Drive Snapshot not Dead

Absolutely

i believe they use a linux rescue CD, linux = free (like free beer)

i dont mean to be rude, but i think whoever is making DS is a bit lazy to make a linux enviroment cd rescue, if he doesn't know how to do it, he can always sub-contract someone else to do it for him, after all the guy is doing business, and that's what i call "doing good business".

 

Both Macrium Reflex (free) and Acronis use a Linux boot CD. Both have major problems with their recovery discs as drivers for new hardware are produced very late for Linux.

Reflex (commercial) and ShadowProtect provides Windows PE-based Boot CDs. Those are not free.

I don't think that Tom is likely to want to get into significant trouble with his commercial product, as Acronis has with True Image, by providing a Linux boot CD likely to generate lots of complaints from users of recent hardware.

 

Correction: it is called "Reflect". Also, the Linux Rescue CD of Reflect is compatible with a wide range of hardware. It might not be the same as a WinPE, but it's still pretty good.

 

Yes, it's "Reflect". My apologies.

I agree. A Linux boot CD will work with a large range of hardware. Therefore you can provide it with free products. Those unfortunate users for whom the CD does not work will not complain about it if it is not working on their hardware. If they do, you can redirect them to your commercial version. It's a win-win situation.

That's why Macrium provide Linux boot with their free version. For their paying customers they provide a Windows PE disk.

Acronis, which provides a commercial product with a Linux Boot CD probably wish they never did. You only have to refer to the old Acronis True Image board on this site to see the amount of angst (and anger among customers) that decision has generated.

 

Now that Windows 7 is out I think it's time for Drive Snapshot to officially support it, including excluding the swap and hibernation files. If there are any DS users out there that also use Windows 7 perhaps now would be a good time toi shoot me an email and coax him a little.

 

Not yet but I will ! Also, DS should optionally exclude System Restore files, that were huge and useless under Vista (and very difficult to exclude with VISTA).
And propose an exclusion from GUI.