Normally I'd advise using Ghost, but that DriveImage XML package looks acceptable.
Xcopy I'm thinking would be a pain in the ass; if you use it include the /e/h/k/x/c switches and run it in a mode where files won't be locked by the OS which can cause it to stop mid way through
Windows is still probably going to give you issues when you get the partition copied; in that you may need to reactivate or at worst case repair your install.