How to Make an ISO Copy of a Hard Drive

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Backing up your hard drive is an important step towards protecting yourself from devastating data loss and file corruption. While some prefer to only backup certain files, others find it simpler to backup the entire contents of a hard drive. By saving an image of your hard drive as an ISO, you can quickly and easily restore your backed up data. There are many programs to help you with this, such as ImgBurn and Nero BackItUp.

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ImgBurn

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Step 1

Download ImgBurn (see Resources). This free program allows you to create ISOs.

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Step 2

Open ImgBurn. Choose "Create Image from files/folders."

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Step 3

Click "File" and select "Browse for a source folder..." Select the hard drive you'd like to backup.

Step 4

Choose a destination to save your file.

Step 5

Click "File" and select "Build."

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Nero BackItUp

Step 1

Download Nero BackItUp. You can download a free trial from Nero's website (see Resources).

Step 2

Install and run Nero. Simply doubleclick the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions.

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Step 3

Click the "Nero Express" in the top right-hand corner.

Step 4

Click "Data DVD" and click the green arrow to continue.

Step 5

Choose the files you want to include in your ISO image. Click "Next."

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Step 6

Under recorder, choose "Image Recorder." Click "Burn."

Step 7

Under the dropdown menu for "Save as type" select ISO. Click "Save."

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