the entire job.  But selecting drives from a list of drive letters, etc. would be too much.

you can always ask paragon if it's possible :
use contact support :  http://www.paragon-software.com/support/

Then you need a customized script from Paragon. Which could be started via batch file and do everything via one single click on this batch file. But then you risk to get complaints that this restore (restore is override of existing system or partition) was not an intention and s\he clicked on this batch file or button by mistake and now his her data is gone cry cry cry.
I did work with endusers and have heard enough such stories. So forget about a single click restore. There must be at least three clicks. One click start. Second click set the check box in the warning message - it is going to be restored, This will erase your data bla bla bla. Third click - yes I understand and accept it.