Restore software-what is your choice?

[aigle]

I have constructed this poll as I want to but an instant recovery software but there are so many options and even after reading many posts at welder's I still wonder, which could be the best option for me. I like to use lot of new and even beta software especially related to security, and just to test my security software, I also like to go to risky sites.

So I think this poll can help me and other people to decide in their choice. Currently after all of my so called research, my choice is RollbackRx.

Tell us what will be your choice, out of these softs.

[Peter2150]

I may be wrong and the mods can correct me, but there is a section of the forum for polls. This should be there.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "I may be wrong and the mods can correct me, but there is a section of the forum for polls. This should be there." }-

You are right. I posted here by misatke. Just hope it to be shifted there!

[Rmus]

Your thread title is a bit misleading, since the programs you list fall into the "recovery/restore" category rather than back-up software.

I use Deep Freeze because once installed, it requires no attention/interaction from me, and the frozen partition(s) are restored to previous state on reboot.

This means the frozen partition (for me it is C:\ ) requires no maintenance (defrag, temp files, etc) and is immune to system file corruption that sometimes happens in Windows.

[PCJohn]

Are there good free recovery programs?

[pvsurfer]

Based largely on the informative and positive comments from Chris12923 and Peter2150, I purchased RollBack Rx Pro yesterday. Over the past few years, I've used and/or tried others including GoBack, FDISR, RestoreIT, and of course System Restore (which is lame compared to most other 3rd party 'restorers').

Compared to the other 3rd party products, RollBack Rx appealed to me mainly because it substantially minimizes impact on system resources. Other than that, the others I've used or tried were quite capable of doing their intended job.

~pv

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "I use Deep Freeze because once installed, it requires no attention/interaction from me, and the frozen partition(s) are restored to previous state on reboot.

This means the frozen partition (for me it is C:\ ) requires no maintenance (defrag, temp files, etc) and is immune to system file corruption that sometimes happens in Windows." }-
Can you still install softwares in the frozen partition, just for looking and trying ?

[TNT]

-{ Quote: "Can you still install softwares in the frozen partition, just for looking and trying ?" }-Yes, unless they require a reboot (i.e. Process Guard; if you install PG and reboot, it's as if you didn't even try to install it in the first place).

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "Yes, unless they require a reboot (i.e. Process Guard; if you install PG and reboot, it's as if you didn't even try to install it in the first place)." }-
Well ShadowUser seems to have that possibility.

[Chris12923]

Rollback Rx.

-{ Quote: "Based largely on the informative and positive comments from Chris12923 and Peter2150, I purchased RollBack Rx Pro yesterday." }-

I hope you like it.

Thanks,

Chris

[Rmus]

-{ Quote: "Can you still install softwares in the frozen partition, just for looking and trying ?" }-To add to what TNT said, it's also ideal for testing malware, since all is gone on reboot.

[Rmus]

-{ Quote: "Rollback Rx." }-Although Deep Freeze is listed in the poll, I don't think of it as the usual "restore" program - it doesn't take snapshots; and if I did lots of testing, installing/uninstalling, I would recommend Rollback, based on what you and others have said.

My reason for Deep Freeze is that it just sits there and needs no user action, and I know that when I reboot, I return to the previous configuration.

But Rollback and similar certainly offer more features and options if that is what someone needs.

[Notok]

Acronis True Image

[TonyW]

My Dad has PowerQuest's 'SecondCopy' on his machine at home. It is very similar to the likes of RestoreIt and Rollback Rx.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "To add to what TNT said, it's also ideal for testing malware, since all is gone on reboot." }-
With SU you can do that too, even more.
You can't test a software, that requires a reboot in DeepFreeze. The software disappears during the next reboot as TNT said.

With SU you can do this. You can reboot and still keep the software for testing and that makes SU better in possibilities, than DeepFreeze. :)

[Blackcat]

-{ Quote: "My Dad has PowerQuest's 'SecondCopy' on his machine at home. It is very similar to the likes of RestoreIt and Rollback Rx." }-
Do you mean SecondChance? (http://www.activewin.com/reviews/software/utils/powerquest/secondchance/index.shtml) A great program for Win98/Me. I used it for several years before PQ dropped it.

[ErikAlbert]

I think the main question is here : "Do you need more than ONE snapshot or not ?"
FD-ISR and Rollback have that possibility. DeepFreeze and ShadowUser have only ONE snapshot. The way they do it is different, but the final result is the same : they restored your system, better than Windows does.

If you need more than one snapshot, then you have to choose between FD-ISR and Rollback and then my choice would be Rollback in theory.

If you need only one snapshot, than you have to choose between DeepFreeze and ShadowUser and then my choice would be ShadowUser in theory.

Acronis Image True is an image backup software, you will need in case of a harddisk crash. It's in fact your last hope.
Rollback, FD-ISR, ShadowUser and Deepfreeze won't save you in case of a harddisk crash.
So you need them both and ATI or any other image backup is the absolute minimum and can also be used as a snapshot, most probably much slower.

Somehow I smell a bad attitude towards SU without any reason and its bad support is another problem that has nothing to do with the quality of SU. First I would like to see some PROOF, that SU is not so good.
That two members are pro FD-ISR and Rollback, won't influence my final choice.
I'm the one who has to live with the pros and cons of all these softwares. :)

[Peter2150]

I would vote for both FDISR and Rollback. I use them both, like them both, for different situations.

[beetlejuice69]

I concur with Peter, either or.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "I would vote for both FDISR and Rollback. I use them both, like them both, for different situations." }-
If you have more than one computer, you don't have to choose.
I have only one good computer, like many users, so I have to choose.

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "If you have more than one computer, you don't have to choose.
I have only one good computer, like many users, so I have to choose." }-

Sure you do. Still have to decide what to use on each computer and why.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "Sure you do. Still have to decide what to use on each computer and why." }-

Pëter,
I don't have a problem with you or anyone else and I learned alot from your posts, because I couldn't try these softwares myself yet. Old computer isn't suitable, new computer is still not available. I hate that too, but that's the way it is.
Only your attitude towards SU bothers me. I like to give each software of this poll a fair chance and keep my objectivity.
If there was some proof of it and ShadowStor doesn't do anything about it, than I would ditch SU without regrets.

If I don't need more than one snapshot, than SU is still the best choice for me, because DeepFreeze has one disadvantage : I can't test (untrusted) softwares that need a reboot after installation.
If a user doesn't need that option, than DeepFreeze is a good choice.

I would like to have a security setup without any software based on blacklists and I would rather spend my time on this, than participating in a discussion : "KAV vs. NOD32" or "You have only 1 security software, what would you choose?"
Maybe it's not possible or not entirely possible, but Jesus are security setups with scanners so perfect ?
Isn't it a challenge to find such a security setup without blacklists, even when you don't want to use it personally or did we lose our creativity ? :)

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "If you need more than one snapshot, then you have to choose between FD-ISR and Rollback and then my choice would be Rollback in theory.

