Problems if there is no vss!

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by ams963, Jun 1, 2012.

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  1. ams963

    ams963 Registered Member

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    Hi,

    I want to know what are the difficulties/problems I should face if I were to make hot image using any imaging software without VSS(my VSS is kind of broken)? I mean what are the disadvantages of not using VSS?

    Best Wishes,
    ams963
     
  2. TheRollbackFrog

    TheRollbackFrog Imaging Specialist

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    Greetings! For HOT imaging (running the imaging program under the Windows system you are trying to image), you will possibly wind up with a fracturted file system, incomplete files, and/or other tidbits of baddies.

    The main purpose of VSS is to FREEZE the file system (a checkpoint, if you will) while it's being imaged. Any changes to that system that are done during the imaging process are cached in a separate area during the imaging process, and as such will not be imaged at that time. When the imaging process is complete, VSS is released and Windows will take all the cached changes and integrate them into the main file system.

    If you don't freeze that system during the image, you will wind up with all those incomplete changes in the image itself.

    To my knowledge, all the HOT imaging systems use VSS to accomplish a CLEAN image. The "Image For Windows" product (a great imager, by the way) uses its own technology called PHYLOCK to accomplish this. If for some reason you really want to use VSS, it may be selected for use in IFW's options.
     
  3. ams963

    ams963 Registered Member

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