Roll back/Go back-software - Which is the best?

Best=most reliable, in this context.

I found the following ones.

Backontrack
DeepFreeze
GoBack
Raxco First Defense
RestoreIT
Rollback Rx
ShadowUser
WinrollBack

Are there any comparative tests out there?

I got "blue screen" a couple of weeks ago and naturally was terrified when I couldn't even use safe mood to start the computer. Dell recomended I re-format the disk and make a clean install. Luckily the recovery disc gave me the alternative to try to repair the system first. In the second try it worked! I only had to install a couple of application as opposed to all of them and possible file lost.

I need a Roll back/Go back-software that even could handle the above situation.

Tried to install First Defense, but it didn't work. On their support-page they said it could conflict with Kaspersky, which I of course use.

Thank you in advance!

Carlo

 

If you are truly interested in trying FirstDefense, somewhere on the Raxco website there is a faq or knowledgebase article that tells you how to use KAV and FD together safely.

Acadia

 

I would agree - depends on what you want


RB is very easy but at the moment snapshots are not persistent

FD is slightly slower to use but has persistent snapshots and archiving - so more relaible

 

That's one I've not heard of before. All the others I knew of.

 

I say give strong consideration to the level of support you will receive. That immediately eliminates GoBack because Symantec support is an oxymoron. And from a support standpoint, among the contenders it's hard to beat Raxco (FDISR).

That said, I really like Rollback Rx because of its speed of creating/restoring snapshots, not to mention that it is easily the least 'resource hungry' of them all. BUT there'a a gremlin lose in the current version that has yet to be nailed down! So until their techies find and fix it, I say hold-off.

Bottom-line: If you need to make a commitment now, I would recommend FDISR, but if you can wait a while until Rollback's problem is understood and fixed, it would be the clear winner (their support is also pretty good).

~pv

 

Good point I suppose - I didn't know how do that when I used FDISR.

 

I never used any of these softwares, but it sounds logical to me that you have to take care about your backup FIRST, before you start playing with softwares, like FDISR, ... that's what I'm doing right now.
I'm still struggling with the separation of winXPproSP2 and my personal files and that problem needs to be solved too, before I continue...
Of course I will use one of these softwares in the future too, but backup first.

My intuition tells me that it is not a good idea to use a snapshot as an image backup, but that is just my personal opinion. Snapshots are constantly on-line and that's what bothering me.

 

FD is way cooler than you think .....


FD can archive snapashots to another disk so - a basic image restore from TI restore - import archive - worst case for disk failure.


or a very simple import of an archive in to an empty snapshot if the system boots to any of the existing snapshots.

 

Well, I will see that later. I thought BootItNG, IFW and IFD were also cool, until I used them in practice.

 

Pete, I never knew about that when I used FDISR (about a year ago). Is this the result of new features added over the past year (what is the latest version)? ~pv

 

I use FD everyday - it is simlpy the best thing I have bought. Oh I also use Rollback on other machines but for relaibility FD is best


Why don't you download the trial and actually just try it

 

I've something like that in mind too.

I was in hurry for choosing an image backup software to make my experiments easier, because I'm dead tired of installing my computer from scratch.
I had only two choices : Acronis or Terabyte, I don't like Symantec and Acronis was more userfriendly.

So I bought Acronis True Image, because the BACKUP function of the "Acronis Bootable Rescue CD" doesn't work in the trial version and I needed a backup of winXPproSP2 without anything else, except the drivers and "Total Uninstall", but not Acronis True Image.

I did more RESTORES than BACKUPS until now and all of them were successfull.
I even restored a .tib-file from my system backup partition to a ZERO-ED system harddisk, using the Rescue CD and everything was OK.
I restored today 3 times a .tib-file on my system backup partition over my actual system partition, using ATI without any problems.
I tried all basic features of ATI (backup + restore + validation) AND the Rescue CD (backup + restore + validation) without any problem.
I was really worried about the restores, not the backups.
I like that backup/restore thingy very much, more than the software itself. It saves alot of time.

