What Is Rescuezilla (Clonezilla GUI)?

Updated

Rescuezilla is a free, open-source disk imaging application with a graphical interface that runs from a USB stick or CD-ROM without installation. It is fully compatible with Clonezilla, meaning it can read and write Clonezilla's image format, but it replaces the command-line workflow with point-and-click operation. It is the right tool when you want to back up or restore an entire computer — including Windows, Mac, and Linux machines — even if the installed operating system no longer boots.

What problem it solves

Disk imaging makes a backup of your computer's hard drive and stores it as files on an external drive. If the drive fails, you restore the image and within a few minutes your documents and settings return to the exact state they were in when the snapshot was taken. Rescuezilla performs backup, restore, and recovery actions without requiring you to boot into your regular operating system — it does not matter which OS you use, or whether you can log in at all.

How it runs

You download the ISO, write it to a USB stick, and reboot the machine. The computer loads a complete mini operating system with a graphical interface into memory, without writing anything to your hard drive. From there you point and click to back up or restore.

Key capabilities

  • Easy graphical interface that boots from USB in seconds
  • No installation needed; runs from a USB stick or CD-ROM
  • Saves and restores Windows, Mac, and Linux machines
  • Fully interoperable with Clonezilla, the industry-standard format
  • Supports images made by VirtualBox, VMware, QEMU, and other open-source imaging frontends
  • Mount any supported image and copy files out (beta)
  • Access your files even if you cannot log in
  • Recover deleted pictures, documents, and other files
  • Internet access with a full-featured browser

Compatibility and lineage

Rescuezilla was forked from Redo Backup and Recovery (now Redo Rescue) after that project had been abandoned for seven years. It is not a trivial fork: it was rebuilt from the ground up to be fully compatible with Clonezilla. That compatibility matters if you already have Clonezilla images or expect to move images between tools.

When to choose it

Choose Rescuezilla when you want Clonezilla-compatible imaging without the command line, or when you need to recover a machine that will not boot. If you are already comfortable with Clonezilla's text interface and have no need for a GUI, the underlying format is the same, so either tool can read the other's images.

Version and availability

The current release listed is Version 2.6.2, dated 2026-05-15. The project is GPL open source and asks users to consider contributing $1/month via Patreon to support continued development.