If you need only one snapshot, than you have to choose between DeepFreeze and ShadowUser and then my choice would be ShadowUser in theory.

" }-

Same here.

Only problem with SU, it,s cost. It is really too much. So it may change my choice to DF while buying. SU cost is even more than Rollback!!

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "With SU you can do that too, even more.
You can't test a software, that requires a reboot in DeepFreeze. The software disappears during the next reboot as TNT said.

With SU you can do this. You can reboot and still keep the software for testing and that makes SU better in possibilities, than DeepFreeze. :)" }-

You are right but not all software you can try with SU. In my personal experience when i tried some security software, on reboot some did not work untill I installed them without SU. For example AntiHook,I was not able to use it in SU.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "You are right but not all software you can try with SU. In my personal experience when i tried some security software, on reboot some did not work untill I installed them without SU. For example AntiHook,I was not able to use it in SU." }-
OK. Thanks for mentioning it and here is my comment.
AntiHook is a legitimate software. If I want to try this one, I will install it permanently.

The softwares I want to try in ShadowMode aren't legitimate and if some of them don't work properly,
that wouldn't bother me, because I'm not planning to keep them. I just want to see and try them.

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "Same here.

Only problem with SU, it,s cost. It is really too much. So it may change my choice to DF while buying. SU cost is even more than Rollback!!" }-
Yes I know the prices. SU is quite expensive, but DF is certainly a good alternative and cheaper.
For me as long the softwares are under $100, it won't influence my choice.
Anything higher than $100 has to be extremely good and a serious improvement or I won't buy it.

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "Yes I know the prices. SU is quite expensive, but DF is certainly a good alternative and cheaper.
For me as long the softwares are under $100, it won't influence my choice.
Anything higher than $100 has to be extremely good and a serious improvement or I won't buy it." }-
But if you camnpare both, SU is more than twice costly as compared to DF, it,s too much in comparison.

[Peter2150]

This does get to the heart of why I wouldn't consider shadowuser. First whether I have one snapshot or twenty, I want to be able to do anything, test anything in that snapshot. Then I either want to be able to keep it, or make it go away. Also it has to be relatively easy to use.

What I didn't like about SU was if I installed and need to reboot, I had to be in persistance mode. This took changing a setting. Then came the decision, do I want to keep it or not. Again a setting had to be made. Make the wrong choice and what you wanted to accomplish wasn't done. Also in testing I found the settings somewhat confusing and didn't always accomplish what I wanted.

An example of why Rollback is so excellent. I have two new beta's I want to test. Installing both at once can be asking for trouble, so I create a new snapshot, install the first beta, doing the reboot necessary. Create a new snapshot, and uninstall the first beta and install the 2nd. Again doing the reboots isn't an issue nor does it require setting. Then I again create a snapshot and reinstall the first beta. Now I have them both on together, but I also easily have the ability to go to a snapshot that has either one or the other, or I can go back to before I installed either. No parameters to change or set, just pick the snapshot and reboot. And in the final analysis, I can keep any of the snapshot as a new permenant one.

More flexibility, less confusion, and I think the price is the same. These Erik are the reasons for my choice.

Pete

[aigle]

Pls see post no. 13 of my thread here.

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=125623

[Eldar]

Never tried SU and I think I'll never will. ::)
Thanks for your detailed report aigle.

Pretty satisfied with BootBack which gives me exactly what I want.
If I want to try something else, all I've to do is creating a new snapshot.
True Image 8 give me another layer of peace of mind.
In short I agree with aigle, Pete & many others, more flexibility and very easy to use. 8)

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "This does get to the heart of why I wouldn't consider shadowuser. First whether I have one snapshot or twenty, I want to be able to do anything, test anything in that snapshot. Then I either want to be able to keep it, or make it go away. Also it has to be relatively easy to use.

What I didn't like about SU was if I installed and need to reboot, I had to be in persistance mode. This took changing a setting. Then came the decision, do I want to keep it or not. Again a setting had to be made. Make the wrong choice and what you wanted to accomplish wasn't done. Also in testing I found the settings somewhat confusing and didn't always accomplish what I wanted.

An example of why Rollback is so excellent. I have two new beta's I want to test. Installing both at once can be asking for trouble, so I create a new snapshot, install the first beta, doing the reboot necessary. Create a new snapshot, and uninstall the first beta and install the 2nd. Again doing the reboots isn't an issue nor does it require setting. Then I again create a snapshot and reinstall the first beta. Now I have them both on together, but I also easily have the ability to go to a snapshot that has either one or the other, or I can go back to before I installed either. No parameters to change or set, just pick the snapshot and reboot. And in the final analysis, I can keep any of the snapshot as a new permenant one.

More flexibility, less confusion, and I think the price is the same. These Erik are the reasons for my choice.

Pete" }-
These are very good arguments, I will consider it very seriously.
Since I haven't done anything yet, I can go in any direction. :)
Thanks.

[pvsurfer]

-{ Quote: "This does get to the heart of why I wouldn't consider shadowuser. First whether I have one snapshot or twenty, I want to be able to do anything, test anything in that snapshot. Then I either want to be able to keep it, or make it go away. Also it has to be relatively easy to use.

What I didn't like about SU was if I installed and need to reboot, I had to be in persistance mode. This took changing a setting. Then came the decision, do I want to keep it or not. Again a setting had to be made. Make the wrong choice and what you wanted to accomplish wasn't done. Also in testing I found the settings somewhat confusing and didn't always accomplish what I wanted.

An example of why Rollback is so excellent. I have two new beta's I want to test. Installing both at once can be asking for trouble, so I create a new snapshot, install the first beta, doing the reboot necessary. Create a new snapshot, and uninstall the first beta and install the 2nd. Again doing the reboots isn't an issue nor does it require setting. Then I again create a snapshot and reinstall the first beta. Now I have them both on together, but I also easily have the ability to go to a snapshot that has either one or the other, or I can go back to before I installed either. No parameters to change or set, just pick the snapshot and reboot. And in the final analysis, I can keep any of the snapshot as a new permenant one.

More flexibility, less confusion, and I think the price is the same. These Erik are the reasons for my choice.

Pete" }-
Pete~ I couldn't have said it better, so I'm just quoting your summarization. ;) ~pv

[nicM]

Did vote for Rollback Rx, I'm running it for few days, it's amazing; really allow me to do as if I had 2 computers (or more), with just one, for testing purposes ;D , when several snapshots have different setups.

