NTI Shadow 3.7 full version free June 2-8

[acr1965]

Looks like this might be alright. Anyone use it yet?

http://www.ntius.com/shadow_promotion.asp

From the site-

"We are distributing this FREE Software through our Trial System
however what you download is the FULL VERSION.

For: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista"

Not really sure I need it as I have the Vista backup. Although, anyone in the know can advise otherwise if need be.

[EASTER]

More About..........

First i ever heard of them but they claim Award Winning attention.

It's offered free like you say however for anyone who wants to take it for a try out.


{QUOTE-> Overview of Shadow 3
After its official release on August 2005, and receiving PC Magazine Editor's Choice and DingBat Magazine's Best of the Year Award, NewTech Infosystems, Inc., is proud to present NTI Shadow 3!

WHAT'S NEW:
File-Level Selection
Support Network file backup and sharing of backup devices
Auto Delete Option
Enhanced GUI and usability
Custom file type filtering Include/Exclude Options
Enhanced Device Support: USB flash drives, NAS devices, etc...
Dragon Disc enabled version supports all optical media types included DVD-Ram & Blu-ray (Windows only)
NTI Shadow 3 is an award-winning easy-to-use backup application that automatically protects your photo, music, video, and various data files. It makes data restoration as easy as dragging and dropping files from one place to another. For real-time, continuous data backup, set Shadow 3 to save your files/folders every time they change. You can also specify your backup schedule by the minute, hour, day, week and start time(s) and also choose a specific or even a customized file type with Shadow 3's new advanced file filtering.

Not only does Shadow 3 allow users to automatically copy files from their PCs to various devices in real time, but it also preserves the files in their native format - meaning no additional software is necessary to restore files. Shadow 3 works transparently in the background without disturbing you while you work, and does not take up important system resources.


Language available:
English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese <-QUOTE}

[ErikAlbert]

If I use this software, I assume my external HDD has to be ON to backup my data constantly. Am I correct ?

[InfinityAz]

I've used it previously and it's good. Basically it shadows whichever folders/files you select. This means that any time the files/folders change, it backups up the changed files/folders, in real-time, to your choice of devices.

If you have a mutli-core or fast computer you won't even notice it (unless you're changing very large files).

As to ErikAlbert's question about the USB device, here's the answer from PC Mag's (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1887868,00.asp) review of the previous version:

When a job is set to back up to a USB key drive, the application is smart enough to make the attempt only when that particular key drive is attached to your system. Thanks to what NTI calls Smart USB Device Detection, the app will cancel the job if a different USB device (or none) is attached.

[jfd15]

eh acr1965, i saw on slickdeals - wanted to post here, you beat me to it...

[N1ckR]

This could be really useful for me.

Will it work with network drives, so when my Laptop is on my LAN, it will sync data to my server ?

[sukarof]

Nice find. :thumb:
I have been looking for a backup software like this (real time backup of certain files and folders)
But either they are on a 3600 baud modem or they are bombarded with downloaders.
The pages takes too long to load so I cant register to get a copy, not even if I would pay for it :(
Well, I´ll keep trying..

[ThunderZ]

{QUOTE-> Nice find. :thumb:
I have been looking for a backup software like this (real time backup of certain files and folders)
But either they are on a 3600 baud modem or they are bombarded with downloaders.
The pages takes too long to load so I cant register to get a copy, not even if I would pay for it :(
Well, I´ll keep trying.. <-QUOTE}


Same here. It shows as "transferring data"......for over a minute now. I`ll give it a while and see what happens.

[sukarof]

I must say it is confusing. But maybe I just misunderstood the FREE concept here..

I finally got to the page where you enter the download idwhere it says
{QUOTE-> ** DOWNLOAD ID IS NOT A SERIAL NUMBER
NTI Trial Software DOES NOT need serial number for tryout. After the trial period has ended you need to buy the Activation Code to unlock your trial in order for it to function again. <-QUOTE} (My bold)

{QUOTE-> "We are distributing this FREE Software through our Trial System
however what you download is the FULL VERSION.
<-QUOTE}
Yes, the software is full, shareware often are so people can test it properly ???

{QUOTE-> DOWNLOAD ID is FREE You can request Download ID as many as you want and it will be delivering to a Valid Email Address. <-QUOTE}

So, the download process is FREE? wow thats something new ::) Every other shareware costs money to download?

