Image command improvements (Windows)

Enhanced controls have been introduced (still not 100% reliable) and the functionality has been centralized.

Two main modes are available:

• -ntfs: NTFS partition handling with thin imaging (only used data is stored).
• -raw: Full sector-by-sector copy.

The -image switch enables writing directly to a physical partition.
If omitted, the output is written to a file.

• When using -image, the -to parameter must be a drive letter (e.g. -to x:).
• Without -image, -to must specify a file path (e.g. -to dump.raw).

Command-line switches

-image              Enable physical write (otherwise output to file)
-ntfs               Handle NTFS filesystem / thin (sparse/optimized) images
-raw                Raw sector-by-sector mode (bypasses filesystem)
-space              Do not check whether the destination partition is empty

Usage examples

Restore NTFS from f: to physical i:
image i1.zpaq f: -to i: -image -ntfs

Restore raw from f: to physical f:
image i3.zpaq f: -to f: -image -raw

Export NTFS from g: to file 1.raw:
image i2.zpaq g: -to d:\1.raw -ntfs -raw

Export raw from f: to file 2.raw:
image i4.zpaq f: -to d:\2.raw -raw

Create VHD file from f:
image i5.zpaq f: -to d:\3.vhd -ntfs

Notes on VHD format

The VHD format is mount-compatible with OSFMount, FTK Imager, and other tools.
It can also be opened with 7-Zip to extract individual files if needed.

New -exclude Switch

A new -exclude switch has been added.

It allows loading a text file containing notfiles (exclusion rules).
This feature is symmetrical to the existing -include switch.

Tofiles Enhancement

Automatic placeholder substitution is now supported for tofiles as well.

Example:

-to z:\estratto_%day

This automatically expands %day to the extraction date.