Cheers,
nicM

[software-tester]

For backup/restore I use the disk image method. this cuts down on the
amount of extra junk you can well do without.!!
I have tryed a number of progs & my choice is as follows :

Powerquest-drive image 2002 for win-98 or win xp. my fav.
acronis true-image 8 or higher. acronis is good but the "image" can let you down when you need it most :(
Bart PE with drive snapshot. classic. if you find yourself locked out of
-windows-xp then you insert the bart boot CD into the tray & away you go.
drive snapshot working in bart PE can backup & restore your drive from the cd. I like it.

norton ghost 9 got it never use it :(

[software-tester]

As for a fast goback to base-line of windows, then norton goback is slow.

I am very pleased with " returnil " & the fact that it can make a virtual
drive for you to store your data on is very clever :)

shadow surfer. is good. you can protect c,d.e, & so on.

rollback rx. good. not for me but a lot will like it.

deepfreeze no thank you !!!

norton goback.:-* well still a good alround old fav.:-\

[C.S.J]

omg

why is acronis true image not in that list, i thought everyone used this.

its the most easy, most reliable one ive tried.

after a fresh format and a few programs, the image is 1.8gb thats it and restores it to that in about 10 mins.

very very simple, a child could do it.

[King FN Kong]

-{ Quote: "omg

why is acronis true image not in that list, i thought everyone used this.

its the most easy, most reliable one ive tried.

after a fresh format and a few programs, the image is 1.8gb thats it and restores it to that in about 10 mins.

very very simple, a child could do it." }-

well, acronis is a imaging app. what the topic starter probably was asking was immediate restore software. thats how is see it from teh choices given. otherwise wed see paragon, terabyte, and awhole lotmore

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "well, acronis is a imaging app. what the topic starter probably was asking was immediate restore software. thats how is see it from teh choices given. otherwise wed see paragon, terabyte, and awhole lotmore" }-
Ya, u are right.
Or I would have included an option Imaging sofware( irrespective of the name).
I mean here Immediate System Recovery Software , some people use imaging for same purpose as well.

[C.S.J]

-{ Quote: "Ya, u are right.
Or I would have included an option Imaging sofware( irrespective of the name).
I mean here Immediate System Recovery Software , some people use imaging for same purpose as well." }-

but ghost 10 is in the list and that does images, doesnt it?

[pvsurfer]

-{ Quote: "but ghost 10 is in the list and that does images, doesnt it?" }-
I cleaned my eye-glasses and my monitor screen, but I still don't see Ghost on the list. ;)

[aigle]

-{ Quote: "but ghost 10 is in the list and that does images, doesnt it?" }-
I think u mean GoBack.

[ErikAlbert]

According the poll, not many users seem to use rollback solutions, quite a difference with other polls. ;D

[software-tester]

FirstDefence vs Rollback rx.

Both are very good in what they do.
To select a snapshot from a list & revert your system to a point in time
is always a very handy option when testing software. or upgrading your
system. if something goes wrong it's nice to go back & start again.
Progs like this are not what I want or need but I must say for speed Rollback rx is
fast & having the option to revert back to a baseline & dump all other snapshots
is something I really like. rollback rx can update your baseline to the
point in time you are happy with & dump all the old snapshots.

Give me rollback rx please.

[wilbertnl]

There is so much software that works just great.

I'm impressed with Drivesnapshot as disk imaging solution, I'm comfortable with the command line restore.
Firstdefense-ISR and eazFix/Rollback RX are both great, I vote for Rollback RX, because I think that their concept is a better representation of my way of working.
Regardless of technical challenges. ;)

[Mele20]

I voted other and was wondering until the last few posts where True Image was. To me Ghost and TI are restore software. I use TI.

I also use virtual machines and that means I hardly ever need TI. Virtual machines are the best for restore software.

[sucilee]

I prefer Returnil Virtual System and VMWare.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,
For Windows, it would ShadowSurfer, Acronis True Image and VMware, if they may qualify in the list.
Mrk

[Carson]

I don't use a full system restore program. I have extensive backups and I would prefer to start over clean, if something really disruptive occurred. But there are 2 partial restore software programs I really, really like and recommend:

1. If you use Office 2003, and you find Word reverts back to settings you tried to change, then a "must have" is the free program that saves your Office 2003 settings anywhere you want, and restores them anytime you wish. It is called Microsoft Office 2003 Save My Settings Wizard. I prefer to call it Save My Sanity Wizard. Absolutely fantastic. Free from M$.

2. ERUNT is a really nice registry saver. Beautiful! However, a word of warning: it is extremely simple to set up and use, but if you are not an expert, don't read too much of the instructions! The guy who created it is extremely knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm is daunting—read too much, and you might just think it is beyond you. But, nope—you can be using it effectively with no trouble at all, in just a few minutes. Easy! If you Google for ERUNT, you'll get it, along with its companion NTREGOPT. Both highly recommended.

[hurzelpurzel]

I use my own system of keeping a back log of backups and restoring them if needed. Also I keep track of the changes I make to my system (noting them down) and then make these changes after restoring the system from a backup just to create a new "clean backup" after these changes and software upgrades and so on.

Not as sophisticated as some of the tools mentioned in this thread, yet it keeps me in full control of the system at any point. I did this for 2.5 years with DriveImage and the same (clean) system and use TrueImage now (for a simple reason ... I need no CD for restoration of a backup!).

// Oliver

[Ice_Czar]

an OS and registry ap only partition with all ap data written to storage partitions
and Ghost

[dallen]

Image for Windows / DOS.

[Meriadoc]

I have licenses for VMWare, FirstDefense ISR, Acronis, TeraByte, RollBackRx and Ghost.

[farmerlee]

I use norton ghost. I've used it for years and its always served me well. I got a free version of Trueimage but it don't work on server os's so its a no go for me.

[Chalawah]

Norton Ghost 10 - has worked for me every time without fail over a few years.

Tried TI10 but it failed the ultimate test - a successful restore.

rgds chalawah

[Rilla927]

FD and IFD.

[vhick]

FIRSTDEFENSE-ISR!

my vote!...

[Coldmoon]

Late as usual

Returnil Virtual System is my choice because it works with little or no overhead and doesn't take up disk space with large image backups.

VMWare is not as bad as Microsoft, but both VM models take too much memory to use effectively if you are saddled with a RAM-challenged system. Also you still face the potential for leaks or unintentional activations of malicious content. Trust me, I have seen this happen in a malware testing lab first hand. It took a good portion of the day to set the computer back up after a researcher had accidently dropped an extremely nasty peice of malware on his real desktop before realizing what had happened.

If you want a solution that will restore your System Partition with nothing more complicated than a reboot, then I strongly suggest that Returnil is what you are looking for.

[pugmug]

Casper XP.

[WSFuser]

im using FirstDefense-ISR, but its the first software of this kind Ive tried, so I dont know how the others compare.

[yankinNcrankin]

Ghost 2003

[farmerlee]

Switched to acronis trueimage, far better than my old ghost 2003 imo. Upgraded a free copy of trueimage 7 that i had to trueimage 10 and have never looked back, an awesome piece of software.