*edit*
I think I´ll pass this one. I dont like companies that play with words to get people to give them email adresses. (thank god for jetable.org)

[InfinityAz]

Installed in a VM last night and played with it for a little while. I remembered why I stopped using it originally:

It will only backup files in realtime; it will not sync files. If you delete files or folders from the original directory it does not delete them from your backup directory. So while it does a good job making backups, it doesn't delete files from those backups (so you can end up with a lot of extra stuff). -- If anyone finds different please let me know.

Although not free, Second Copy (http://www.centered.com/) does everything Shadow does plus a whole lot more and is even lighter, more efficient, etc.

[jfd15]

{QUOTE-> I must say it is confusing. But maybe I just misunderstood the FREE concept here..

I finally got to the page where you enter the download idwhere it says
(My bold)


Yes, the software is full, shareware often are so people can test it properly ???



So, the download process is FREE? wow thats something new ::) Every other shareware costs money to download?

*edit*
I think I´ll pass this one. I dont like companies that play with words to get people to give them email adresses. (thank god for jetable.org) <-QUOTE}



i might be missing soemthing here but - i think it is free...you sign up on the site and they send you a download ID in your email - go back to the site and cut and paste the download ID into a box and it send you to a link which begins the download....the Acitvation Key is in a txt file in the download, which you can then paste into the installed program.....i could be wrong on this but i think they are just trying to limit the download days to june 2-8...once you have the program downloaded and installed, should be good to go....

[sukarof]

Thanks jfd15. I guess I just got confused. You are right, there is a serial in the zipped download file.
I have now downloaded it and take all back. This seems like nice software.

[ErikAlbert]

{QUOTE->
As to ErikAlbert's question about the USB device, here's the answer from PC Mag's (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1887868,00.asp) review of the previous version:

When a job is set to back up to a USB key drive, the application is smart enough to make the attempt only when that particular key drive is attached to your system. Thanks to what NTI calls Smart USB Device Detection, the app will cancel the job if a different USB device (or none) is attached. <-QUOTE}
I consider this as normal that NTI checks the external HDD first, when it backups data. That is the same as an application that requires a website to do its job, it has to test first if the website is accessible. But that was not the purpose of my question.

In order to do its job NTI requires an external HDD that is turned ON, otherwise it won't do its job according your own post.
Where else am I'm going to do my backups, there is nothing else than an external HDD to do this, unless I use another backup media.

I never turn ON my external HDD, while I'm connected to the internet and I'm constantly online, EXCEPT when I do my backups/restores.
So I don't see any benefit in using NTI, because my external HDD would be constantly online and that is an invitation to malware to infect my external HDD and that is unacceptable.
When I'm surfing on the internet, my data partition is automatically LOCKED by DefenseWall and NTI can't read my data partition and that means it can't do its job either.
NTI is out of the question, it doesn't fit in my recovery/security solution.

[Hairy Coo]

Quite intriguing for data backup and in fact can be a continuous backup system-works silently in the background,only using about 8000k mem.

User friendly ,nicely laid out,good scheduler and very fast-seems the fastest for data backup I have tested.
Can backup to any location of choice, in Explorer form.

The only peculiarity noticed is that older files etc are kept in archive,instead of being replaced by newer ones ,as commented on by InfinityAZ.
Seems to be a bug,as one alternative for backing up is "When you make changes to a file, NTI Shadow will store only the latest file version in the backup destination."
If I can find a way to disable the old file archiving,may keep as the data backup app of choice.

Definitely worth trying:thumb:

[cortez]

Once opened into an exe. file it will not install without an internet connection (this to me is like an "activation" system).

It may be "free" but not without strings.

I suppose it will want to call home frequently.

[sukarof]

{QUOTE-> Once opened into an exe. file it will not install without an internet connection (this to me is like an "activation" system).

It may be "free" but not without strings.

I suppose it will want to call home frequently. <-QUOTE}

Hmm.. I did have my internet connection on when I installed, but my firewall did not give any alert that Shadow wanted to connect to the net..
Hopefully it doesnt use any stealth method, but I guess any guy with a decent HIPS would notice it.

Having said that I must say that I like this software. It is easy to handle and just set and forget. It will record any changes to the folders I have asked it to backup. For now I use it to backup my Roboform data and my Firefox profile on another drive. I could use it to store on a USB stick, but I trust my hard drives. Sure, one can use freeware stuff like Karens replicator with a schedule but I like the real time feature of this software.

[Hairy Coo]

{QUOTE->

Having said that I must say that I like this software. It is easy to handle and just set and forget. It will record any changes to the folders I have asked it to backup. For now I use it to backup my Roboform data and my Firefox profile on another drive. <-QUOTE}

Its a winner EXCEPT for the fatal flaw about not deleting old files when backing up.

Is this also happening to you?

