Acronis True Image on Win 7 x64 ?

I am looking for a user-friendly and totally reliable image-backup program for my new laptop (Win7 x64). In that regard, I was considering installing the Acronis True Image Home trial version, but having read about some difficulties in unistalling it makes me hesitant to try it. So I would like to ask if there are known issues with ATI Home on Win7 x64?

Wendi

 

Dear Wendi,

TeraByte, Image for Windows (IFW) is the best. Has been around for a very long time and constantly being updated without yearly charges. You can buy it for about $33 and it can be legally used on three computers.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/index.htm

They sell IFW with BIBM at a hefty discount for a total of $50 for both of them.

If you just need IFW, then it is always 15% off at Bitsdujour.com for $33

Best regards,

P.S. According to Froggie (The Rollback Frog), he claims, "RBRX luvs IFW'.

 

If I install the IFW Trial Version:

Will I have to remove the trial version in order to convert it to a paid version, or is it just a simple matter of entering a serial number into the trial version?

I've read that IFW presents a great many selections for the user to make before a backup can be run. I'm not technically inclined, so I need a simple-to-use (but reliable) program.

 

Just enter the serial key into the trail version.

For a very, very long time I used the default options and it worked great for me. You can get as technical with it as you want as it is very powerful software.

Just like Drive snapshot it is very small and you can use it on any recovery environment DVD/USB. You will need three small files.

1. IFW.ini: which contains the program options, mostly default in yours and my case.
2. Imagew.ini: which contains the registration information.
3. Imagew.exe: the image and restore execution file/program.

If you plan to use it in combination with Rollback Rx, then let me know and I will help you based on your imaging requirements.

Best regards,

 

I am still running the Rollback trial, but your remarks about Rollback in other threads have been extremely negative, so I am proceeding with caution.

Btw, I tried the Drive Snapshot trial and while it is very easy making a backup with it, I am put-off because I can't use their DOS-restore disk (it's way too technical for me)!

 

Rollback Rx is good for those people who are constantly installing and uninstalling lots of software everyday.

For myself I usually image once a week and in between rely on system restore.

For my wife and kids I use light virualization software and keep their computer in that state for almost a month. When ever, they restart their computer they loose everything except their data. At the end of the month, I update their computers with Windows Updates and Software Updates. Every three months, I image their computers.

What Windows do you use? And, is it x32 or 64?

Drive Snapshot is so small that it can be put on any DVD/USB recovery disk.

We need to build you a DVD or USB recovery disk. Let me know your Windows and is it x32 or x64?

Best regards,

 

As stated in this topic's title and in my original post, my laptop has Windows 7 (Home Premium) x64.

 

Thanks Wendi, it was staring at me right in the face. I am thinking about your situation. I will rank the software which I think fits your needs.

1. Macrium Reflect:

This was the first imaging software I bought about 14 months ago. I paid $100 for 4 licenses. It easily created a Recovery Environment on Boot for me and also a DVD/USB Recovery Environment. Was very easy to use, reliable and the support is great. Version 4 was out for a very long time and updates were free. I happened to buy it six months before version 5 came out. They wanted me to pay $60 for upgrade as four months was cut-off for the major upgrade to version 5. This ticked me off. However, about a month ago, they upgraded me to version 5, and gave me 4 licenses for free.

A. Paid version is great and as I said it easily creates for you the Boot Recovery Environment and DVD/USB Recovery Environment.

B. Free version is as good as the paid version. However, you have to use EasyBCD to create the Boot Recovery Environment. And, download WAIK 1.7GB (a must download for everything) for the DVD/USB Recovery Environment.

http://www.macrium.com/


2. Active@ DiskImage:

The standard version is very excellent for home use. It easily created the DVD/USB Recovery Environment. And for the Boot Recovery Environment, you have to use EasyBCD.

http://www.disk-image.com/


3. Paragon Hard Disk Suite 12 (2012).

It easily creates the Boot Recovery Environment and also the DVD/USB Recovery Environment. However, if you want enhancements, you have to pay them yearly. I own Paragon Hard Disk Suite 11 (2011) and have refused to buy the version 12 (2012). Very soon the version 13 (2013) will be out.

http://www.paragon-software.com/

Best regards,

 

BTW, I also own Acronis True Image Home 2011. It has so many other tools, it boggles the minds. It even has "Try and Decide", like Shadow Defender.

But they came out every year with a new version, which currently is 2012. It is like Paragon. Very soon they will be out with Acronis True Image Home 2013.

From Acronis True Image Home 2012 and onwards they now require online activation.

Best regards,

 

Dear aladdin, your posts are really confusing me (maybe it's because I am not a technical person)!

First you advise me to consider IFW instead of Acronis True Image. Then you recommend 3 other programs, which require EasyBCD (what is that all about)?

Are you now saying that after thinking about it you don't believe IFW is the right choice for me? (I just downloaded the IFW trial, although I have not yet installed it).