[farmerlee]

-{ Quote: "im using FirstDefense-ISR, but its the first software of this kind Ive tried, so I dont know how the others compare." }-
I've been looking very closely at this bit of software it seems pretty impressive. Whats you opinion on it?

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "I've been looking very closely at this bit of software it seems pretty impressive. Whats you opinion on it?" }-

It not only seems impressive, it IS. Outstanding piece of software, and with Raxco outstanding support.

Pete

[WSFuser]

-{ Quote: "I've been looking very closely at this bit of software it seems pretty impressive. Whats you opinion on it?" }-
Its an amazing and flexible piece of software that can be put to various uses. I highly recommend it.

[mrfargoreed]

-{ Quote: "It not only seems impressive, it IS. Outstanding piece of software, and with Raxco outstanding support." }-

-{ Quote: "Its an amazing and flexible piece of software that can be put to various uses. I highly recommend it." }-

Can't really add to these two statements - FDISR all the way.

[ErikAlbert]

FDISR = troubleshooter in deeds, inside and outside Windows
FDISR = BSOD-killer.
FDISR = fastest backup method, I've ever seen.
FDISR = multi-bootable system
FDISR = multiple work/test environments
FDISR = Uninstaller and Installer of softwares
FDISR = Super cleaner
FDISR = total freedom in how to use it
FDISR = userfriendly, reliable, versatile, etc. etc. etc.
FDISR + Image Backup = INVINCIBLE user

OK that's enough for today, I'm tired of praising FDISR into heaven without financial benefits.
You can experience the rest by using it in practice.

I wished, I could say the same about security softwares. ::)

[malformed]

Acronis TI gets my vote [other]

[sweater]

I just use Windows XP System Restore.....;D ;) ....and i regularly makes back-up copies to cd-r important things. I've rather better spent more on upgrading my hardware than buying Restore Software....as my pc and me is not too complicated...or problematic...or worrisome...or whatever...its just for my "very personal uses"...but still, there's no harm in using restore software program especially if you are a business person or whatever else. 8) ;)

Anyway, I can reformat if anything really happens bad...but its the last resort. :dry: ;D

[EASTER.2010]

The problem you would encounter if you needed to do an install over again "fresh", is that if you've spent countless hours & maybe days adding customization programs and tweaks, and unless you've built a custom made install CD with everything on it that adds those first, you're in for a fairly substantial job of reinstalling all those again, and if you're as adamant about XP's looks as well as behavior, it can cost some serious time & effort toiling over the screen if nothing else.

For me that's a monumental "HUGE" plus in favor of a dependable back up solution. Of course like everyone i began softly with PLASTIC (CD/DVD's) then naturally finally realized METAL was best at storage. Durable & reliable which meant for me long life for all my data/program holdings.

The only drawback i found with that is again time, do you manually use default windows equipment to copy your treasures to an alternate hard drive or can you really depend on software programs to speed up that task for you? Not only that, but is there a time-consuming learning curve you have to go thru in addition? I found some imaging programs remarkably not dependable and how frustrating is that when you already paid them for a license to use some of their supposedly intelligence & research. That's a deal-breaker at the very least and not exactly good for confidence you know.

I do hope imaging programs have finally now got around to mastering Windows even if that required them making some deal with $M for revelations into the O/S's deepest secrets ;D

All i can attest to with any confidence so far is FD-ISR myself thanks to the relentless pursuits for excellence by some choice members here, (you know who you are :) ) Thanks for your reviews & comparisons!

That's immediate recovery covered in my book, even with Power Shadow which i found extremely versatile even if it is only single-mode dimensional.
System Restore? Forget It! Most malware target it and do a good job at disabling it entirely if you're ever so unlucky, plus it only recaptures basics to boot back up again. A much overrated feature of $M but then that suits most of us just fine with these other alternatives to choose from that do far more.

For TOTAL imaging of the entire HD or partitions and securely capable of restoring them again, without wimper or error, and reasonably fast, the jury is still out on that for me. Yeah i favor PARAGON and still even keep a copy of PowerQuest's DRIVE IMAGE 2002 and like them both, but i'm always up for a change of pace if a program can prove it's metal in this field.


That's where these member reviews offer a great baseline and comparison

[Rmus]

When Drive Image came on the market, I was intrigued. But then I thought, I've never had to use an image before, so why bother? I continued with my routine of batch files and Zip of my data and photographs to another HD.

Now, Easter makes a good point about customizing your programs if you have to reinstall. In 'the old days' we were taught to keep a backup of the configuration settings of our programs. They are stored either in *.ini files (Like Opera, and Forte Agent) or in the Registry (like MSWord). So, we just kept copies of those *.ini files and *reg keys in our backup folder. Windows stores its settings/themes/colors, etc, also in the Registry.

The only time I've reinstalled was changing over to a new computer, the last being Win2K. It goes pretty quickly if you are set up properly, and customization is just a matter of copying over the *ini files and merging the Registry keys. As a bonus, I was surprised at what I *Didn't* reinstall, having not used some programs in months. Also, I decided to set up the partitions differently, so a former image wouldn't have let me make these changes.

With the advent of programs like Deep Freeze, you can protect your C:\ partition (OS and Registry) from any mishap, also eliminating normal partition maintenance, since nothing changes.

The combination of the above is an alternate solution, and negates the need for specialized imaging/restore software unless you have a need for frequent, quick re-imaging for whatever reason.

-rich

[python134r]

Acronis

[EASTER.2010]

-{ Quote: "Acronis" }-

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please make sure you use the latest build of Acronis True Image. To get access to updates you should first register your software. Don't forget to recreate Acronis Bootable Rescue Media after updating.

;D

[ErikAlbert]

-{ Quote: "Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Please make sure you use the latest build of Acronis True Image. To get access to updates you should first register your software. Don't forget to recreate Acronis Bootable Rescue Media after updating.

;D" }-
LOOOOOOOL

User : I couldn't restore due to a corrupt image, I lost all my data. >:(

Acronis : Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

[aigle]

Rofl...............
I wonder why don,t they reply in a more user friendly and way as others do.

[doctorow]

I use Drive Snapshot (http://www.drivesnapshot.de). Inexpensive, can be used without installation, and the first that produced a 100% restorable Vista Image for me.

Andrew

[ErikAlbert]

FirstDefense-ISR is the fastest recovery solution, I've ever seen and ShadowProtect is only needed when FDISR can't fix it.

[bigc73542]

Norton Ghost has never failed me so I stick with it.:thumb:

[rdsu]

I messed my registry with a stupid thing, and now I've to format my PC... >:(

After format, I will take a look at the FirstDefense-ISR, or at least starting to backup my system regulary because the System Restore is a great S**T... :)

[rdsu]

I don't have any experience with this type of software, but from what I read I really liked the concept of RollBack Rx, but it have problems when we want to defrag the system :(
The version 8.2 will have a solution for that...

