1. im thinking about backup the small system partition, Windows 8.1 & win 7 (Both x64 os) but i heard that there are always issue even when hardware is not change after backup & restore os. which is better clean install or backup with utility like acronis true disk? 2. Which utility is better for such task macrium or acronis? 3. is it possible to backup system without installing these software(some boot disk) means when i restore system it won't restore installed utility (just activated OS with no extra apps)?
Answers to your questions: 1) If I were you, I would create a backup of all my partitions, but my personally, when I buy a new computer, I format it right away without even seeing what the factory OS looks like and I do a clean install. I am obsessed with having a clean registry but not through using Registry Cleaners as those sometimes remove stuff that is not really harmful and cripple your OS. Nothing comes near a clean install especially those AVs they preinstall are a big headache to remove sometimes without leaving remnants 2) I have been using Acronis True Image for many years but with the new computers, it doesn't support GPT Disks unless you purchase an add-on and even when you do, I have created backups on GPT disks successfulloy but the restoration failed me. I now switched to Macrium Reflect which supports GPT disks out of the box and is very easy to use. I've restored many times using Macrium and it has always worked 3) I never install the software, I just burn the Boot CD and I create the backups, then when I need to restore, I pop iin the Boot CD again. This way you don't have any service running in the background and a cleaner registry PS: you must install Macrium one time at least in order to create the Boot CD
For to keep an fully working update of my HDD, I create an HDD Image file using HDClone Pro. There's also an option in that apps to compress the image, which I not use. The space needed is just that actual space need on that HDD and NOT the regular size of the full HDD. Means, if you have an 1TB HDD and used 300GB, the Image file would be 300GB. Using that way I also have everything and ALL Partitions of that HDD in that Image file And restoring from File is as same fast as the build of that image file. All depend on your Hardware for sure! While installing HDClone, it gives you the opportunity for to create an Boot Media which you could use for to boot from to apply the Imaging and the Restore.