Wendi

 

If you want to have Boot Recovery Environment, then you can built this for the following programs with EasyBCD:

1. Macrium Reflect Free
2. Active@ Disk Image.

The following came with an easy option to just turn on the Boot Recovery Environment:

1. Macrium Reflect PRO Paid
2. Paragon Hard Disk Suite 12 (2012)

BTW, you don't have to have the Boot Recovery Environment enabled. I like to have this choice when I am booting into Windows 7 x64.

Yes, IFW is not the right choice for you, because it requires you to built both the Boot Recovery Environment and the DVD/USB Recovery Environment.

My recommendation is for Macrium Reflect PRO Paid version. It is kind of expensive at $60 for one computer or $120 for 4 computers. It has built in both the Boot Recovery Environment and the DVD/USB Recovery Environment as an option to turn it on.

But if you are game and want to try to learn, then I will recommend Macrium Reflect Free as it is as good as Macrium Reflect PRO Paid version. But you have to built both the Boot Recovery Environment and the DVD/USB Recovery Environment, just like for IFW.

The first step for the above is download WAIK, which is 1.7GB.

Best regards,

 

When I turn on my computer, I am presented with the following menu on boot, before I boot into Windows 7 x64. I can boot into any of the imaging programs that I own and either make an image of my system or restore my system.

Best regards,

 

Dear Wendi,

Here are my recommendations again:

My recommendation is for Macrium Reflect PRO Paid version. It is kind of expensive at $60 for one computer or $120 for 4 computers. It has built in both the Boot Recovery Environment and the DVD/USB Recovery Environment as an option to turn it on.

But if you are game and want to try to learn, then I will recommend Macrium Reflect Free as it is as good as Macrium Reflect PRO Paid version. But you have to built both the Boot Recovery Environment and the DVD/USB Recovery Environment, just like for IFW.

Best regards,

 

Maybe you were on the right track all along.
Maybe ATI is just right for you.
I'm trialing it also on w7 64bit, so far so good, but haven't tried uninstalling. And I probably won't.
I've used ATI for many years and have always been satisfied with it.

 

Hi, I'd suggest looking into Norton Ghost.I've been satisfied with it on my win 7 x64 desktop. Once you define a backup job it just takes care of things.
I've made probably a half dozen restores and it's been 100% reliable.
hope this helps,Tim

 

Wendi,
I like Aladdin's suggestion of Macrium and may get this myself but right now I juse IFW and here is another option to create Boot media and also on disk recovery environment. If I undrestand it right, you don't have to download WAIK but I stand to be corrected.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto/tbwinre_tutorial.htm

Gary

 

Hi Gary,

You are right about one doesn't have to download WAIK for WinRE. For WinPE one has to download WAIK.

TeraByte has just introduced WinRE and it is so wonderful. It is the first imaging company to do so. Unfortunately, Rollback Rx has so destroyed my three computers, I am not able to use this new feature.

If you get some time, do download the Macrium Reflect FREE version as it a gem too. It is good to have two or three different imaging programs, to image with.

Best regards,

 

Alladin or anyone,
I am reading about Macrium Pro but I don't see any options relating to specifically restoring First Track of Disk or MBR or Disk Signature. Would like these options, what am I missing here and thanks.

The interface looks great though.

Gary

 

Dear Gary,

I believe it does. However, being owning a PAID version of Macrium Reflect, I am a member on their forum. I will ask the same question there and upon reply I will post it here.

Best regards,

 

Dear Gary,

I got a response from Nick, CEO of Macrium Reflect from their forum. Here is his answer:

 

Aladdin,
Thanks for checking and it sound great. Will probably get the pro edition. Really like IFW also but I believe Macrium's interface is much friendlier and I also like the xml definitions being easy to generate and schedule if needed. Thanks much.

Gary

 

Gary, you are welcome!

Best regards,

 

Wendi,

You head must be spinning by now. You are looking at IFW. When you buy this product you also get IFD and IFL. The latter two apps are the recovery environments for IFW. You can also create or restore images with the latter two apps and each of the three apps can restore images made by the other two.

A WinPE for IFW isn't essential but it is nice to have and that link you posted is a great way of making the CD. No WAIK needed.

I like using IFD because it boots in a few seconds. A WinPE takes longer to boot and with small images I'm sometimes finished an IFD restore before the WinPE could have loaded.

 

Yes my head is kind of spinning. While I have no doubt about the capability and flexibility of IFW, IFD and IFL, I find all of their multiple-choice screens intimidating. Member aladdin says that I can leave every one of those settings at their default values (for Win7 x64), but once that's done is there a way to bypass those backup screens (ditto for restoring)?

Wendi

 

You just need to run a few Validates (no restoring done so it's safe) and you will get the hang of it. When I was in practice I could charge through all the IFD screens in 5 seconds. But now I use batch files and don't have to see any screens at all.

Which screens bother you? We can advise you of the appropriate choices.

Edit ... I guess you are referring to the IFW choices for creating an image. Correct? Or IFD choices?