CloneZilla is a powerful free alternative to commercial products like Symantec Ghost® and Acronis True Image®. This open-source software provides essential system backup and restoration capabilities, allowing users to efficiently create complete system images and transfer entire hard drives between computers without reinstalling operating systems.
Technical Capabilities and Efficiency
The software features built-in support for all popular file systems, employing intelligent copying that transfers only information-containing sectors. This selective approach significantly improves efficiency compared to sector-by-sector copying. For unsupported file systems, CloneZilla offers complete partition copying to ensure compatibility across different environments.
Available Editions
Clone Zilla comes in two distinct versions to accommodate different user requirements:
CloneZilla Live Edition
CloneZilla Live functions as a bootable disk that can also be installed on USB flash drives for enhanced portability and faster loading. When booting a computer from this medium, users can:
- Clone individual partitions or entire hard drives
- Save images to other partitions or disks on the same computer
- Store backup files on network-accessible shared folders
- Operate without leaving any traces on the host system
Check Also – Backup4all Professional – Data Backup Program for Windows
CloneZilla Server Edition
The Server Edition delivers advanced deployment capabilities for network administrators, particularly in educational and enterprise environments. Key features include:
- Simultaneous reinstallation of multiple computers over a network
- Efficient multicasting technology for bandwidth optimization
- PXE and Wake-on-LAN support for remote deployment
- Impressive performance metrics (reinstalling 40 computers with 5GB system disks in just 10 minutes)
Enhanced Windows Integration
When combined with the free drbl-winroll software package, Clone Zilla Server Edition provides additional Windows-specific functionality:
- Individual computer name assignment
- Custom SID configuration
- Workgroup membership management
These capabilities make Clone Zilla particularly valuable for school computer labs and similar environments requiring identical system configurations across multiple machines.
License: Free (Open Source)
Download
Clonezilla 3.2.1-9 (369 MB)