Image Backup Software

What imaging software works well with Vista ?

Factory restore takes 10 hours and another five to tweak...

Looking for something very simple for a novice user...

Getting tired of fixing their computer.

rrrh1(arch1)

 

Do a search thru the forum and you'll find some great info. There are some very skilled people here, although I'm not one of them.
The 3 most talked about are:

Drive snapshot
Shadowprotect
Paragon

I'm trying the last 2 currently, but don't have any info to offer at this time.

 

To the 3 mentioned above I would suggest RollBack Rx and its associated drive image program Drive Cloner. I have been using it for some 3 months now and it is truly amazing. With these 2 you have a rollback type program as well as an imaging program. The rollback function (RollBack Rx) will give you the ability to very quickly backup and restore the PC. Apx 4 sec to create a backup (or rather a snapshot as its called in Rx) and apx 4 min to do a full restore. This is not an imaging program but with the exception of a hard drive failure it will let you deal with just about any PC related issue where you would want to revert to an earlier state. Drive Cloner will take care of the need to keep images on something other than the main drive thereby allowing you to restore if you need to replace the drive.

There is a lot of discussion about this program and its capabilities on this forum so you might want to do a search and dig in.

 

Go with any of the 3 mentioned in post#2. I will recommend last 2 on the list.

Just had to issue a general warning about Rollback Rx. Test it before buying and Backup your system before installing Rollback on it for the first time. I know that @bgoodman4, @Baldrick, @Aaron Here and a few others use it and stand by its performance, but it is a hit or a miss sort of software. I have had a horrible experience with it. It usually corrupted my hard drive every 2-3 days and made Chkdsk my best buddy.

I thought it was just me but many people are facing similar corruption problems with Rollback rx
See these

http://horizondatasys-forum.com/rollback-rx/172-rollback-v8-1-corruptions-v9.html

http://horizondatasys-forum.com/rollback-rx/57-currupted-my-hard-drive.html

http://horizondatasys-forum.com/rollback-rx/59-check-disk-inconsistancies.html

http://horizondatasys-forum.com/rollback-rx/208-chkdsk-rollback.html

and of course my own experience (see post#66 onwards)

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=229379&page=3&highlight=rollback

 

I do not have Windows VISTA. However, I have Windows 7 Beta on one PC.

I used IFD(Image for DOS) to image both partitions of Windows 7 (to bootable DVD) and did a test Restore from bootable DVD. Everything went well. It took about 30 minutes to restore from a nearly full single layer DVD+R. I'm sure that Image for Windows will work well.

Image for Windows/Image for DOS/Image for Linux are considered by users to be very reliable.

 

This is quite troubling as I had done a lot of research on this forum and did not feel there was much risk in using the program. I know some folks had problems with it but felt that if you followed a few basic rules the problems would be virtually non-existent. The rules I am referring to may be found here https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1401551&postcount=55

I will take a close look at the links you have provided and perhaps comment further but I can say that I have had absolutely no problem with RollBack in the 3 months I have been using it. I have frequently rolled the system back (and forth) while dealing with installation tests and the odd troubling occurrence (if there is even a hint of a problem I roll back to an earlier state and then use Rxs mount snapshot feature to recover any files that need to be retained). I have absolutely no qualms about recommending this program but it is always a good idea to backup files etc before testing any new software installation.

 

Drive snapshot or IFW is what i recommend.

 

I have to say that i also had a problem with rollback rx ,with the result i had to reinstall my OS.
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=193704&page=4 (post 85)
I wont use it again.I second shadowprotect ,although its very pricey.Also macrium reflect works well on my laptop and is much cheaper.
ellison

 

OK, I took a look at the links provided and see that a few are older posts that I have seen already. I actually had asked about the check disk problem and thats when the do not do rules were provided. The other links appear to relate mostly to version 9 which I am not using so I cannot comment.

All I can say is that every piece of software will give some users problems. Just because there have been a number of problems does not mean that the program should be avoided like the plague. I have been using Acronis True Image without any problems for apx 5 years yet if you look at the ATI forum you would think it cannot possibly work at all, still I am using it but have "taken out insurance" by adding RollBack and its imager to the mix.

Bottom line take the steps you feel nec to protect your system and files and rely on no one program. There is no such thing as an iron clad guarantee of reliability. The best we can do is the best we can do. For me this includes RollBack Rx.

 

Someone overlooked the fact I want something for a "NOVICE" computer user. Something with one click or completely guided restore. I will make the first backup and will leave it at that.

Need a boot CD or DVD with guided or auto restore.

Thanks

rrrh1(arch1)

 

Hi,

If you are a novice, you could go with clickfree ( http://www.goclickfree.com/ )...