Paragon Hard Disk Manager now have a new feature, the Backup Console, that seems similar to FirstDefence-ISR, but I still have to test them...

I'm looking for a solution to recover my system from some problems, but seems difficult to choose...

[EASTER.2010]

Immediate Rescue = FirstDefense-ISR

Imaging Rescue = Paragon Drive Backup Pro


Paragon absorbs EVERYTHING of FD-ISR and nicely replaces in again like b4.


I actually use Rollback Rx on another PC but it doesn't hold a candle to FD-ISR in my own TRUST department.

[Menorcaman]

Acronis True Image. Have used versions 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 and never had a failure to restore.

Regards

Menorcaman

[Osaban]

ShadowUser for safe surfing and Acronis TI 9 for real emergencies.

I've been using SU for almost 2 years, and Acronis for a year without a single issue.

[Seer]

Hello.

I voted for FD-ISR as I am using it, but looking more into RollbackRx lately. Not that I had problems with FD-ISR, just out of curiosity...

There should be a separate poll for imaging software. The contendants here do different kind of job.

Cheers.

[Banshee]

First Defense IRS+ Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5

[EASTER.2010]

The fact is you can do so much more with FD-ISR then Rollback Rx can offer right now thanks to it's creation feature of (10) snapshots and unlimited archives. Rollback can't do that.

For the huge customizations enthusiast like myself, FirstDefense affords you to customize each and every snapshot to your own creative designs and allows you to archive the same so you never lose your handiwork.

Another Super-Kool Freeware Desktop Enhancement i'll share with members:

-{ Quote: "DESK PROJECTION: This program that allows you to project a transparent image on top of your desktop, creating a rather cool effect (Win2k and WinXP only!). This interesting Windows app gives you the ability to project a transparent image (Ghost image) on top of your desktop so that it overlays everything else there, very cool looking. (Win2k and WinXP only!)
Author: Mikkel Schubert - vazagi
Software: Desk Projection v1.0.6
File Size: 287 KB = Standalone App!
Program Type: Freeware
Windows XP/2000 " }-

DeskProjection (http://www.winxpfix.com/Free-Windows-Utilities-page24.htm)

[Huupi]

-{ Quote: "The fact is you can do so much more with FD-ISR then Rollback Rx can offer right now thanks to it's creation feature of (10) snapshots and unlimited archives. Rollback can't do that.

For the huge customizations enthusiast like myself, FirstDefense affords you to customize each and every snapshot to your own creative designs and allows you to archive the same so you never lose your handiwork.

Another Super-Kool Freeware Desktop Enhancement i'll share with members:



DeskProjection (http://www.winxpfix.com/Free-Windows-Utilities-page24.htm)" }-


Hi Easter,this site is redflagged by Site Advisor!??!

[EASTER.2010]

What kind of question is that?

[Huupi]

-{ Quote: "What kind of question is that?" }-

Sorry,but thats not a question,rather a statement (be cautious),McAfee Site Advisor has something to tell yu.

[EASTER.2010]

If that link was not safe i wouldn't have posted it.

I don't put as much stock in Site Advisor's as some come to depend on. They are known to issue FALSE misleading data.

I hit that site a dozen times before and again today without even a pop up. So what is the concern exactly?

[Huupi]

-{ Quote: "If that link was not safe i wouldn't have posted it.

I don't put as much stock in Site Advisor's as some come to depend on. They are known to issue FALSE misleading data.

I hit that site a dozen times before and again today without even a pop up. So what is the concern exactly?" }-

i dont questening your integrity as you may think so,but i have to rely on something that saved my butt a few times in the past.And for "So what is the concern exactly"have a talk with McAfee.

[EASTER.2010]

I suggest you stay away from there then if McAfee tells you to, but as for me having a talk with McAfee, that would be the same as talking with Norton.

BTW, and FWIW, System Safety Monitor tells me the T.R.U.T.H.

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "FDISR = troubleshooter in deeds, inside and outside Windows
FDISR = BSOD-killer.
FDISR = fastest backup method, I've ever seen.
FDISR = multi-bootable system
FDISR = multiple work/test environments
FDISR = Uninstaller and Installer of softwares
FDISR = Super cleaner
FDISR = total freedom in how to use it
FDISR = userfriendly, reliable, versatile, etc. etc. etc.
FDISR + Image Backup = INVINCIBLE user

OK that's enough for today, I'm tired of praising FDISR into heaven without financial benefits.
You can experience the rest by using it in practice.

I wished, I could say the same about security softwares. ::)" }-
Rollback Rx = BSOD-killer.
Rollback Rx = fastest snapshot backup/restore method, I've ever seen.
Rollback Rx = works with multi-boot systems
Rollback Rx = multiple work/test environments
Rollback Rx = Uninstaller and Installer of softwares
Rollback Rx = Super cleaner
Rollback Rx = total freedom in how to use it
Rollback Rx = userfriendly, reliable, versatile, etc. etc. etc.
Rollback Rx = Almost unlimited snapshots
Rollback Rx = Allows user to set password to protect from unauthorized users
Rollback Rx = More secure than most against programs like Killdisk
Rollback Rx = Easy to purchase. At Raxco under products I don't even see FDISR listed. Am I missing something? If I am I apologize.
Rollback Rx = Ability to freeze a snapshot basically like some other programs
Rollback Rx = Ability to recover individual files/folders while in another snapshot
Rollback Rx = Ability to disable direct disk I/O on some chipsets
Rollback Rx = User can schedule snapshots at various times
Rollback Rx = Delete snapshots automatically after they are a certain number of days old
Rollback Rx = As far as I know know other software can view its data, so corrupting its data with malicious software would be very hard imho.
Rollback Rx = etc....

I'm glad we can all choose the software that fits our needs. Hope you didn't mind I borrowed your format.

-{ Quote: "
The fact is you can do so much more with FD-ISR then Rollback Rx can offer right now thanks to it's creation feature of (10) snapshots and unlimited archives. Rollback can't do that.

For the huge customizations enthusiast like myself, FirstDefense affords you to customize each and every snapshot to your own creative designs and allows you to archive the same so you never lose your handiwork." }-
Not sure why you say Rollback can't do unlimited archives since as far as I know it can and it also will do way more than 10 snapshots. As far as customizing goes it seems you must not have looked into Rollback very much because from my experience it is way more customizable.

Thanks,

Chris

[Peter2150]

Since I obviously have FDISR licenses and since I have just renewed both of my Rollback licenses, because indeed Rollback has advantages, and it is working happily with FDISR, I'll jump in here with a question for Chris.

