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DriveImage XML An Effective, If Not Polished, Imaging Program

By Jon L. Jacobi
PCWorld Aug 24, 2012 2:24 pm PDT
At a Glance

Pros

  • Reliable
  • Has boot disc
  • Images and copies drives

Cons

  • Interface and error checking is a tad primitive

DriveImage XML isn’t the only free drive imaging software on the market anymore and there are slicker solutions now available from Easeus and others, but for quick and simple imaging it fits the bill perfectly. It also has a much lighter footprint on your system than the competition.

DriveImage XML screenshot
Though not particularly handsome, the DriveImage XML interface is logical and relatively easy to use.
The DriveImage XML interface isn’t particularly pretty, but it’s logical and easy to use. Where the program stumbles is in the operational error-checking.

Most programs will suggest removable media for the image destination, but DriveImage XML defaults to the Windows documents folder. Also, the program doesn’t check to see if there’s enough space on the destination drive for the image before embarking on the operation. I had the process fail once due to a lack of room on the destination drive.

DriveImage XML also copies one drive to another and features both volume locking and volume shadow copy imaging. It will also run from Runtime’s own free recovery CD or the BartPE CD for disaster recovery. Images can be split for easy storage on CDs, or one large file.

Once you’re used to its minor drawbacks, DriveImage XML works well and is reliable. Few users will need anything more.

—Jon L. Jacobi

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