linux - Archive entire hard drive

How would you recommend backing up an entire hard drive?

Back story:
I often help others perform a clean OS installation (usually Windows) or migrate to a new hard drive. I like to begin with a full disk backup, so I can later revert the entire process, retrieve individual files, preserve factory-installed diagnostics, etc. In the past, I've used some combination of dd/ddrescue (single step for drive, but space inefficient) or ntfsclone for individual partitions.

Requirements:

1. Store NTFS partitions efficiently


2. Navigate partition(s) to retrieve individual files


3. Preserve partition structure, MBR, etc


4. Preserve factory-installed diagnostics or recovery partitions


5. Restore entire image to a new hard drive


6. (Optional) One-step archive

Answer

Free solutions such as G4L and Clonezilla can operate both over a network to a file server, or direct connect to SATA/SCSI or a USB-SATA adapter as either the source or the destination. They compress the image takes up less space than the drive or partition being imaged. To optimize beforehand it is best to zero empty space.

Paid solutions include Ghost (now Symantec System Recovery) and Acronis True Image. I have used the latter in its free download form from Western Digital, and it is convenient in that it does not require a network or CD boot like G4L does. I believe Seagate offers similar free functionality in the form of DiscWizard.