Try&Decide feature: Guess I won't be using it test installs

From the Acronis FAQ on their web site:

"It is strongly not recommended to reboot the computer during the changes are being applied to the physical drive, as most likely the system files and other vital data is being modified. The reboot during this process can cause data corruption and can result into unbootable or unstable system.
...
Try&Decide automatically discards all changes when the computer is rebooted."

Uffda. That means any software install that requires a reboot to complete that install - and which is still required by many programs - will end up either screwing over Try&Decide or the user won't be able to perform a [complete] uninstall.

That's why I quit using ShadowSurfer (free) because a software install that required a reboot would result in wiping the changes as if the install was never started. Guess I'll continue using VMWare Server (free) to test software that requires being installed rather than just copying its files.

 

You have to buy the more expensive Pro version if you want to retain changes after reboot with Shadow.

 

From their feature description for Try&Decide on their web page:

"Test new software or browse the web in a protected, safe environment. At the end of the session, you decide whether to keep or discard the changes made to your system."

Note that "session", when discussing a feature, is that feature's session. That is the context of their statement. If it meant for the duration of the *Windows* session (and meaning for the load of Windows and not just for a user session) then it should have said such. The description says you get to keep or discard the changes made to your *system*. Well, obviously if Acronis is going to include "new software" which just as obviously has to be installed then that includes a reboot that may be needed to complete the install.

From the online manual for TI 11:

"Try&Decide feature allows you perform potentially dangerous operations such as software installation"

Well, duh, software installs often incur reboots. The manual also says:

"Try&Decide feature allows to create a secure, controlled temporary workspace on your computer without requiring you to install special virtualization software."

Yeah, more marketing manure. Obviously if you are going to do the software installs that they *claim* are supported then you really do need virtualization software - because their temporary workspace won't survive a reboot required for an install. You will still virtualization software to do the software installs. Well, if you have the virtualization software then you don't need their Try&Decide software (and they lose the draw of that unusable glitz in their new version). So they are lying to you about needing something else because of shortcomings in their feature.

To be fair, they do have the comment in the manual (but not in the description of the feature on their web page - unless you go hunting through the FAQs):

"It is important to note that the Try&Decide will automatically discard all changes when you reboot the computer, so do not reboot if you are going to apply the changes to the real system."

So despite their claim that you can use Try&Decide to test software (which obviously require installs), you will NOT be able to use it for those software installs unless the install does not require a reboot. So it is a crap shoot whether or not you can use Try&Decide. It is not a crap shoot if you instead use virtualization software, like VMWare Server or Virtual PC.

Acronis didn't even bother to integrate Try&Decide with TI (beyond just adding it to the GUI). "It is important to remember that in the Try mode you will not be able to perform backups (including scheduled ones) on the Acronis Secure Zone and restore data from the Zone because the Try&Decide feature locks the Acronis Secure Zone while running." Geez, they couldn't even bother disabling any scheduled tasks that run backups that use the Secure Zone. The warning wouldn't be required unless there was an incompatibility, and the incompatibility exists only because Acronis didn't bother locking out backups when Try&Decide is active. Oh joy, if I use their Try&Decide then I have to delete all my scheduled backups because their new feature won't disable them and they have yet to provide the option to let the user disable scheduled backups.

So Acronis has degenerated into a marketer that proliferates crippled "Home" versions as lureware to get their customers to pay more for a "Pro" version? Is that what you are saying? If the feature is crippled in the Home version then Acronis should be be open and divulge that fact. Alas, Acronis seems to be devolving into a company that is controlled more by its Marketing department than by its Development group. Yes, Marketing (and Sales) make the money that pay the developers but the developers should be the ones deciding on the level of excellence (since marketers will sell crap if someone buys it). They wanted to add something of glitz to the new version and they pushed it out too soon. Of course, maybe they won't fix those deficiencies and instead continue to market the Home version as lureware.