I can easily maintain any number of off disk archives with FDISR, with different configs if I so chose. Updating them is quick, and restoring them varies from fast to not so fast depending on how I do it. I don't see any comparable way to do this with Rollback, and I think that is what Easter was refering too.

If wrong Chris would you elaborate

Pete

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "Since I obviously have FDISR licenses and since I have just renewed both of my Rollback licenses, because indeed Rollback has advantages, and it is working happily with FDISR, I'll jump in here with a question for Chris.

I can easily maintain any number of off disk archives with FDISR, with different configs if I so chose. Updating them is quick, and restoring them varies from fast to not so fast depending on how I do it. I don't see any comparable way to do this with Rollback, and I think that is what Easter was refering too.

If wrong Chris would you elaborate

Pete" }-
Long time no talk Peter. Hope all is well with you. Well as far as off disk archives Rollback can do store these as well. Although I am not quite sure what you mean when you say different configs. Can you please elaborate on this.

Thanks,

Chris

[Peter2150]

-{ Quote: "Long time no talk Peter. Hope all is well with you. Well as far as off disk archives Rollback can do store these as well. Although I am not quite sure what you mean when you say different configs. Can you please elaborate on this.

Thanks,

Chris" }-

All is indeed well. When I say different configs, it's like having 10 totally different snapshot stored off disk in archives. I looked at how Rollback has implemented the off disk stuff, and it is way clumsy, forcing folks into the BartePe realm. Don't misunderstand me I am not trying to be critical of Rollback as I just bought two new copies. Just a realistic assesment that when it comes to off disk archiving FDISR still is king. Just as when it comes to purespeed of taking snapshots, and restoring to one, it's tough to beat Rollback.

I love the combo of the two.

Pete

[Chris12923]

I would agree with you that ease of use for off disk snapshots does belong to FDISR but that does not mean Rollback can not do it which is what it looked like Easter was saying. Both programs do have their benefits as you have mentioned and glad to see you have implimented Rollback with FDISR and given it another chance.

Thanks,

Chris

P.S. Congrats on becoming a Mod Pete!!

[pvsurfer]

Hi Chris, it's been a while since I've seen you around here... How's the guy who first turned me on to my all time favorite program, Rollback Rx. Once I look past my 'heart attacks' from RB's earlier builds, I must say I now can't live without it! :P

Take care, pv

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "Hi Chris, it's been a while since I've seen you around here... How's the guy who first turned me on to my all time favorite program, Rollback Rx. Once I look past my 'heart attacks' from RB's earlier builds, I must say I now can't live without it! :P

Take care, pv" }-
I'm doing good and I hope you are too! I'm glad Rollback is working out for you as much as it is for me. I hope to start becoming more frequent in the forums again.

Thanks,

Chris

[Long View]

Acronis True Image for full restore capability.
FD-ISR on modern Desktops - using freeze
DeepFreeze to be used on laptops and old desktops. FD-ISR frozen snapshot takes far too long on boot and reboot on my laptops and old desk machines.

comments made earlier say that newly installed programs are lost on rebooting with DeepFreeze. This may have been true earlier but is not longer the case.
Deepfreeze can be set to reboot any number of times in thawed mode to allow for ne programs. I also like the way that defrag remains correct after reboot which was a problem with FD-ISR and Perfect Disk.

I know it costs money to buy several but all of the programs considered have advantages and disadvantages depending upon hardware and ways the machine is used and.

[EASTER.2010]

-{ Quote: "I would agree with you that ease of use for off disk snapshots does belong to FDISR but that does not mean Rollback can not do it which is what it looked like Easter was saying. Both programs do have their benefits as you have mentioned and glad to see you have implimented Rollback with FDISR and given it another chance.

Thanks,

Chris

P.S. Congrats on becoming a Mod Pete!!" }-

Hi Chris

I think theres some confusion so allow me to be more specific so it helps. In my statement that Rollback Rx cannot do that i have to ask this, and then perhaps you can see what i was referring to specifically. I apologize for the vagueness of my simple line and out reply.

Does Rollback in creating snapshots make COMPLETE snapshots or only create a single COMPLETE snapshot with files/folders etc. which all other (considered snapshots) are but references or a fraction either of or added to the "one" main snapshot.
Not to say that isn't a beneficial space saving concept for many which it does seems to offer, but in my statement earlier i need to clarify i'm speaking of creating COMPLETE snapshots and COMPLETE archives, hence the space differentials between the two recovery programs.

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "Does Rollback in creating snapshots make COMPLETE snapshots or only create a single COMPLETE snapshot with files/folders etc. which all other (considered snapshots) are but references or a fraction either of or added to the "one" main snapshot.
Not to say that isn't a beneficial space saving concept for many which it does seems to offer, but in my statement earlier i need to clarify i'm speaking of creating COMPLETE snapshots and COMPLETE archives, hence the space differentials between the two recovery programs." }-
Rollback version 8 can do 2 types of backup.
1. You can take snapshots that reference some snapshots to the baseline snapshot. Maybe this is not technical but I think you know what I mean.
2. You can backup a snapshot to an external location. In this case it will backup the complete snapshot with all information not just linking to others. It uses Bart PE plugin to do the restoring of those backups.

Hope this helps,

Chris

[TonyW]

-{ Quote: "Rollback version 8 can do 2 types of backup.
1. You can take snapshots that reference some snapshots to the baseline snapshot." }-I guess you could call them differential snapshots, but linked by whatever has changed between the baseline and the point in time snap that is taken.

FD-ISR creates an exact copy when you take a snapshot hence the sizes are the same.

[EASTER.2010]

I also don't mean in any way to discount Rollback's effectiveness, in fact i took a fancy to it at first and there are a few features that i really favor and especially the analog clock. LoL

What i like to see is a good stable and very dependable Version 9 of Rollback Rx. I think if it panned out i would definitely feel more confident when judging comparisons between it and FD-ISR although i will never part from FirstDefense whatsoever. It's opened a whole new door of excitement and confidence in recovery for me but much more than that, finally you can run several separate instances of your system and customize them to your heart's content. That is fantastic for everything from testing programs all the way to completely redressing the looks and actions of XP.

[Smokey]

Symantec LiveState Recovery;)


Regards,

Smokey

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "What i like to see is a good stable and very dependable Version 9 of Rollback Rx. I think if it panned out i would definitely feel more confident when judging comparisons between it and FD-ISR although i will never part from FirstDefense whatsoever. It's opened a whole new door of excitement and confidence in recovery for me but much more than that, finally you can run several separate instances of your system and customize them to your heart's content. That is fantastic for everything from testing programs all the way to completely redressing the looks and actions of XP." }-
I guess when I hear everyone talking about First Defense like it's perfect I get a little confused. I have read posts that said First defense is not compatible with some programs. The only program I can think of seeing Rollback doesn't work with is Other backup programs and disk defragmenters. In my opinion it can do everything First Defense can do and a whole lot more. But I guess we all will have our preferences with programs I guess.

