50% off on all Farstone software

[pvsurfer]

Since several members have expressed interest in RestoreIT, a Farstone product, I thought I'd mention that all Farstone software is 50% off this week.

http://www.farstone.com/software/

How to get the 50% discount:

Click the “Buy Now” link in any FarStone product page. In the shopping cart, click the “Continue Shopping” button to add more products to your order

When you’re ready to check out, enter this coupon code: EM50

Your order will now display a 50% discount

Don’t click out of the cart! You won’t be able to redeem your coupon a second time!

Should you experience problems with your order, please contact FarStone Tech Support

[bellgamin]

I tried to download the PDF file that compares RestoreIt regular versus PRO versions. Farstone insisted on using Adobe. Wouldn't use my default PDF reader, which is Foxit.

I have done LOTS of PDF downloads. Farstone is the first that refused to use my default PDF reader.

Goodbye Farstone. :dry:

[wilbertnl]

http://www.geocities.com/wilbertnl/images/foxit.png

[Eldar]

Works here too bellgamin.
Opened the PDF instantly in Foxit 2.0 beta :)

[wilbertnl]

The code em-goof offers 60% off.

[pvsurfer]

{QUOTE-> The code em-goof offers 60% off. <-QUOTE}
Yeah, here's the story behind that...
{QUOTE-> Our goof gets you 60% off!
Two days ago, we proudly announced the launch our our new web site and sent you a coupon for a site-wide 50% discount on FarStone software.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get our dates right, giving many customers the impression that our coupon had already expired!
So, to make amends, and we’re offering you an even bigger discount for the next four days. Through Tuesday, August 29, ALL FARSTONE SOFTWARE IS 60% OFF when you enter the following e-coupon in the FarStone shopping cart.
EM-GOOF
Your e-coupon is good toward a one-time purchase of FarStone products. Once you’ve entered your coupon code, do NOT click out of the shopping cart! <-QUOTE}

[Jaws]

OK, I'm cheap and 60% off -- $36.00 seems very reasonable for the Pro version, $24.00 for the regular version, but I have no working knowledge of back-up, restore or cloning software. To me, a reinstall of w2k was no big deal, since it became a habit every year or there about, though lately it's become tiresome.

So, RestoreIT has peaked my interest. The Pro version would look like the way to go if the worst happened and your hard drive crapped out, if I'm not mistaken. That's where I'm confused. You see, I did a search on RestoreIT and came up with this thread where

Bellgamin asked:
“As to RestoreIt - I took a look at their website. It appears to me that RestoreIt primarily competes with programs such as ATI, rather than with Rollback & FDISR. PLEASE correct me if I am wrong”.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=801588&postcount=37

and Pvsurfer replied:
“Yes you are incorrect. RestoreIT falls into the 'instant-recovery' type of software (like GB, RB, FDISR, etc). It is NOT a disk-imaging program (such as ATI, IFW, Ghost, etc.) and therefore it is really not intended for 'disaster-recovery'”.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=801598&postcount=39

then Herve added:
“RestoreIt 7 is indeed an "instant" recovery type of software like FDISR, RollBack etc... BUT it also INTEGRATES a module that enables you to perform a full imaging backup of your disk”...
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=801613&postcount=40

but Pvsurfer countered:
... “I tried RestoreIT, installing it and running it through my battery of 'acid-tests'. While it seemed to work fine as an instant-restore app, the module you are speaking of failed to restore my system to a 'virgin' HDD (which is what you would want it to do if your system-drive crashed)”!
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=801682&postcount=41

finally Herve concurs:
“Indeed if you want to restore the image created by the imaging backup module of RestoreIT on another NEW hard disk, this function of RestoreIT is useless..
You are quite right.”
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=801691&postcount=42

OK, I got totally lost, as usual. Perhaps Herve and pvsurfer weren't discussing the Pro version that includes DriveClone?

Besides what was talked about previously, I've read a lot of threads on instant recovery - back up - cloning - imaging and confusion runs rampant on my part after awhile. I just have a hard time understanding it.

I'm looking for something cheap, EASY, trouble free and reliable. Would RestoreIT fit this bill as first and foremost an instant recovery program and secondly for disaster recovery? Also is it possible to keep a snapshot of your base windows install, nothing else?

