TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore DOS/Linux Suite 4: Back Up and Restore a Whole PC from a Boot Disk
The TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore DOS/Linux Suite 4 is a $39.98 disk imaging package (one payment, up to five home PCs) that runs from its own bootable USB stick or disc instead of from Windows. It contains Image for Linux and Image for DOS, which make complete image backups of Windows, Linux or DOS drives and put them back after a crash, a failed update or a dead disk. It's for people who want backups that don't depend on the operating system being healthy.
The idea is simple: when Windows won't start, a Windows backup program won't start either. Image for Linux boots on its own, sees every drive, and restores the last good image in a few clicks.
Quick facts
- Version: 4.13, released September 21, 2026
- Developer: TeraByte, Inc. (TeraByte Unlimited)
- Includes: Image for Linux (graphical and console versions), Image for DOS, and the OS Deployment Tool Suite
- Runs from: its own boot media, outside Windows; backs up and restores Windows, Linux and DOS partitions
- Price: $39.98 one-time; a home license covers up to five computers in one household
- Free trial: 30 days, full program
- Refunds: none; all sales are final, so the trial is your test
- What we checked: the Image for DOS trial zip (program files dated September 19, 2026), the 98.8 MB Image for Linux GUI trial download, both user manuals, and $39.98 for "TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore DOS/Linux Suite 4" on the order page as a one-time license, matching TeraByte's purchase page, on November 8, 2026. We didn't run a backup or restore on a test PC.
Before you buy
- There's no Windows program in this suite. Every backup and restore happens after you boot from the USB stick or disc. If you want scheduled backups while Windows runs, you need the Windows suite (Image for Windows, $49.98) or the TeraByte Bundle instead.
- No refunds. TeraByte's policy is that the 30-day trial replaces a money-back guarantee, so make a backup and test a restore during the trial.
- Turn off Windows Fast Startup on Windows 8, 10 and 11 before you use it. TeraByte's manual warns that partitions can be corrupted otherwise.
- Image for DOS won't boot on a UEFI-only PC. On a current PC use Image for Linux, which boots in UEFI mode with Secure Boot on.
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Overview
You download the trial, run the included MakeDisk utility on any Windows PC, and it writes a bootable USB stick or disc with Image for Linux (or Image for DOS) on it. Boot the PC from that stick and a wizard asks one question at a time: Backup, Restore, Validate or Copy, which drive, where to save, which options. The look is plain and functional, from a company that has been making imaging software since the 1990s.
The Image for Linux (GUI) 4.00 welcome screen: choose Backup, Restore, Validate or Copy, or open Settings.
Features
Full images of any drive, from outside the OS
Image for Linux backs up whole drives or single partitions of any system, Windows included, because it runs from its own Linux boot media rather than inside the system it's copying. It reads and writes images on unmounted NTFS, FAT, FAT32, EXT2/3/4, ReiserFS and XFS partitions, on any mounted file system including network drives (SMB, NFS), and on CD, DVD and BD discs, which are bootable by default.
Full, changes-only and consolidated backups
Image for Linux makes a full backup or a changes-only backup that stores just what's different since the last one, and can consolidate a chain of changes into a new full image. That keeps a regular backup routine fast and small.
Choosing the backup type in Image for Linux: Full Backup, Changes Only or Consolidate.
Compression, AES encryption and byte-for-byte validation
Image for Linux compresses images with TeraByte's own, ZLIB, IPP or ZSTD methods, from fastest to smallest, and can encrypt them with 256-bit AES or just password-protect them. It validates a finished image, optionally byte-for-byte against the source drive, so you know the backup can actually be restored. It can also leave out the page file and hibernation file to save space.
Backup options: Validate, Validate Byte-for-Byte, Encrypt Data, Omit Page File and Hibernation Data, the Compression list (Enhanced Speed - A), Password and File Size.
Restore to a bigger drive, or to different hardware
Image for Linux restores to the same drive or a new one, and can resize the partition on the way, so moving to a larger SSD is a backup and a restore. The included OS Deployment Tool Suite has scripts that help Windows start on completely different hardware after a restore.
Restore options, including Validate Before Restore, Restore Disk Signature and the Resize Partition box with the minimum and maximum new size.
Image for DOS for old PCs
Image for DOS does the same backup, restore, validate and copy jobs from a DOS boot disk, on a Pentium-class PC with 32 MB of RAM. It has a graphical and a text-mode version, and it's the tool for legacy BIOS machines that can't run a modern Linux boot environment.
The Image for DOS 4.00 text-mode main menu: Backup, Restore, Validate, Copy and Global Settings.
Open one file without restoring everything
The images are TeraByte's TBI files, the same format Image for Windows uses, so an image made by either program can be restored by the other. The free TBIView and TBIMount add-ons let you browse an image and copy out single files or folders, and TBIView is on the Image for Linux boot media.
Benefits
The main benefit is independence. A boot-disk backup works when Windows is infected, won't start or has been wiped, because nothing it needs lives on the drive it's restoring. It also backs up Linux and dual-boot systems as easily as Windows, which most Windows-based backup programs don't. And it's a one-time $39.98 for up to five home PCs, not a yearly subscription.
Real-World Uses
- Before a big change: image the whole drive before a Windows feature update or a new driver, and restore it in minutes if things go wrong.
- Moving to a new SSD: back up the old drive, then restore to the larger one and grow the partition.
- Dual-boot PCs: image a disk with Windows and Linux partitions in one pass.
- A Linux machine: back up EXT4 or XFS partitions with a graphical tool instead of command-line dd.
- An old Windows XP or DOS PC that still runs a machine or a program: keep a restorable image with Image for DOS.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
It's for people who are comfortable booting from a USB stick and want a reliable full-disk backup they control, especially Linux and dual-boot users and anyone who distrusts backup software that runs inside the system it protects.
