Cold-Imaging Competition

It only takes minutes to make that WinPE and IFW is faster on my computer than IFD or IFL. I prefer restoring with IFW and for those not used to the TeraByte terminology, IFW is easier to use. Just use the default options. Most people can ignore the Settings menu.

You can cold image (and restore of course) with IFW.

The WinPE boots faster on a USB flash driver than on a CD.

 

I'm so stoked about getting this going that I'm already downloading the WAIK.iso file and have the tbwinpe files extracted Perhaps this is the pot of gold at the end of the IFW rainbow I've been looking for

 

wat0114,

I hope you like it. Just accept all the defaults when you build the WinPE. It does only take a few minutes to build. When you boot the WinPE it loads the normal IFW gui.

Networking is enabled so you can image/restore to/from a network share. I just did that with a computer I was given a few days ago. The HD was blank so I restored an image (of a similar computer) stored on another computer. The OS booted without needing fixing of the storage controller drivers.

 

Hi BrianK,

well, I really hoped I would like it, and I built the WinPE IFW disk successfully with defaults as you suggested, imaged the same test partition as I was using with my other tests, it took 22:52 to complete a 34.3 GB image, then restored it, and near the end of the restore procedure I got a "image stream is corrupted" message" "FAILED!" x3 A validation ended with the same message again.

I don't know what to say, except the experience with this product on the whole has been very disappointing, obviously. IFL boot disk has performed the best so far, both in speed and reliability, but everything else has been hit and miss.

I'm presently restoring a known good ShadowProtect image to that test drive and I will try the WinPE IFW disk again. *EDIT* the restore of the SP image just completed in a stellar 13:26 I honestly see nothing yet that can hold a candle to SP.

 

wat0114,

I know you won't like this but you should check for these hardware issues..

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=151

 

Right, I saw that page a while back when I first encountered problems with this. I'm overclocking slightly in CPU and memory, but I really don't want to be disabling all that just to get this product to work, especially when everything else I use works flawlessly, other than backup or restore processing speeds.

Strangest thing I saw on my second backup of the test drive's partition: I had restored a known, good image to it using SP, then I boot off the PE IFW disk, and when I see the drive in the list of source selections, it shows something to the effect of "EMBR out of Sync!" and then I highlighted and chose Information, and it show it as containing, can't remember the value exactly, ~ 17,000 MB It should be ~ 95, 000 MB. Something definitely wrong! So I decided to backup my production drive instead, and I'm then going to validate it it, followed by a restore to the test drive. Will let you know how things went.

 

Bad news: "The image stream is corrupt: Please reboot

This is an image of my production drive that I know is working fine. Oh well, that's all I can do tonight.

 

I recall a thread here about a year ago when an IFW image failed validation and wouldn't restore. The RAM failed in testing and new RAM fixed the IFW issue. It's worth checking your RAM, "just in case".

 

You might be right Brian. I've encountered a couple BSOD's the past month that seemed to be memory related. I'll run Memtest or similar tonight, all night, on the sticks. Still, even if it ends up being them, it's too bad IFW depends so much on that. The vcore is overclocked slightly to 2.70v and the dram clocking is upped a bit to 216 mHz, but the sticks should be able to handle that easily, and then some. They're circa 2006 Corsiar 3500 ll Pro - pretty much irreplaceable for this machine. i sure hope it's not bad RAM

Thanks for your help, Brian.

 

wat0114,

I certainly hope you don't have bad RAM.

Here is an interesting thread where the RAM passed testing (brief testing) but was bad anyway.

http://community.norton.com/t5/Othe...-Recovery-Error-Blue-Screen/m-p/515052#M38264

 

memtest86 ran all night, with 9 Pass & 0 errors, so although not completed yet, things are looking good. I'm wondering if the example you link to is a case of bad RAM or RAM that's incompatible with Ghost? Maybe my case, IFW doesn't like the RAM? Just a thought. IFL disk, btw, works perfectly fine on this machine. Anyway, because I'm not one to give up easily on things like this, later when time permits I will set memclock and vcore RAM values to default levels and test the pe disk again. The disk imaged and restored no problems in another of our machines, and older, 2003, custom-built one.