Thanks

[pvsurfer]

RestoreIT (either Pro or Std version) will do the job just fine if you don't have Acronis True Image installed. I know for a fact it will not coexist with ATI (nor perhaps with other image-backup software).

Hth, pv

PS. I just noticed your comment about disaster recovery. If you lose your system drive and have to recover to a new drive, none of the 'instant restore' products will serve that purpose. That's why I use ATI. You should use an image-backup product (ATI, Ghost, IFD/IFW, etc.) for that purpose. While there are some file-by-file backup products (e.g., Retrospect) that do that job, I don't recommend them.

[aigle]

{QUOTE-> If you lose your system drive and have to recover to a new drive, none of the 'instant restore' products will serve that purpose. <-QUOTE}

Though time consuming but there is a way with FDISR.
Keep backup of all ur FDISR snapshots on a separate media.
If HD crashed, put a new HD, install windows, then FDISR and recover any of saved snapshots.
It is time-consuming but I justt think how often u get a hardware crashed? So if someone don,t want to get a separate imaging software, he can just rely on this.

[Jaws]

So DriveClone, part of RestoreIT Pro, is not suitable for disaster recovery? You see, that's where I get confused because according to their web site they claim -- “This makes for a powerful but user-friendly data backup solution that enables recovery from virtually any kind of data disaster, including hard drive failure”.

So this product is only for instant recovery and data recovery? Sorry for being so dense because their description of DriveClone -- “This 1:1 copy lets you quickly recover, replace, or upgrade your hard drive in case of ANY catastrophic data disaster. Your software, files, and settings will appear EXACTLY as they were when you created the cloned image”. -- seems to indicate, at least to me, that recovering to a new drive is possible.

So let's just say I have my system set up the way I want. Now say I need to use the DriveClone image to set up on another hard drive because of failure and I would like to set up this drive exactly the same but without doing the individual installs of windows and software programs. This can't be done with a DriveClone image?

I'm glad I asked because I was misunderstanding the whole concept.

Thanks

[pvsurfer]

No you weren't and I stand corrected... if you use DriveClone (on a regular basis), that should take care of disaster recovery concerns.

[wilbertnl]

{QUOTE-> OK, I'm cheap and 60% off -- $36.00 seems very reasonable for the Pro version, $24.00 for the regular version, but I have no working knowledge of back-up, restore or cloning software. <-QUOTE}
RestoreIT doesn't come with a rescue CD. That would be DriveClone. But that is not part of RestoreIT Pro, as far as I know.
RestoreIT enables you to create disk images and store them anywhere (USB drive/DVD). That is helpful in case of disaster recovery.
The idea of RestoreIT is that it creates an incremental image scheduled or at will and you are able to quickly revert to a previous image.
RestoreIT also saves a copy of your documents and you are able to retrieve an older version of your document when needed. (or recover a document after erasing)

For true distaster recovery, RestoreIT is a little bit tricky, but it is possible. If you just want a solution for making disk images, then I suggest to look at Farstone DriveClone.

Edit: I forgot that with RestoreIT Pro you are able to create bootable image DVD's. So, that is geat for disaster recovery.

[pvsurfer]

wil, from what jaws was saying, i got the idea that driveclone now is now included with restoreit. :-\

[Jaws]

I don't know if version 7 is new but it seems to be included with the Pro version as it says:

"RestoreIT Pro combines the “set and forget” data backup of RestoreIT with the hard disk cloning of DriveClone".

http://www.farstone.com/software/restoreit-pro.htm

[optigrab]

{QUOTE-> ...Besides what was talked about previously, I've read a lot of threads on instant recovery - back up - cloning - imaging and confusion runs rampant on my part after awhile. I just have a hard time understanding it.

I'm looking for something cheap, EASY, trouble free and reliable. Would RestoreIT fit this bill as first and foremost an instant recovery program and secondly for disaster recovery? Also is it possible to keep a snapshot of your base windows install, nothing else? <-QUOTE}

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jaws, for expressing precisely the questions I was contemplating (more eloquently than I as well)! :D