So what image tools are you using now?

Hey all! Thought it would be fun to see who is using what and why. I love imaging and have full copies of many imagers and wanted to list where I stand now.

Also, looking for recent opinions on AOEMI Backupper Professional (hate the name but the product is growing on me). My list is:

Gold:
IFW/IFL
Macrium
DriveSnaphot

Silver:
R-Drive Image
O&O DiskImage

Bronze:
AOEMI Backupper (this will move up in the ranks soon)

Ones I keep trying to like but just can't:
Paragon
Drive Cloner RX
StorageCraft
ActiveImage Protector

Ones I finally gave up on:
Farstone Total Recovery Pro
EaseUS
Acronis

Ones I wish were still around:
V2i Protector from PowerQuest (thanks Symantec!)

 

IFW/IFL is all I, or anyone else needs. For something as important as imaging, can anyone afford to not use the best?

 

HA yes it's my number one too! The engineer in me always wanted to try new tools or versions of existing tools. If I had to pick only one it would be IFW/IFL!

 

I moved from Acronis to Macrium years ago and never looked back. It's easy to use, reliable and overall no-problem solution. That's what I like about software.

 

What is it and why is it better then Marcrium for full images?

 

like macrium best but still shadow protect regularly and sometime drive snapshot

 

It's Image for Windows and Image for Linux by TeraByte.

IFW - https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-windows.htm
IFL - https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-linux.htm

 

I used Windows built-in system imaging before moving to Macrium for its RDR. A few times I used ImageUSB, because Macrium doesn't support flash drives.

 

Macrium Reflect free version here because it works and works well.

 

IFW/IFL

 

IFW/IFL for sure. I always though, like to image using a 2nd option, just so that I have a backup of the backup. I used to like DS as my 2nd option, but recently I give up due to the way they treat voluntary bug reports.

OP, the last one you listed, v2i protector from PQ - I think Symantec does still keep it (in a sense): Symantec/Veritas System Recovery 16. It's a very good Windows only solution. If I don't use Linux I'd certainly give it a shot.

 

Now I'm using AOMEI: I find it very good: light, fast, reliable. The only lack is that natively the only way to restore an image is to use an external media: there is a way to launch AOMEIi at the boot - see the post of TheRollbackFrog and manolito here: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thr...rtition-assistant.361543/page-13#post-2685180 - using EasyBCD, but I personally had some trouble with UEFI, may be due at the SSD of my pc.

Previously I used for many years Acronis, but last versions are heavy and I hate the GUI. Love his function " Try and decide " ! Someone rememberer Drive Image before it was acquired by Symantec ? Very good software.

I would try some other program, but I don't want to discover that it's not reliable much afterwards, and have to restore an old image of AOMEI and then to do a great work to manually restore all my more recent things: emails, photos, documents....

 

macref because it works.

 

I use the free version of AOMEI Backupper, because it's free and works very well.

You can create a bootable Windows PE or Linux, CD or flash drive within AMOEI Backupper from the Utilities menu.

 

I Macrium Reflect

 

I have Macrium and Paragon freemiums and their images but really almost don't use them. Even didn't updated these apps after installation on PC. Just created bootable CD and flashdisks and images of fresh windows installation. Some years ago I made successful restoration of Win7 with Paragon Professional disk to several PC with different hardware. I actively use snapshot time machines, so almost don't use imaging apps.

 

Thanks for the AOMEI insight .Funny I love IFW/IFL because the sheer options (which I admit I never really use) are amazing and appeal to my engineering side. AOMEI appeals to me because it's the polar opposite...very simple and seems to work fine.

 

Yeah I should say I almost always take offline disk images (from bootable usb)...I know the technology is better for live but it's hard to argue online is equally reliable as an offline image (even though it's not a huge gap). Personal preference for sure. IFL is the best offline disk imager I think...sleek, fast, stable. Never used the snapshot tools like Rollback RX.

 

Yes Symantec bought V2i a long time ago. Having worked in IT for almost 20 years I know the hard way that Symantec ruins things it buys. To be honest I haven't tried whatever product V2i morphed into but I am open to it. Just been burned so many times in the past with that company.

 

Oh cool thanks for the insight...experience always trumps theory ha. I assumed offline would have been more reliable (think working on a car with the engine on vs. engine off I guess). Question...do you not use the newer Macrium 7? Just curious if there was a reason why? Thanks.

 

Macrium Reflect v6 for now, but they're not living up to many of their promises made recently. I won't "upgrade" to Reflect v7 unless and until Macrium's leadership proves itself much more capable of managing developmental, transitional and production processes than has been apparent in their "trial and error" efforts to keep pace with OS and API changes to date. I wasn't at all favourably impressed by the very troubled initial v7 rollout, nor with its patching and general handling since then.

I've never been a dedicated "fanboi" of any particular software product and some recently apparent Macrium managerial attitudes seem to me rather careless and dismissive of long-time user concerns. Seriously considering IFW/IFL as my own future path, especially as I move further toward the Linux operating environment.

 

Ya, I'm sorry, I meant this.

 

Interesting...I didn't know that, I upgraded once I got an email to do so and I did notice there were patches all the time for a while. Wasn't sure if that was what you were referring to?

 

Individual experiences varied considerably, depending largely on such variables as the upgrade CBT kernel mode driver installation method and subsequent scheduling usage ... and also on whether the user actually ran multiple differential and/or incremental backups during a single Windows session. Patches, as such, have been problematic only insofar as their misplacement of some MacriumService DLLs seemed to indicate some production management sloppiness and potential for serious future problems, but have otherwise been inconsequential to date. Nothing at all released since various improvements were promised in June. I tried v7 briefly, but reverted to v6 as I saw no "upgrade" advantage whatever for my own usage and I found some of those issues discouraging ... if only as managerial trend indicators.