 

starfish, you and Pete have renewed my interest in FDISR. Until HDS understands and fixes their current Rollback issues, I have uninstalled it and I'm going to give FDISR another 'look'.

 

Isn't it sad that people cannot be really objective and when ever a Symantec product is in the frame it is immediately discounted because.......it is a Symantec product.

Firstly, I use GoBack (v4)and have used it when it was a Roxio product (up to and including v3). I never needed support from Roxio and I have not needed support from Symantec......and I would say that not requiring support because there are no bugs in theproduct is really what you want from this sort of software.

Secondly, it has and continues to protect my PC perfectly. It is far less of a resource hog than some seurity products (and I exclude Symantec ones because I do not run any of them) - the two processes, GBPoll.exe & GBTray.exe take up 524K & 2,724K of memory respectively.

It does the job......well, IMHO. I would not discount it but rather compare features and decide what you want.

Regards




Baldrick

 

I appologize if it was my remark that upset you. The facts are that I used Roxio GoBack (v3) successfully and after Roxio sold GoBack to Symantec, I bought v4 as I wanted the latest updates in order to be sure it would remain compatible with future WinXP updates.

Well, v4 crashed my system (while creating a restore-point) to the extent that I not only couldn't boot Windows, I wasn't able to even get to the GoBack recovery screen! In a panic, I called Symantec for help and all they could give me was a method to restore my MBR (lot of good that did when my system wouldn't boot)! They offered no other advice or assistance.

So my Symantec 'support' remark stands and I'm sure there are many others who will corroborate that sentiment.

 

Baldrick,

Yes, it's very sad, I didn't choose your software and didn't give it a fair chance.
And another group of members are now sad, because I didn't choose BootItNG, IFW and IFD.
Etc. etc. etc.
I can't satisfy them all, because I have only ONE computer and I can't use three backup softwares at the same time.

I also had no time enough to try them all, I need an image backup for my experiments and I already lost time enough with my new computer and moving to another apartment.
But I will have time enough for softwares like FDISR, RollbackRx, DeepFreeze, ShadowUser, ...

I had enough bad experiences with other products of Symantec in the past and to get rid of them, was even more painfull. So Symantec was my very last choice.
So I offer my sincere apologizes for not being objective this time.

P.S.: I had the same problem with choosing my wife, I couldn't try all Belgian women, there wasn't enough time.

 

If Rollback had persistent snapshot and a built in archiving capability it would be the one for me - ( that from a user who has had quite a few problems with it and can't image the system with TI). It is very easy to use and very quick. I use it on my media server (dual boot) and my dad's pc - to save me me time fixing his pc. It wins on speed and simplicity but ....


FD is an excellent piece of software with nice interface - great support people, persistent snapshots and archiving. I have only trashed it so that it no longer worked once. But that was only the tray app so I just booted into windows reinstalled and magic all the snapshot re-appeared!!!


I have even created an empty snapshot and then installed a new version of xp into it so my test machine has 5 snapshots - 2 of my test build and 3 of my main build. So I kinda have a multi boot system - that how I use it. I then just archive other states to a separate disk.


Compared to just TI - FD is simpy amazingly flexible. A trust worthy friend.


I used to use goback and that saved me a few times but when problems occured for me the snapshot data was not peristent and the support terrible.

 

By the same token, there are others out there who haven't had issues with Symantec Support. The real understanding is how come some people hit snags and others don't?

 

The same with the support of ShadowUser, some people get an answer and others don't, including me and my email was very polite as always, maybe my questions were annoying for them or Belgium is too far for them and not important to them. If they keep on treating me like that, I won't even try their ShadowUser/Surfer. Their website sucks and their manuals are poor. Members at Wilders explain ShadowUser better than ShadowStor ever did.

 

starfish~

Re Rollback, been there done that (if you recall from the main Rollback thread, I also encountered a serious problem)! I have since uninstalled Rollback and tomorrow, after about a year since last using FDISR, I will put it back on my system.

Some day (hopefully soon) Rollback will be the 'system-restore' program to beat, but (strictly from a reliability standpoint) it's just not there yet...

~pv