ShadowProtect Desktop 3 is out...

ATI refugee here. I've pretty much _had_ it. After learning about SPD 3 today, I decided to try out the trial. Thirty minutes later, I was $95.95 poorer. Yeah, I'm an easy catch.

Anyway, I seem to be having a problem. This is a _brand_ new machine which I built yesterday to server as an on-site SCM server.

MSI AXIS 945GM (slimline barebone micro-ATX pc)
Intel Core2Duo T7200 [mobile] CPU
2GB CORSAIR ValueSelect 240-Pin DDR2 (667) SDRAM (PC2 5300)
2X WD SATA2 500GB WD5000ABYS HDD
1X Asus DRW-1814BL ODD
1X Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 SATA2 500GB ST350063 HDD (in external Icy Dock MB664US exclosure connected as USB 2.0 device)

1. Built the machine. Took all of twenty mins once I grabbed all the Newegg boxes, unpacked it all and laid it out.
2. Since the drives were pure and un-adultrated virgins, I decided to do the honors of enabling RAID1 directly from the BIOS. The BIOS on this mobo btw is the Intel Matrix Storage 5 driver. So, I did the CTRL+I song and dance, enabled it etc. No issues.
3. After using nLite to slipstream the Intel ICH7 driver and burning a new CD-ROM, I installed XP Pro+SP2 without incident. If I hadn't done this, install would have croaked since F6 will _only_ work with a built-in floppy. Even my external Sony USB floppy didn't work; even though it recognized it the first time to load the driver after pressing F6. But after reboot, it didn't. Typical MS bs. Anyway, I gave the OS a 50GB partition, leaving the rest unallocated (I need the rest later for something else)
4. Booted to Windows, downloaded post-SP2 updates, rebooted etc etc
5. Updated all MSI component drivers*, rebooted etc. No incident.
6. Downloaded and installed SPD3. No incident.
7. Tried to image to the external USB drive. It hung almost 1 min in
8. Rebooted
9. Tried to image to a DVD-ROM. It hung the system 3 mins out of 18 mins in.
10. Rebooted
11. Tried to image to the root of C:\. It hung the system 2 mins out of a 6 min in
12. Rebooted
13. Created a D:\ partition. Rebooted
14. Tried to image to the root of D:\. It hung the system 2.3 mins out of a 8 min in
15. Rebooted
16. Decided to install Intel Matrix Storage Manager v7.6.0.1011 which AFAIK, I didn't need, since RAID was already handled in the BIOS. Oh well.
17. After reboot, IMSM taskbar app tells me that my RAID 1 array was fine. uhm, doh!
18. Tried to image to the external USB drive. It hung almost 1 min in
19. Rebooted
20. Went into BIOS and killed the RAID 1 array so that the drives were independent drives again. Decided to leave their BIOS setting as RAID (instead of IDE). Rebooted
21. IMSM taskbar app did not appear. No big surprise there, since no RAID was installed.
22. Tried to image to the external USB drive. It worked just fine!
23. Manually started IMSM. Tells me that both of the HDD were fine and that I could use RAID 0 (no thanks!) or RAID 1. Told it to build a RAID 1 array.

Its currently 49% complete with 1:40:18 to go before I try this song and dance again.

So, is the developer/Sys Eng. in me missing something here?

AFAIK, once you have RAID configured in the BIOS, you really have no need for the IMSM. Now that I have it disabled in the BIOS and IMSM is building an array, I dread to think whats going to happen once I reboot.

Any thoughts?

*

Code:

Intel 8255x-based Gigabit LAN v8.0.27.0
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver v6.14.10.4764
Intel ICH7-MDH Chipset v7.0.0.1019
Realtek ALC658 Audio vA3.93

 

That is correct.

 

Thanks, I just posted over there actually.

As far as the IMSM is concerned, once you install and configure it, that also updates the BIOS because just now when the machine was finished building the array and rebooted, I went into the ROM and it was re-enabled.

 

You might want to try disabling the floppy drive in the ROM BIOS SETUP. The default will be "1.44MB" even if no drive actually exists. ShadowProtect has difficulties and will appear to lock up. Disabling the FD setting will return ShadowProtect to full speed operation.

Hope that helps...

Jim

 

Is SP3 compatible with Windows Vista x64?
I have decided that I will buy it for my new machine that I am building but have not read reports on how it works on Vista 64 bits.

Thank you all.

 

ShadowProtect can't take an image of C drive when you within your windows. Paragon Drive Backup and True Image can reboot and do it. but this can't it comes up with failure when it trys.

 

That is correct.
The only way to restore harddisk[C:] with ShadowProtect, is using the Recovery CD.
Nevertheless, I replaced ATI with SP and I didn't regret it.

 

A limitation heh?

Even DriveSnapshot can image from within Windows, so how come a highly more sophisticated and advanced imaging app like SP does not, because i'm 100% certain that it could if they wanted it to, but i'm willing to speculate it has something to do with their company policy constraints implimented for product protection.

Is this a true assumption and fact?

 

Maybe 10 years from now we have young kids who routinely do HOT restores all day !!

 

I agree. It is by far the best imaging product on the market right now.

 

If thats it's only failure limitation then that's fine. Its more work to add that feature. I heard of a few mishaps with TI backing up in windows with older versions. It sounds to me reading this board it beats TI for hardcore reliability with honors. I was a fan of paragon but couldnt get there recovery disk going, maybe because it struggled to see my raid but its ahead of TI for reliability and its options i believe.

As i image outside of windows i might as well use Drive Snapshot and Image for Dos which takes up just 300k. So clean and fast. There's less to go wrong. Fancy graphics, nice gui don't make the software work more impressively of course. As long as they access the hardware reliably. I think thats why TI pulls in fans because it has a nice warm gui and user friendliness and people putup with its shortcomings. They still slow to add features by its hardcore users and thats why ShadowProtect has taken its place.

 

@Peter
I said it can't make an image of the windows your currently in. Your C drive. It sure can make images of other partitions like D etc as there not currently in use. It comes up with failure so quick. ErikAlbert confirmed what i said as he stated you have to do it from a recovery cd. Other softwares do it immediately in the windows or reboot to do this. Having said that it more reliable to backup in dos anyways all things being equal thats why i said it not a big limitation, reliability is.

 

Markymoo, I image from the partition I'm in, twice a day in fact. I restore from the CD though.

unless I'm missing something


...screamer

 

SPD has absolutely no problems imaging the active system partition from within Windows - that's what the snapshot driver is for. However, you will need to use the boot environment if you wish to restore the system partition.

 

No, No, No

SP sure can make image of C drive/ partitions form within windows. U have misunderstood something. U can install a trial and confirm it.

It,s only the recovery that can,t be done form within windows. I feeel bad about it though as I use this feature always. Too lazy to insert a CD. Also no ned to acrry the CD with ur laptop!

 

Question regarding ShadowProtect. I'm testing it right now and I did not find out where to get or how to create the Boot Recovery CD?
Anyone can help please.

 

U need to request evaluation from them. It,s winPE Cd and MS gets share from it so they don,t put a free trial on their site.

 

Thanks aigle.

 

Thats it the restore part failed from within windows! The other softwares i mentioned restored it by rebooting. Sorry for the confusion. I used the trial but the recovery cd is not included. Forgive me.

 

Another difference between ATI and ShadowProtect is that :
1. ATI can restore a complete harddisk in one single selection, even when the harddisk has more than one partition.
2. SP can only restore one partition at once, but you can put them in a queue and SP will restore them one after another.

 

So is this evaluation copy fully functional with certain # of days limitation?? how many??

Can you perform all functions like restore, p2v v2p and use the remote console?