Skip it if you want automatic, scheduled backups while you work: that needs a Windows-based tool, such as TeraByte's own Image for Windows suite. Skip it too if you only want to back up documents and photos (a file backup or cloud sync is simpler), or if the idea of rebooting into a separate environment puts you off.
Usage Guide
- Download and unzip the Image for Linux trial on a Windows PC.
- Make the boot media. Run MakeDisk, choose the Secure Boot option that fits your PC, and write it to a USB stick or disc.
- Disable Fast Startup in Windows' power options, and shut down.
- Boot from the stick (use the PC's boot menu key) and Image for Linux starts.
- Back up. Choose Backup, Full Backup, the source drive, then where to save (an external drive is best), set the options and click Next.
- Restore when needed. Boot the same stick, choose Restore, pick the image and the target drive, and let it validate before writing.
Where it falls short
- No backups while Windows runs: every backup means a reboot into the boot media.
- The interface is dated and the options lists are long. The defaults are sensible, but there's a learning curve.
- The download is large (the Image for Linux GUI trial is 98.8 MB) because it carries its own Linux system.
- Image for DOS is a legacy tool: it needs a BIOS or CSM boot with Secure Boot off, which many new PCs no longer offer.
What Users Say
Long-time users in forums
TeraByte has no Trustpilot, Capterra or G2 profile, and almost no magazine reviews. Its reputation comes from users who have run its imaging tools for years.
dunkster, AnandTech Forums, December 2004: "Image for DOS is free for 30 days - then inexpensive purchase." ... "I've been using it to create/restore partition images to/from DVD." ... "It offers byte-for-byte image verification and has been very reliable."
pewa, Eleven Forum, August 2025, on switching to Image for Windows: "In the first place, I chose it because Image for Dos has rendered me excellent service for almost 20 years on my old laptop running on Windows 7 Professional."
The criticism, from SnapFiles user VideoJockey in 2009, about the older boot CD: "When operating from the bootable CD, the interface is graphically crude and there's no mouse functionality". The current Image for Linux GUI has mouse support, but the plain look remains.
The pattern
Users praise reliability and the byte-for-byte validation, and many have used TeraByte's imaging tools for 15 to 20 years. The complaints are about the plain interface and the learning curve, not about failed restores. There are few reviews in total, so test a restore in the trial yourself.
Comparisons
DOS/Linux Suite vs the Windows suite and the TeraByte Bundle
The TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite ($49.98) adds Image for Windows, for backups from the running Windows desktop with scheduling, plus Windows PE boot media; it also contains Image for Linux and Image for DOS. The TeraByte Bundle ($59.98) adds the BootIt Collection boot and partition manager on top. Pick the DOS/Linux suite if you only ever back up from a boot disk, or if your PCs run Linux.
Image for Linux vs Clonezilla and Rescuezilla
Clonezilla and Rescuezilla are free boot-disk imaging tools. Rescuezilla is the friendlier of the two; Clonezilla is text-menu driven. Image for Linux costs money but adds changes-only backups, AES encryption, byte-for-byte validation, restore-time resizing, file-level browsing with TBIView and TeraByte's support.
Editions and Pricing
| Package | Price (1-14 licenses) | Contents |
|---|
| DOS/Linux Suite 4 (Buy Now) | $39.98 each | Image for Linux, Image for DOS, OSD Tool Suite |
| Drive Image Suite 4 (Windows) | $49.98 each | Adds Image for Windows |
| TeraByte Bundle | $59.98 | Drive Image Suite plus BootIt Collection |
Volume pricing drops to $29.46 each at 15 licenses and $6.15 each at 1,000 or more. The five-PC household allowance applies to non-business use.
FAQs
Can Image for Linux back up a Windows 11 PC?
Yes. Image for Linux backs up and restores Windows partitions, including NTFS system drives, from its own boot media. Turn off Windows Fast Startup first, as TeraByte's manual instructs.
Does Image for Linux work with Secure Boot?
Yes. Image for Linux boots from CD or USB on UEFI PCs with Secure Boot enabled. Image for DOS doesn't: it needs a legacy BIOS or CSM boot with Secure Boot turned off.
Can I restore an image made by Image for Windows?
Yes. Image for Linux and Image for DOS read the same TBI image files as Image for Windows, in both directions, including images from TeraByte's version 2 and 3 programs.
Is the TeraByte DOS/Linux Suite a subscription?
No. The TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore DOS/Linux Suite 4 is a one-time purchase of $39.98.
Can I get a refund if it doesn't suit me?
No. TeraByte doesn't give refunds; all sales are final. The free 30-day trial is the full program, so test a backup and a restore before buying.
Can Image for Linux save backups to a network drive?
Yes. Image for Linux saves to and restores from mounted network shares (SMB, NFS and others), as well as internal and USB drives and optical discs.
System Requirements
- Image for Linux: Pentium 4 or newer; 384 MB RAM minimum for the graphical version (640 MB or more recommended), 256-320 MB for the console version
- Image for DOS: Pentium or newer, 32 MB RAM, legacy BIOS boot
- A USB flash drive or CD/DVD/BD for the boot media
- An external hard drive is recommended for storing images
Conclusion
The TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore DOS/Linux Suite 4 is worth its $39.98 if you want full-disk backups you can restore when nothing else on the PC works, and especially if you run Linux or dual-boot. The one reason to buy it is a dependable, long-proven imaging engine with real validation and encryption, for five home PCs, with no subscription. The main reason not to is that every backup needs a reboot: if you want backups to happen on their own while you work, pay $10 more for the Windows suite. Either way, the 30-day trial is the only refund you get, so use it.
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