True Image Echo Workstation – Has anybody tried it?

Unlike True Image 11, True Image Echo Workstation promises to restore onto another machine with a different hardware setup! Has anyone tried it? (I’m just now testing their 15-day trial version and have not previously used Acronis software.)

Per an article in PC World (find.pcworld.com/58928 )
“…and if you opt for the more expensive Workstation version you can also purchase a Universal Restore module that will restore images to a PC with a different hardware profile from the one that the image was created on.” (Note: “more expensive” = extra $20.The Universal Restore is an add-on to Workstation and can be purchased later - $30 for one license.)

I’m interested in this because it is one thing to have an image of the C drive in case it crashes, but what if the entire machine dies, or when I simply need to upgrade to a new machine? My current machines have so many neat applications that to reinstall everything is simply not an option…. Rather, it would be a horrible nightmare! Comments anyone?

 

Yes, I've tried it. I'm a long time user of Acronis products and I shelled out money for a personal copy of this product just to be able to get AES256 encrypted backups.

The other objective was to try the Universal Restore with VMWARE as a target. That worked as well (initial try did not since I selected only a partition in the source, not the full disk).

When I restored the image (from an IBM T43P) into a vmware guest by mounting the USB disk into the guest and booting of the TIEW ISO I could it worked. The only inconvenience was the mouse did not work but after installing vmware tools it picked it up and the guest seemed like any other VMWARE guest.

So, now I can have an encrypted copy of my main work laptop and if it gets stolen restore the image to any system powerful enough to decently run a VMWARE guest (for my test I used an early IBM T60, dual core).

The only snag I ran into was that the source file exclusion did not match *.vmdk so the backup image ended up larger than I wanted.

The file exclusion rule "*.vmdk" shall exclude XYZ.vmdk in vmware guest folder I presume, can anyone confirm the syntax?

Thanks,
Ove

 

Ohh, if anyone wonders, it was WinXP SP2 that i restored into a VMWARE guest session.

Ove

 

Oewerlid, Thank you, your comments are very reassuring. I imagine that you also needed to buy the US$30 Universal restore, is this correct?

As I had skimmed over info about TI Echo Workstation there seemed to be a bunch of caveats about why/when the recovery onto a different hardware profile might not work (and this stuff was 'over my head').

As a home user the extra US$20 difference between TI-11 and Workstation seems to me as a 'no brainer'.

 

Yes, I the Universal Restore feature needed to be purchased in addition to Echo Workstation. I'm happy to pay to outsource fiddling with these aspects of MS Windows. I've spent too much time on this historically.

Here is some personal rant triggered by this success

Each time I try this in the future on different source hardware and it works it will give me a kick. Too much time spent historically re-installing windows due to moving to new hardware.

Guess I'm trying to say that Echo Workstation + Universal Restore, when it works, removes head ache I hope it will have a good track record the coming years. The fact that it worked once for me gives me hope of less exposure to MS Windows system level pains.

Next thing is to try it on Vista but I do not need that yet.

Ove

 

Thanks for confirming that indeed Universal Restore was needed and that it worked! The more I learn while testing the 15-day trial version of Workstation the more I like it and I'm ready to buy it.

It would seem to me that TI Echo Workstation + U Restore would be a killer application if Acronis bundled it and marketed it to the masses at a much lower price. In my casual look at Acronis' Migrate Easy I quickly stumbled onto the need to invoke some Windows 'prepare' thingie, plus a list of caveats about arcane reasons of when it won't work - no thanks.

I'm also sick of the historical time I have spent wrestling with MS Windows (incl security vulnerability) thus, as you have, I will also be migrating to VMWARE (and Linux). In the meantime, as a home user with three machines I will be avoiding Vista as long as I can... and when I'll need to buy a new machine I can then transfer my stuff onto the new hardware.

Comments anyone?

 

Used Acronis TI Workstation 9.1.3886 + universal restore twice in the real world.

1. Win2K OS migrated to a new desktop ( AMD/Via Chipset to a AMD/SIS chipset motherboard) --> worked well after finding all the drivers

2. WinXP SP2 from migrated to a new notebook. On my old notebook the LCD screen went and was going to cost $700 to repair. Money was put towards an Asus A8SV ( sata HDD) --> migration went well as the Asus website had all the drivers. But WinXP SP2 demands activation as it nows detects new hardware configuration. So unless you have a way of over coming this limitation, the success of migration depends to some extent on your operating system.

 

Thanks to all who are sharing their experiences using Echo Workstation for restoring onto new hardware!

Ocular wrote:
> But WinXP SP2 demands activation as it now detects new hardware configuration. So unless you have a way of over coming this limitation, the success of migration depends to some extent on your operating system.

Comments would be appreciated on how others solved this problem. Wanting to be prepared in case I run into this problem, in my searching I found (but not yet explored):
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/howtotell

Below is something I had transcribed from PC World from a late ’07 issue… Note, it pertains more to swapping drives and unfortunately the 800 phone number listed does not seem to be working.
___________________________________________
From PC World (around Sept-Dec ’07):
“In theory WGA can distinguish between a new drive and a new machine, but sometimes it gets confused und asks you to reactivate Windows. If reactivation fails call Microsoft's Activation hotline at 800-571-2048; to speak with a human say "agent" when asked what option you want. If your copy of Windows came with your PC (and therefore isn't supposed to be transferred to a new PC) and WGA thinks your new drive is a new PC. If you had multiple partitions on your old drive, create the same partitions and in the same order on the new drive. If that doesn't work call the vendor's technical support (and don't blame WGA if the problem is that your computer BIOS does not recognize the new drive).

 

ocular wrote:
> Isn't this where XP licence prevents you from going further?

Indeed, if Windows came pre-installed on the machine I'll bet that will preclude not only migrating to another machine but also upgrading the motherboard, etc.

Nonetheless, since Windows "Genuine Advantage" can also be a real showstopper even while simply replacing a C drive, I am hoping others will descrbe their experience dealing with this.

As an aside, for one of my two old PCs (can't remember which) I bought XP-Home and started with a clean OS install... (that was before SP-1)... thus I'm trying to figure out my options for transfering to new hardware as my machines age - the thought of reinstalling all the goodies on my two machines onto new hardware give me terrible nightmares.

Bottom Line: Meanwhile, for me it is a no-brainer to pay the extra $20 to get TI Echo Workstation instead of TI-11... just in case at least one of my PCs can migrate to new hardware... (would require then paying $30 for the Universal Restore add-on to Workstation).

I'm a newbie to True Image using a 15-day trial of Workstation and trying to figure out how to deal with aging PCs... thus I appreciate all the comments from other users.

 

Oewerlid, Would you please comment on what you had to do re-validate the Windows license. And do the Windows updates work OK?

My understanding is that a Universal Restore transfer onto different hardware requires re-validating Windows. That is fine if one bought Windows separately and installed it from scratch; however if Windows came bundled with the PC (as mine did) I believe the Windows license cannot be transfered. Thus I'm hoping that by going to a virtual machine environment I can transfer the great stuff that is on my aging PC and avoid the dread of reinstalling. I look forward to your comments.