Macrium Reflect or Shadow Protect Win 8

@Aladdin; Very smart idea, indeed!

Page 409 of the manual for SSR 2013 seems to indicate this is correct, assuming they are using WinPE:

I could find no indication in the manual that their recovery disk is based on WinPE, however. But if it is, this doesn't correlate with what support for other imaging software has told us about the licensing change. Perhaps the change to licensing isn't so much that companies aren't ALLOWED to include a WinPE build anymore, but that MS has made it cost prohibitive for smaller companies developing imaging software?

 

Very true above. Microsoft charges in the neighborhood of $14 to $20 per copy of WinPE included with the imaging program. Thus, Macrium Reflect upgrade cost to the family license for four licenses is $60. At $14 per license, Microsoft will be demanding from Macrium Reflect, about $56 for four licenses. At $20 per license, Microsoft will be demanding from Macrium Reflect, about $80 for four licenses.

Best regards,

 

It is true that SSR 2013 Recovery Disk is a pre-built WinPE 4.0.
You can download a trial version of SSR 2013 Recovery Disk from Symantec's official site.

 

Andylau,

Do you have the link.

Many thanks and best regards,

Mohamed

 

http://www.symantec.com/image-backup-software

you need to sign-up a account to download a trial version
https://www4.symantec.com/Vrt/offer?a_id=88749

 

Dear Andylau,

It same like doing with StorageCraft Shodow Protect.

Best regards,

 

The problems I've read about with activations is the reason I have not purchased SP.

Just too much hassle to go thru.

If they ever lighten up on that procedure... I'll jump on SP, but not until then.

 

Then I believe that all these companies which release software that utilize WinPE be more upfront with their reasoning behind the change. Instead of "due to licensing change imposed by MS we can no longer include a pre-built WinPE CD with our software," they should say something more like "MS has added (or increased the cost of) a licensing fee that makes it cost prohibitive for us to include a pre-built WinPE CD." Honestly, I feel they should offer it as an option to users. Want a pre-built WinPE CD? No problem! It'll be $xx extra... It wouldn't be difficult for them to do this and describe the reason for the increased cost.

If Symantec is going to release SSR (and maybe Ghost) at a similar price point to other imaging software BUT INCLUDE A PRE-MADE WINPE CD then other companies better be jumping onboard or they're going to lose out to Symantec... This is something which appears (for an unknown reason to me) to be important to many people.

 

Damn. What happens when you suffer from allergies like me Now seriously, I was considering Shadow Protect....

 

This is what I have heard about Shadowprotect, it is extremely touchy about activations. I have heard that you need to reactive it every time your update it. Sometimes the activation does not work online, so you then need to contact their support, provide your info and then they activate it for you. It takes a day or so, unless it is the weekend, then you can only get it done on Monday.

So, unless you need one of the functionality that is exclusively offered by Shadowprotect and you do not mind a hefty price tag, then you can go with it, otherwise if you just need a reliable backup program, then I will recommend Macrium over Shadowprotect, as Macrium does not have these activation problems and it is significantly cheaper.

 

So the procedure for the free Macrium to download the free version and download and install WAIK/WADK? Do I need both or just WAIK? I have 64 bit OS so should I install both 32/64bit? What does installing these do? Does it enable me to make a PE boot disk? Thanks for clarifying this for me. Irun Win 8 Pro and they list only to Win 7. That a problem?

 

For Windows 8 you need WADK. For Windows 7 you need WAIK. Yes, you will be able to make PE boot disk and also PE boot menu.

Best regards,

 

This is exactly what I have read about SP. It seems to be a reliable program, but WAY too touchy and a Gigantic PAI about activations.

This difficulty is what has stopped me from purchasing it.

 

I run their Pro version. I did not install both a 32 and a 64 bit version of either the WADK or Reflect, only a single version of WADK and only the 64 bit version of Reflect. WADK does enable you to make a PE boot disk, though I'm not sure if that's the case for the free version. The question has been answered in their forums before if you want to search; I just don't recall. Reflect works with Win8-64.

Also, I don't believe their free version allows you to make a boot menu to boot to the rescue environment but their paid version definitely does.

 

To avoid "to install WAIK or WADK.", I installed it when in 'Frozen Mode' using 'Toolwiz Time Freeze' and Macrium Free does the CD WinPE well.

After reboot no WAIK registry/files leftovers...

 

Although I can do this in virtual machine, it is just a waste of time to do so.

I do not think that there are many users would like to download WAIK/WADK to build a WinPE.

