PING - Backup and Restore Disk Partitions

PING (Partimage Is Not Ghost) is a live Linux ISO, based on the Linux From Scratch (LFS) documentation. It can be burnt on a CD and booted, or integrated into a PXE / RIS environment.

Several tools have been added and written, so to make this ISO the perfect choice to backup and restore whole partitions, an easy way. It sounds like Symantec Ghost(tm), but has even better features, and is totally free.

Main Features: 

• One of the best available Linux toolboxes for rescuing a system;
• Backup and Restore partitions or files locally or to the network (MS Network Shared directory, NFS, FTP or SSHFS);
• Backup and Restore the BIOS data as well;
• Either burn a bootable CD / DVD, either integrate within a PXE / RIS environment;
• Possibility to Blank local admin's password;
• Create your own restoration bootable DVD;
• Partition and Format a disk before installing Windows (so to make sure your unattended Windows installation will happen on the right partition);
• PING’s OS is Linux. PING is often updated, and comes with a kernel full of recent drivers. Thus, PING should detect 99% of your hardware (network adaptors, IDE/SATA/SCSI drives).
• PING is small, and loads fast. It is a fully-functional OS, and you’ll find plenty of useful system applications in it – fdisk, parted, ntfstools, samba, cmospwd, partimage, partclone, zsplit, testdisk…

Specific advantages PING brings you over DOS and Ghost:

• Most network cards automatically recognized by the Kernel (unlike DOS);
• Most CD/DVD readers automatically recognized by the Kernel (unlike DOS);
• You don't have to run a Ghostcast server to receive images over the network;
• More supported file systems;
• You can store an image on several CD/DVD (CD/DVD-spanning);
• You can backup and restore BIOS settings too;
• Much smaller than WinPE / BartPE;
• etc.

Developers’ website: http://ping.windowsdream.com/

Direct Download (ISO file): http://ping.windowsdream.com/ping/Releases/3.02/PING-3.02.iso