I Need a Little Help With Active @

I have tried many disk imaging applications over the years, as some of you well know. I think I might have finally found that has everything I'm looking for; obviously the ability to backup and restore and restore partitions, excellent compressions, password protection of images, raw data backup ability, verification, scheduling, the ability to store more than one partition image in a file, and a great winpe 2.1 boot disk that allows for more than just backup and restore functions. I'm speaking of Active @ Disk Image.

I wonder if I might impose on Wilders for a little help. I was granted a license because of my job as a reviewer, for Active @ Disk Image. The main component of that being Disk Image and I would very much appreciate feedback from anyone that installs in and uses it. I have been using it personally, and have found little wrong with it, though there are some things. I have been establishing a rapport with LSoft, and I believe they will take my suggestions and/or criticism very seriously. If you could help me find its weaknesses so that they can be fixed I would appreciate it. I have limited hardware at my disposal, so the more configurations that are used the greater detail can be gathered and the more LSoft can improve their products.

There is a complete trial version of Disk Image available for 30-days, which includes the boot disc. Disk Image costs $40, which I think is a great deal.

Also, please be aware that Disk Image does not currently store dynamic disk images. That shortcoming will be mentioned and is in my notes

Nathan

 

Active@ products are usually excellent. I have a licensed version of Active@FileRecoveryPro and it's really one of the most powerful of the market. But, regarding Active@Disk, I have a major gripe : it doesn't offers incremental or differential image backup, which all major products now have.

ShadowProtect
Image for Windows/Linux
Macrium Reflect
Paragon
Keriver
Drive Snapshot
O&O DiskImage

So for a 40$ commercial product, it's really a shame and I don't see how they can attract customers.

 

Hi n8,

After a brief experience with Active Disk Image I would agree with your observations, with the following exceptions:

1. While it's boot CD had no problem with my laptop's hdd, it doesn't see my desktop's C-drive (which I can only imagine is due to a missing driver)!

2. As Merle notes above, it lacks the ability to create differential images. While that may not be important to you, I, Merle, and others value that feature.

Aaron

 

Thank you guys very much. As I said, the more information the better.

Aaron Here - May I ask what kind of drive your using. That seems a bit odd to me; Disk Image is supposed to handle all types of disks.. Also, does the installed product have that problem or is it just the boot disk?

MerleOne - You're right. Incremental updates should be added to the feature set. I will add that to my notes.

 

I believe the issue is with the controller, not the drive. My desktop's C-drive is a WD360 Raptor (SATA) and it's connected to a Promise FastTrak 378 SATA Controller. Re your 2nd question, I never installed the software because I always do raw-imaging from a boot disk in order to faithfully capture my Rollback Rx environment.

If you would like more details shoot me a pm.

 

I have been in communication with LSoft developers and have received the following response regarding incremental imaging.

Stay tuned for more.

 

I prefer LSoft's Active@ Boot Disk (v5.0.5) - it has Active@ Disk Image v3.3.8 and all the other Active@ softwares and lots of great utilities. That said, I still prefer Acronis' and Macrium Reflect's backup software.

I had the same issue with a virtual machine. However, the Active@ Boot Disk offered the option to load drivers, after doing which all was fine. I suggest you use Double Drivers or Driver Magician Lite (both free) to make backups of your hard disk (hdc) drivers (and net drivers if want to access the internet), add those to the boot disk and load if necessary.

 

disappointed, crestfallen

today i tried to make an image and restore it (xp) with the boot disk

1) it did not put in the right place, i mean i had all my mp3 in the out track zone
i found them stray, scattered in random place of the hard disk

2) i found a huge reserved zone away from the mft


don't tell me it's a resize issues , because active can not resize

 

i did not find a great program! for the above reasons


and the reserved zone is in the wrong place

before was close the arrowhttp://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3007/lsoft.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3007/lsoft.jpg


before restoring the image i wiped the partion , restore the image and when xp boot pup up a new hard ware found need to be reboot

ps can't add the screenshot