 

Shadow Protect is stable, fast, straightforward without silly options like in acronis - but also expensive.

But novice or not - you'll need to read the manual and understand what you're doing. It is not a trivial app, and incorrect usage can have disasterous results.

 

I would suggest that this is the case for all such apps. Understanding how to use the program correctly is imperative. The worst thing would be to assume you have created the image correctly, and that you will be able to restore it properly, and then, when you actually need to do the restore, you find out you were wrong.

 

That aint really there
LOL, someone will have to RTFM.
Personal recommendation: Image for Windows http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-windows.htm#
Despite some peeps complaining of 'complexity' issues with Terabyte utilities, the GUI for IFW could not be simpler.
If you have spent many hours repairing this other computer: then $50 for the whole Terabyte toolbox is a bargain
Look here: 4 clicks to make an image with a filename in a folder on a USB,CD/DVD, partition or external drive .
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-windows-ss.htm
Restore can be a slightly more complex proceedure (for all imaging utilites).
Boot disc options are available for recovery.
For me absolutely reliable.
You will never regret it.
Useful thread here
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=225464
Very experienced users/posters there.

If you want a very simple System recovery utility, then look at
http://www.horizondatasys.com/253715.ihtml
This can be a very, very useful tool.

As noted above there are a couple of imaging faves here:
Drive snapshot
Shadowprotect
Paragon

others to consider are:
Macrium: http://www.macrium.com/
HDClone: http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html
Casper: http://www.fssdev.com/products/casper/

Spoilt for choice
I've tested all these and they all work well.
I paid for the Terabyte package because of the limitless extensibility of it and I aint no power user.

Dont forget, these are powerful and complex tools that can make your life really easy but have to RTFM.
Careless use could bork the native install of OS.
There is plenty of help to be had here.
> sorry that last bit , that sounds a bit pompous <
Good luck.

 

Thanks "Atomas31", I think the click free transformer will help them with their personal files. They have a WD 1 TB MyBook Drive.

Drive snapshot with an autoit script on a restore VistaPE CD and hide everything but the restore button.

Make a backup for them for when they get zonked.

This is not for me I am just tired of being free tech support !!

They call the day before going on a trip and say they are bringing over their laptop that has been broken for 2 months. I want it fixed before 8 AM the next morning pretty please with sugar on it.

rrrh1(arch1)

 

Atomas31: that might be an interesting tool.
Overlooked that link
Might be a good tool for the office too.
Thanks.

 

rrrh1,

Easy to do with TeraByte products. You make the restore DVD for them. All they have to do is boot from the DVD and click Yes or maybe not click anything at all. The restore will be done automatically without any menu choices.

Edit:... I checked my notes. All they have to do is choose "Yes".

Markymoo's Drive Snap does an automatic restore too.

You can have the image stored on a HD (both apps) if it is too large to fit on a DVD.

 

Good one.
I always forget that as an option because I use HDs.

 

I concur with what has been said above.

Drive snapshot is excellent to use on a system that you don't want to modify by just doing a backup, just the opposite of what a Acronis or Paragon solution will do to your system.

Main drawback is that restoring a system partition is not that easy, the creation of a bootable media could be automated and the one proposed by default is in command line... I personnaly use a "BartCD" whose creation is rather involved and lengthy.

IFW from TerabyteUnlimited is a right balance solution : recovery media is very easy to create, on any media (floppy, USB key, CD, DVD). I personnaly use the Image for Linux recovery solution, I find it much faster than Image for DOS (apparently a HDD caching problem). You het all DOS, Windows, and Linux version by purchasing the Windows version.

I could also recommend another product, that is being improved with every release : Keriver Image 4.1. Recovery Media is easy to create (CD only I think).

 

Paragon allows a quick way to create a restore CD/USB pen drive for backup from outside windows. I use the USB stick option. The process of creating a USB stick based recovery media takes only 3-5 minutes and after wards I can then use the USB stick for others uses as well. It also saves me a DVD/CD. If you have the recovery media, you do not need to install paragon on your system at all.

 

BTW, I was referring to Paragon DriveBackup Personal 9, recently proposed free of charge on GiveAwayOfTheDay.

 

But paragon drive backup 9 personal does allow you to create a USB flash drive based recovery environment

http://www.paragon-software.com/hom...d=referral|utmcct=/&__utmv=-&__utmk=161863228

 

bgoodman4 if nobody has has ever told you, then let me be the first to say that you are one of the luckiest people on this planet We humble mere mortals salute you and can only hope that one day we may be bestowed with similar good fortune

 

I wish you the same good fortune, hopefully you have not just jinxed me.

 

Yes, I made one, but the first thing you do as the user is install the full version on your PC, making changes that can cause problems later on.