Image Backups and Why You Should Consider Doing Them

The article link below has some good information on what image backups are and why they might be a good way for you to protect your data and improve your recovery time in the event of a major problem.  The article also includes reviews of several products.  The product I actually use is called 'Drive Snapshot'.  You can find it here...  http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/index.htm

Drive-Imaging: Beyond Backup

You may never have had a hard drive fail or become so corrupted that your data was beyond retrieval, but that doesn't mean you never will. And think of this: If your system ever fails in a hardware or software disaster, will you really have time to reinstall Windows and all your applications and tweak all your OS and application settings? I'm guessing the answer is no. I certainly don't. This is why you need a drive-imaging program that backs up your complete system—including all your data and applications—and can restore it all in minutes.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2259168,00.asp