Making an image of your current HD can be a daunting task and especially if you've never done it before. While there are tools (software) on the market to do just that, the documentation can be obfuscated by technical terms not to mention the cost of some software.
Here comes CloneZilla, which by the way is FREE...
I personally use this and boot it from a USB drive...
Here's a good tutorial on using CloneZilla from TechRepublic and writer Jack Wallen...
- Tech Republic
Takeaway: Clonezilla makes disaster recovery possible, even for shops with little to no budget for such a process. Jack Wallen walks you through the steps of how to use Clonezilla for imaging drives.
Click HERE for the WHOLE ARTICLE and TUTORIAL