Backup Application vs Image Application

In practical terms, what is the difference between a backup program and an imaging program. Is it wise/correct to use TI as a backup program? Thanks

 

Generally speaking you can backup a hard drive by making either an Image (which is a compressed file) or a Clone which, in the case of a bootable drive in a system, will also be bootable and will have everything just as they were in the original.
The Image of a bootable drive has to be Restored first before it will become bootable just like the original.
You can save more than one Image to a drive as long as that drive is large enough. A drive can only hold one Clone.

 

A backup program creates an archive that is a snapshot of your files at a point in time.

There are two types of backup programs.

a. Those that are file based, i.e., copy each file by opening each file one at a time. These are very slow, especially when compared with image based backup programs.

b, Those that make an "image" of each drive. These are much faster than file based backups, and, at least while creating the image, would not be expected to suffer the problem described in http://www.standards.com/index.html?CreateFileFailure.

Some image backup programs allow one to mount a volume from the backup archive. This allows removel of malware from backup archives, and the correction of issues related to the CreateFileFailure described supra. For example, see http://www.standards.com/index.html?CopyMoveDeleteRename,
as well as allowing ordinary operations on mounted volumes.

 

Hello jim28277,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

We are sorry for the delayed response.

Please note that as Howard Kaikow there are several difference in backup and image approaches. A backup archive is a file or a group of files (also called in “backups”), that contains a copy of selected file/folder data or a copy of all information stored on selected disks/partitions. When you back up files and folders, only the data, along with the folder tree, is compressed and stored.

Backing up disks and partitions is performed in a different way. The unique technology developed by Acronis and implemented in Acronis True Image allows you to create exact, sector-by-sector snapshot of the disk, which includes the operating system, registry, drivers, software applications and data files, as well as system areas hidden from the user. This procedure is called “creating a disk image,” and the resulting backup archive is often called a disk/partition image.

You could also find more information about the Acronis disk imaging technology in this article on our web site. Also this article could be useful.

Depending on the operating system you use we would recommend that you download and install the free trial version of Acronis True Image to see how the software works on your computer. Acronis True Image 10.0 Home is compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Professional SP2.

Server versions of Windows operating systems (Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced server, Windows 2000 Server and Windows NT 4.0 Server) are supported by: Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows and Acronis True Image 9.1 Enterprise Server.

There is also a Linux version of Acronis True Image program: Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Linux.

Thank you.
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Aleksandr Isakov