Thanks,

Chris

[TonyW]

-{ Quote: "I guess when I hear everyone talking about First Defense like it's perfect I get a little confused. I have read posts that said First defense is not compatible with some programs." }-I don't think the "perfect" program exists. There are so many different variations, and what might suit one may not work well for another. The only hope is that software engineers strive to improve each version so that some or all of these kinks can be ironed out to suit the majority of users remembering every set-up is different. The developers can't possibly know every rig in the world, but they can get pretty close with most of the common configurations.

[EASTER.2010]

View Poll Results: what is your choice?
RollbackRx 23 16.43%
FirstDefence 47 33.57%
DeepFreeze 5 3.57%
CleanSlate 0 0%
ShadowUser 8 5.71%
Norton GoBack 5 3.57%
Restore it 3 2.14%
Others( pls specify). 49 35.00%

This result is the most interesting which kind of stands out.

So far there are more than double the FD-ISR (Perfect) users than Rollback Rx limited. lol

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "So far there are more than double the FD-ISR (Perfect) users than Rollback Rx limited. lol" }-
I can see discussing this further with you is useless. Yes FDISR has more votes than Rollback. It has also been around longer than Rollback. This forum also has FDISR Forum which does seem to have impact with these polls. Just take a look http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=160734 . Nod is ahead and wait they have a forum here as well. People that use these products come here so of course the voting will be skewed. If we put a list on Rollbacks forum I bet Rollback will be higher. It doesn't really matter all I am saying is feature to feature Rollback has much more to offer than FDISR. Again we all have our preferences but that does not make a program that has much less to offer better just because you like it. It just makes it better for you.

Thanks,

Chris

[TonyW]

-{ Quote: "
Others( pls specify). 49 35.00%

So far there are more than double the FD-ISR (Perfect) users than Rollback Rx limited. lol" }-And yet there are 49 users who use other products which they obviously consider to be a better option than FD-ISR or Rollback Rx.

It's immaterial. It's what works best on one's system, which makes it the "winner" in their eyes.

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "It's immaterial. It's what works best on one's system, which makes it the "winner" in their eyes." }-
I agree.

Thanks,

Chris

[danny9]

-{ Quote: "I can see discussing this further with you is useless. Yes FDISR has more votes than Rollback. It has also been around longer than Rollback. This forum also has FDISR Forum which does seem to have impact with these polls. Just take a look http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=160734 . Nod is ahead and wait they have a forum here as well. People that use these products come here so of course the voting will be skewed. If we put a list on Rollbacks forum I bet Rollback will be higher. It doesn't really matter all I am saying is feature to feature Rollback has much more to offer than FDISR. Again we all have our preferences but that does not make a program that has much less to offer better just because you like it. It just makes it better for you.

Thanks,

Chris" }-

Have to agree with you Chris.
Right now I use FDISR which I made the mistake buying from Raxco, who seems to forgot they sold it, and promised to provide support for.
I like the program but I doubt , that down the road with new versions, if I'd pay full price again from someone else.
I've trialed Rollback and think it does a good job also. Maybe that would be next.
But as you said it comes down to preferences. If it does what you want it to do, then it's the best program for you.
Regardless of how many people may use it.
Hey, nothing wrong with following your own drummer. Most individuals, do! 8) ;D

[Long View]

I have used Acronis for years, FD-ISR for months and have just bought a copy of DeepFreeze. I would still like to add to my collection. Rollback Rx sounds interesting. I may have looked at it once before. Is it possible to set it up to
just restore OS and programs ? I don't really want any program messing with my data.

[Jo Ann]

-{ Quote: "I have used Acronis for years, FD-ISR for months and have just bought a copy of DeepFreeze. I would still like to add to my collection. Rollback Rx sounds interesting. I may have looked at it once before. Is it possible to set it up to
just restore OS and programs ? I don't really want any program messing with my data." }-
At the very least, RB protects the C-partition on your C-drive. If you have multiple partitions on your C-drive, it's up to you (at time of setup) whether or not you want RB to protect those as well.

When you do an RB restore, it restores the designated snapshot in its entirety (i.e., the entire protected partition at the time the snapshot was taken). This restoration becomes your current snapshot. Sometimes, you might want to restore individual folders/files from another snapshot to the current snapshot. You may do that at any time, but that is a separate and intentional recovery process that you initiate at your discretion.

Hth, Jo Ann

[EASTER.2010]

-{ Quote: "And yet there are 49 users who use other products which they obviously consider to be a better option than FD-ISR or Rollback Rx.

It's immaterial. It's what works best on one's system, which makes it the "winner" in their eyes." }-

Exactly my point made in the reply. Although Rollback & FD-ISR are highly voted these "others" obviously take exception to BOTH products.

So there you go Chris.

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "Rollback Rx sounds interesting. I may have looked at it once before. Is it possible to set it up to
just restore OS and programs ? I don't really want any program messing with my data." }-
As Jo An said if you have a seperate partition you can tell Rollback to protect only your system partition if you want. Also if you want Rollback can be set up to restore at reboot which is very similar to what deepfreeze does.

Thanks,

Chris

[Jo Ann]

-{ Quote: "As Jo An said if you have a seperate partition you can tell Rollback to protect only your system partition if you want. Also if you want Rollback can be set up to restore at reboot which is very similar to what deepfreeze does.

Thanks,
Chris" }-
Hello Chris,
Exactly, and I really make good use of RB's ability to easily recover specific files/folders, which is just like having a file-by-file backup!

Rollback Rx rocks! - that is v7.2.1 (v8 is still too 'young' to trust). ;)

[Peter2150]

I have version 8 on (with FDISR to back it up) and so far it has been well behaved. Only problem so far is the activaton count issue(they immediately fixed it). I fix will be out in July.

Pete

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "I have version 8 on (with FDISR to back it up) and so far it has been well behaved. Only problem so far is the activaton count issue(they immediately fixed it). I fix will be out in July." }-
I'm assuming your talking about the issue where you uninstall Rollback and when you reinstall you have to activate again and then you activation limit is exceeded?

Thanks,

Chris

[TonyW]

-{ Quote: "Hello Chris,
Exactly, and I really make good use of RB's ability to easily recover specific files/folders, which is just like having a file-by-file backup!" }-Just out of interest, how do you keep track of what files to recover?

[Jo Ann]

-{ Quote: "Just out of interest, how do you keep track of what files to recover?" }-
Tony, I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by 'tracking'. If you can clarify your question, I'd be happy to answer it.

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "Just out of interest, how do you keep track of what files to recover?" }-
I'm not real sure what you mean but I'll describe both ways.

