EASY backup image solution?

[Pyabo]

Hey guys, you know of any good and easy backup solutions or software packages?

Ideal sort of situation:
I plug in an external USB drive.
Click a button.
It images my existing drive.

Then If I need to restore:
I plug in the external USB drive and boot off it (???).
Click a button.
It images a new HD I installed.


Right now I'm backing up individual files more or less... This is cumbersome. And if I do need to restore my system, it means I have to re-install the OS and all my software first. Ugh.

Suggestions?

[elias4444]

Time Machine... Mac OS X Leopard.

[Bombinator]

I've had good luck with Acronis True Image(http://www.acronis.com/) doing exactly what you've described. I have only used the demo version and it's worked flawlessly for me imaging drives and restoring images even between different sized drives. The free demo may have all the functionality you need depending on your situation.

[stanchat]

I've had good luck with Acronis True Image(http://www.acronis.com/) doing exactly what you've described. I have only used the demo version and it's worked flawlessly for me imaging drives and restoring images even between different sized drives. The free demo may have all the functionality you need depending on your situation.

I also True Image to backup my system. I used Symantec Ghost in the past but True Image is a much better product because you can do a hot image backup while your system is running. Also you have the option to create a windows bootable CD as opposed to Ghost which allows only the DOS boot floppy/CD.

This has really worked out for me. I do a Full Image backup to my 1TB Seagate USB drive every month. I do a incremental every week.

[Nikster]

I third true image, couldn't live without it, saved many times of reinstalling windows on a nf4 mobo I was having trouble with.