Best hard drive backup software

Does anyone know of any good free hard drive backup software?  Ghost isn't free, and all I could find is this shitty thing that can only do a sector-by-sector backup because it doesn't understand NTFS, end result being that I've got a 160 GB hard disk image for a disk whose used space is under three gigs.  Not easy to store away for backup.

So, TIA

>>2,3
Those don't preserve the boot sector / don't produce a single file

Copying filesystems to a firewire drive takes FOR FUCKING EVER, plus it's HFS+, meaning NTFS shit doesn't get preserved. 

>>4
Same thing, except it ISN'T FREE. 

I think I should clarify that what I'm trying to do is to make an image that I can just restore my main computer with if I ever hose it, just saying fuck it to all the files and settings on there. (I already keep my most important stuff on aforementioned firewire HD and many many usb flash disks)  I need a way to get back to a clean install without having to go through hours of work reinstalling everything.