1. You can recover any snapshots that you have taken. Maximum of 60,000 for the pro and enterprise versions.
2. You can select a snapshot you have taken and then browse to any files/folders that you need to restore and then you can restore them to the same location that they were in previously or you can save them to another location.

Hope this helps and if you have any further questions feel free to ask.

Thanks,

Chris

[Jo Ann]

Suppose it's Sunday and I find that I have to restore a snapshot from Saturday. Since it's the weekend, let's assume that the only thing I would lose by doing that are Sunday's emails.

I restore Saturday's snapshot which becomes my current snapshot (taking less than 2 minutes). As I use Outlook, I know that my emails are in Outlook's pst file, so using RB's Recover Files option, I can specify that I want to recover *.pst and then indicate that I want that file from Sunday's snapshot.

RB finds the file in about 30 seconds. I right-click to restore it to my current snapshot which takes about 10 seconds. Now my current snapshot, which was taken on Saturday contains the emails I received up through the time I did the snapshot restore on Sunday. If I wasn't sure about the file name or extension, I could have browsed my files on any given snapshot (as Chris said).

Btw, in the above example, RB provides the option to overwrite Saturday's pst file with Sunday's file, or to keep them both in my current snapshot (quite cool)!

Hope that's clear.

[Chris12923]

-{ Quote: "Suppose it's Sunday and I find that I have to restore a snapshot from Saturday. Since it's the weekend, let's assume that the only thing I would lose by doing that are Sunday's emails.

I restore Saturday's snapshot which becomes my current snapshot (taking less than 2 minutes). As I use Outlook, I know that my emails are in Outlook's pst file, so using RB's Recover Files option, I can specify that I want to recover *.pst and then indicate that I want that file from Sunday's snapshot.

RB finds the file in about 30 seconds. I right-click to restore it to my current snapshot which takes about 10 seconds. Now my current snapshot, which was taken on Saturday contains the emails I received up through the time I did the snapshot restore on Sunday.

Btw, in the above example, RB provides the option to overwrite Saturday's pst file with Sunday's file, or to keep them both in my current snapshot!

Hope that's clear." }-
Nice explanation Jo Ann.

Thanks,

Chris

[TonyW]

The explanation given by Jo Ann is very good, and I figured as much. My point was relating to how you keep track of files you've worked on to know which to recover. Obviously, if it's only emails or say a couple of files, that's easy, but what about if you've worked on a few files since the last snapshot, say Saturday's snapshot like in your example.

[Jo Ann]

-{ Quote: "The explanation given by Jo Ann is very good, and I figured as much. My point was relating to how you keep track of files you've worked on to know which to recover. Obviously, if it's only emails or say a couple of files, that's easy, but what about if you've worked on a few files since the last snapshot, say Saturday's snapshot like in your example." }-
Tony, every time you take a snapshot you give it a title and a description (which is optional). So let's say I've made major changes to an Excel spreadsheet, example.xls. I could take an RB snapshot, label it 'example.xls' and then I could provide a brief description of the changes made to example.xls. If I didn't want RB to ever delete the snapshot I would lock it. If I ever wanted to restore that file, I would go to RB's Snapshot Mangement, find the snapshot in question and restore the file (as described in my previous post).

Since RB Pro can take up to 60,000 snapshots, the only practical limitation of the number of snapshots you take is your free disk-space. Fwiw, while the size of snapshots can vary by quite a bit, mine seem to average out at about 350MB.

That said, no instant restore program (RB included) is really intended for saving/tracking various versions of files. Seems to me that a file-by-file backup/synchronization program (with version tracking) is much better suited for that job. ;)

Jo Ann

[Long View]

I really am going to have to try RB. I just can't get my head around keeping data
on the same drive/partition as an OS and programs. My outlook pst, Firefox profiles..... are all on a data drive so any restore leaves them undamaged. On several machines I now just use DeepFreeze on C: removing the short term need to restore to anything. Acronis takes care of the rest. It really is amazing how many different ways there are to do what initially seems to be the same thing.

[NLight95]

My old favorite: Norton Ghost 2003--the DOS version. I have it on a bootable CD and can take it anywhere. Loads lightning quick (as opposed to TrueImage) and I can easily archive backups on DVD. Even works with Vista 32/64 and RAID.

[raakii]

my favourite is ayrecovery ---the ultimate clone of ultimate rollback rx

[EASTER]

FD-ISR (Classic Original Version By Raxco) NO LONGER OFFERED.

So, my other choice is DeepFreeze! I luv it, but only for total static system operations. It's formidable, stable, and is never failed me. Coupled with Faronic's other product, Anti-Executable, makes for a total lockdown condition thats hard to beat IMO.

[incursari]

I used Paragon Drive Backup and RollBackRX. Both just work and never fail for me. :)

[Long View]

I started with Acronis 6, played with FD-ISR, tried DeepFreeze and then Returnil.

Today I use none of these programs - just Shadow Protect and Shadow Defender.

[dhopley]

Dear Poll ,
Hi , I'm using an Intel Celeron 2.4 ghz 512K RAM four year old PC with XP Pro SP2 and Ubuntu 8.04 dual booted on a three HDD setup 15G, 15G , with 20G backup . XP is NTFS , Ubuntu EXT3 and the common data partition is FAT32 with all the backup images stored in EXT3 format . Backup and recovery of each OS takes around 4 minutes and 3 minutes for data using the SystemRescueCD and the application Partimage , it's been flawless so far in fifteen month's of operation and of course it's Open Source and free .
Derek

[LoneWolf]

-{ Quote: "I used Paragon Drive Backup and RollBackRX. Both just work and never fail for me. :)" }-

Are you using both on the same PC?

[incursari]

-{ Quote: "Are you using both on the same PC?" }-
No. On a different pc.

[LoneWolf]

-{ Quote: "No. On a different pc." }-

Thanks, appreciate the answer. :thumb:

[Minimax2000]

ShadowProtect and FD-ISR here. Combination works very well.

Frank

[raakii]

ayrecovery+drive snapshot(with usb active@boot disk)

[kr4ey]

Macrium Relect Free

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

[Long View]

-{ Quote: "Macrium Relect Free

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp" }-


Just tried this. very impressive. Slower than some others but free is free.
If I didn't already have other programs or if other programs produced problems I would be very happy with Macrium

[icr]

I have recently started using shadow defender small and really impressive:thumb:

[pugmug]

A computer is nothing more than a tool to me.It better work correct everytime.I do not like to wait even with a hard drive crash.I want to be back up online and running,now!I will stay with Casper 5.0,as it is the quick and very easy fix as backups go.Saved my computers 6 times so far with zero problems. http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/

[Osaban]

Since the beginning of this old thread many things have changed: Now having Vista I 'm using ShadowProtect, FD-ISR Rescue, DeepFreeze, and trialling ShadowDefender (so far it's looking good).

[xandros]

shadow defender