I have tried every combination of settings and impossible to remedy.

The immediate backing up of new data is amazing-I can put a new test file on the desktop and immediately the same file appears in the backup folder.

[Peter2150]

Does anyone know if this is the advanced or standard version?

Pete

[Hairy Coo]

Pete,

Seems a mix of both, strangely.

It does have Continuous, Real Time Backup,Previous File Version,but not Complete Image Backup or One Step Complete Restore

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> Seems to be the Advanced,as the Standard doesnt have the Continuous, Real Time Backup,plus a few others which the freebie does have. <-QUOTE}

Downloaded. May have a use for this.

[Hairy Coo]

{QUOTE-> Downloaded. May have a use for this. <-QUOTE}

Could you check for the possible bug which doesnt delete old files when new files are backed up-no synchronization, no matter what the setting.

Also my edited post above thinks its a mix.

[Peter2150]

{QUOTE-> Could you check for the possible bug which doesnt delete old files when new files are backed up-no synchronization, no matter what the setting.

Also my edited post above thinks its a mix. <-QUOTE}

Sure will. Of course if it's backup and not sync, I am not really surprised it doesn't delete.

[Az7]

200433

[RAD]

I am trying it out too.
It seems to work well, and as I expected.
You can select the number of old versions to keep when creating a backup Job.
Then, older versions are moved to a folder called "Revision 000" Revision 001" etc....but they are hidden files that you onlty see if you choose the "Restore" fubction. Otherwise, you only see the latest version in the Backup Location you selected.
If you chose to only save one version, it doesn't create any of the hidden "Revision ### folders.

Fast and slick. So far, I like it.

[Hairy Coo]

{QUOTE-> 200433 <-QUOTE}

Thanks for that-well done !!

It works and now a very nice data backup app.

[Hairy Coo]

A reminder-June 8 last day for the free download of this great software,best data backup I have used :thumb:

Get it HERE (http://www.ntius.com/shadow_promotion.asp)

[EASTER]

{QUOTE-> A reminder-June 8 last day for the free download of this great software,best data backup I have used :thumb:

Get it HERE (http://www.ntius.com/shadow_promotion.asp) <-QUOTE}

Have to admit Hairy Coo, i really wasn't gonna bother. Could have took advantage all week, but you're satisfaction expressed in your post inspired me.

Thanks, i'll give it a try.

EASTER

[Hairy Coo]

Easter,

The continuous backup system is rather amazing-the option to watch out for is as under post 23 by AZ7-if that is not enabled-old backup files wont be deleted!

[osip]

Tnx for the reminding...installed and running fine. Reminds me of Vcom:s autosave...

[TerryWood]

Hi All

A slightly different perspective from all the plaudits received so far.

Beautifully simple GUI.

Product is inconsistent. It does not always load the tray icon. This happens regularly. Why is this IMPORTANT. If the tray icon is not loaded backups do not occur.

Its as simple as that.

If you cannot rely on an application to do what is simple as well as fundamentally important, then no matter how pretty a GUI its useless.

Could you really rely on software that is inconsistent?

Terry

[osip]

{QUOTE-> Product is inconsistent. It does not always load the tray icon. This happens regularly. <-QUOTE}

I don´t have that problem at all...

[EASTER]

{QUOTE-> I don´t have that problem at all... <-QUOTE}

Neither do i. It shows up fine. Windows XP Professional SP2

[Hairy Coo]

{QUOTE-> Product is inconsistent. It does not always load the tray icon. <-QUOTE}

Not the apps fault usually-happens all the time with all sorts of apps.
Just remedy by placing it in the Startup section in the Start Menu.

[TerryWood]

Hi HairyCoo

I already did what you suggested, but I then get two tray icons.

I either get inconsistency, that is sometimes a tray icon sometimes not, or I get two icons in the tray if I use the start up folder

Thanks

Terry

[Hairy Coo]

Terry,
Well two is better than none.;D

Best just try reinstalling after a reg clean.

[RAD]

NTI Shadow is working perfectly for me, and I really like it !
I like how you can set different backup locations for different file types, and with different revision save levels, etc... Very cutomizable.

I was an NTI BackupNow! customer back in the WIN 98 era. I went away from them because their imaging software wasn't Vista compatable when I needed it. I now use Paragon for disk images, but Shadow is a great little file backup utility.

[Hairy Coo]

Seems there is a weakness with Shadow.

If large, fast changes are made to the data,like shuffling 1.5gb data around,amending and deleting in quick sequence-it just cant keep up in continuous backup mode and locks,just not powerful enough.

A new backup job has to be created to replace the old.