 

*UPDATE*

memtest running > 12 hrs = 13 Pass & 0 Errors. I've stopped running it because that's long enough for me

 

*UPDATE*

The TB WinPE backup/restore attempts are now successful After setting the RAM MemClock value to 200 MHz from 216 MHz, backup/restore procedures worked flawlessly with both the previous v2.65 and the latest WinPE disk I built last night, v2.65a.

The backup/restore times are posted in post #130.

Sorry about muddling this thread with the issues I've posted regarding IFW.

 

wat0114,

Thanks for adding those interesting test results to the thread (it seems SP kicks butt)! If it's not too much trouble, would you determine if SP's timings differ significantly based on which of the two WinPE versions (on SP's Boot Disk) is selected?

Aaron

 

You're welcome, Aaron. Well, back to the WinPE IFW problems again, even with latest 2.65a I tried another backup/restore on the test drive, and although the backup completed (did not validate it) the restore attempt ended just as miserably as before I backed off on the RAM's MemClock setting with an "Image stream is corrupt" message

This has been how it's gone for me using IFW - hit and miss. There's no point in me pursuing this any further. Out of all the components this package contains, only IFL has been 100% reliable for me. Of course, ShadowProtect is by the best imaging product I've used, as not only 100% reliable, but also the fasted I've used. Although I've complained quite a bit about their restrictive licensing policy, and to a lesser extent their price point, I will not hesitate to purchase again the next major upgrade available.

 

I thought i should post the times for ghost32

Backup: 5:00
Restore: 4:30

It was a hdd with windows 7 that had some apps installed.

Used space 23gb. The compressed .gho file 6,5gb.

I also tried doing it with the built in disk cloning included with Wondershare Liveboot 2012. It took 14 min to backup the hdd. I did not feel to test how long it takes to restore. And the image file size was similar as the .gho file. around 6 gb. So i will never use Wondershare to backup. heh

Note: I have 2 SSD's and i7 pc. I backup the system ssd to the other ssd, hence the fast speeds.

 

I created a bootable USB stick with SP and the initial menu with two WinPE environments disappeared. Now it goes directly to the "recommended" environment. I first created the bootable USB with EasyBCD, then with Paragon Recovery Media Builder. In both cases the same happened.

Anyway, the "second" WinPE is based on a five-year old Windows version. I would only use it if the recommended environment didn´t work, which isn´t the case.

 

As it turns out, neither of SP's WinPE selections sees my desktop's C-drive, even after loading my HDD-controller's driver (with SP's legacy WinPE)! .....so after all is said and done, if a disk-imager isn't 100% compatible with your hardware, it's other attributes are of no consequence.

Aaron

 

Sorry I just tried this a few minutes ago, and there is really no significant difference for me between the two environments.

That is odd. I've tried the disk always with option 1 environment on other machines in the household - some very old and some much newer - and SP always sees all drives and partitions.

 

having this issue right now also?? as well as the issue with active@ boot disk. others work just fine. im still working on this. so far tested macrium, easeus, farstone, acronis, ifw, ifd, o&o, and active image protector. working on the rest and will post soon as i cab get the rest to work right hopefully next day or so. sorry for the delay just want to make sure they are all tested the same under the same conditions using the same prtition of course on the same machine same drive etc.. i want the results to be as accurate as possible i have also done 2 runs on each to see if the results vary at all.

 

Good point there Aaron.

 

The ShadowProtect PE environments you guys are talking about are that which I've posted in the screenshots? Just want to make sure I'm on the same page. Even in the vm everything works fine, including the USB connected external drive partitions showing.

 

Yes, we are on the same page but not on the same hardware. The SATA controller in my XP desktop is a Promise 378 Fasttrak and neither of SP's two recovery environments see my WD360 C-drive (connected to the Promise controller)...

...the really strange thing is that after I instruct SP to load my Promise driver, it still doesn't see my C-drive!

Aaron

 

Okay got it, that's too bad Maybe email Storagecraft Support? They were helpful both times when I had activation issues. If I use the eSata connection to my external drive SP won't see it, but at least USB 2.0 works.

 

I did contact their support staff - who told me that their implementation already includes the Promise 378 driver and wouldn't pursue it any further (perhaps because I'm a trial user).

Needless to say, I'm not too thrilled with their level of support.

Aaron