If there is a full function(both backup and restore) linux bootdisk provided, most users will not build a WinPE by themselves.

 

The user doesn't have to build a WinPE by him or herself with Reflect. You don't even have to download it separately, though you have that choice. The wizard to create the bootable media will either download the WADK/WAIK or you can point to where you've already installed it. The Reflect wizard then uses that information to create the bootable media with Reflect on it.

The ONLY thing difficult about it is that some people seem to think it's a horrible thing to have to wait for the download. I have a cable modem connection and it took me like three minutes. If I were unlucky enough to have a dialup connection I would ask a friend to download it for me. The WADK/WAIK is a MS product, so completely safe to have on your MS OS computer and takes up a measly 1.57GB of space on the hard drive once installed. And as long as you don't get rid if it it's a one time download and you can use that same install every single time you create new bootable media for updated Reflect versions.

Simple. Easy. Seamless.

 

Of course not. It´s not a good solution.

That´s why some vendors provide an alternative, to build the WinPE from the WinRE that´s already in the Windows installation, withouh downloading anything. But sometimes this method doesnt´work.

 

And, basically the WAIK and WADK is a small copy of Windows, which is already installed on your computer.

I use WAIK to build the WinPE for almost all imaging programs, virus programs and partition programs. If WAIK is installed in your PC, these programs including Macruim Reflect find the WAIK automatically and build the WinPE.

To build WinPE, one need two things:

1. WAIK installed, if not then the program such as Macrium Reflect downloads it for you.

2. plug-ins to build the WAIK, which comes built into the programs, such as IFW and Macrium Reflect.

Best regards,

 

If my purpose is to do a Macrium Reflect WinPE boot CD, without installing WAIK, I don't see the point that "it is just a waste of time to do so".

In fact to me it is "just a waste of time" to want to work with Macrium without to have a reliable WinPE boot CD to Macrium backup images.

Like you I "just do not want to install WAIK or WADK" (it's why I used 'Toolwiz Time Freeze'); but I want more: to have a reliable "WinPE with Macrium Reflect free edition".

With Macrium I can do 'hot' images backup and restore it with their WinPE if wanted. To do 'cold' images I use 'Redo Backup & Recovery' that works like a charm here.

 

So, you downloaded about 1.5 GB in 3 minutes (in the case of WAIK). Your internet speed connection is then about 70 Mbps.

The average broadband connection speed in the US, is 6.6 Mbps.

Numbers sometimes clarify things.

 

I really don't see it as a big deal to wait even 30 minutes. It's a one-time download. Heck, I own a game that took me 8 hours to download. It wasn't a big deal, I just set the download up and went to bed. When I woke up, it was done.

In the case of overage charges, again, I'd just get with a friend. Luckily that's not an issue for me.

I was just reading a topic over at the Macrium forums which led me to believe you don't even need to actually INSTALL the WAIK files. Just slap the installation program into a folder and Reflect will get what it needs from it. It does appear that PART of the WAIK is installed during this process, but I'm not sure to what extent. Meaning: I don't know if WAIK/WADK uses registry entries in the first place, and if it does I don't know if Reflect's method would as well or not.

http://support.macrium.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5212

@majoMo; Just out of curiosity, why is it important to you to get rid of all traces of WAIK/WADK? And, do you save the installation program so you can "freeze install" it again every time you need to update your Reflect recovery CD? Or do you download the installation file from MS again every time you need it?

I've never heard of this... If MS truly is NOT licensing WinPE for developers to include it with their programs could it be possible that the new SSR (and soon to be Ghost, what, v16?) actually uses this WinRE instead of WinPE?

Edit:
Never mind on this last question, the answer is obvious seeing as a pre-made boot CD is INCLUDED with SSR.

 

Robin A.,

Thanks for pointing out this.

 

For me, I do not need WAIK/WADK to build WinPE with Macrium.

Robin A. and aladdin have already said the alternative methods to build a WinPE without WAIK/WADK. But I do not use these methods.

 

Hi All,

I just wanted to add a quick post as most of this conversation has been good comments about Macrium with several people mentioning that they haven't tried ShadowProtect.

If anyone is interested in downloading a full-featured trial of ShadowProtect to comparison shop you can click here to get a copy. I'd be interested in your comments.

PS. Yes, I'm a little biased because I work for StorageCraft and know how great ShadowProtect is, but I also plan to check out Macrium and see what it has to offer. I don't know the difference yet either. Maybe you'll see me back in this thread sometime with more information to contribute.

Cheers!