Restore a OS clone: from saved clone; will system boot?

Sometimes it goes well sometimes not.

Here is how I made the clone:

1> I formatted the hd
2> I did a fresh install of Windows
3> I resized my 20 gig hd to 4 gigs, which was just about the same size as the data on it [3.75]
4> I created a partition on the 16 gigs of "unallocated space" on my hd
5> I started the Active Partition Recovery Enterprise v6 program
6> I made a clone. The source: the hd with the OS. Destination: Flashdrive
7> I put a DVD in my DVD drive
8> I copied the clone image. The source: Flashdrive clone image. Destination: DVD drive

NOTE
The "source" and the "destination" are NOT the same: I did not copy the clone onto the same drive that I was cloning.

Is this the right way to make a clone that I can use to restore this same drive with?  

Capain Kirk

Also, you are confusing a clone with a disk image.

A cloned drive is an exact copy of the original drive and can be substituted for the orginal drive at any time with no extra work needing done (i.e. no backup restoration needed).

A disk image is a (backup) file that contains a complete image/clone of a drive and it's partition structure. You need backup/imaging software to restore an image. A restored image should make an exact duplicate (clone) of the original drive.

Hawkeye22,
Hey Bro!

I am not familiar with this "technical" jargon, but it is starting to make sense now. So I figured out what I am wanting to try to do: I do not want to make a "clone". Instead, I want to make a disk image of a hd [a clone].

In trying to do so, could I resize my hd "before" the disk image [clone] process, copy the disk image [clone less than 4.20 Gigs] onto another drive, then save it to a DVD; and then be able to restore it back to the same hd after a format entire hd, restore disk image [clone], and a resize back to the normal size of the drive? Would it boot at this point?

http://www.easeus.com/disk-copy/home-edition/

http://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/easeus.html

The program that I used to make a clone is called, "Active Partition Recovery Enterprise v6".
This is what I did:
> I created a raw disk image [of selected hd]

If I format my entire hd, and then restore the clone, will my computer boot?

EDIT:
I just watched the video tutorial. So even if I use a different program, it has confirmed for me the general process that needs to be done for the completion of this.

Just to clarify on what I am trying to do specifically, I am not trying to make a clone -- I am trying to make a disk image [a saved file of a clone]; as I just recently heard that there is a difference. I didn't know that. But this is what I am trying to do.

I want the disk image [clone] to be able to fit on a DVD, so I will resize my hd first. I will make the disk image [clone], saving it onto another drive. Then I will copy the disk image [clone] onto a DVD  

I'm not familiar with active partition recovery.

The size of the image file is usually smaller than the drive/data you are imaging because most all imaging software uses compression. That said, you shouldn't need to try and remove data from the drive before imaging.

As long as the image file was made properly, you should be able to restore the image file to any disk and have it replace the original disk, even if it's a boot disk. this is why a lot of people image their OS drive after they get it installed along with all drivers. If something goes wrong, instead of having to reinstall the OS, they can just restore the drive from the image.

Hawkeye22,
How you doing?

Are you familiar with any of these programs:

Active@ Disk Image
Clone 5.3
Mirray HD Clone
Open Cloner
R-Drive Image 4.7 Build

Because if you are, maybe we can make some headway.

And by the way, I was not "trying to remove" the data from the drive [compression idea]. I said format simply as a means of enacting a simulation that I will perform in the future, given that it works.

Simulation: My computer crashes. I delete all partitions, create 1 new partition for the entire drive, and then format. At this point, I restore the disk image [clone] from a DVD back to the destination drive [the same hd that it was disk image [clone] cloned from]. The disk image [clone] was made from a no problem, no bad sector, OS install that is running. When I boot the computer, my OS [clone disk image] will run?

Capain Kirk
Holodeck Simulation  

Hawkeye  

I have clonezilla, but I have never used it before. I only one that I'm almost familiar with is the "Active Partition Recovery Enterprise v6".
With clonezilla, what are the steps that you take when creating a clone and then for restoring a clone onto a hd that is bigger than the one that you made a clone image of?

I still did not figure out whether or not my computer would boot up into Windows after a fresh restore from a clone image.
I don't know the answer to this question and it looks like I haven't gotten anymore replies to this question, so...

--Captain Kirk  

Best answer selected by James T Kirk USS Enterprise.

Moderator, the question was not solved, but I have not gotten any replies for some time.
I was unable to select the best answer button for Hawkeye.
Can you give Hawkeye's last reply the best answer award?

Thank You,

--Captain Kirk