What a kick*** program!

Don't know anything about VMware, I'm still polishing my recovery (ATI + FDISR). First things first.
That's how I started : I copy/pasted all my personal data files to an external harddisk and then zeroed my both harddisks.

Then I installed WinXPproSP2 + ATI and created my Rescue CD. Took a backup of harddisk.
Zeroed my harddisk again and restored the image several times on a zeroed harddisk or the installed harddisk, to see if it worked properly.

Then I installed FDISR, took another image and restored it again.
I restored an image without FDISR over an installed harddisk with FDISR, to see if that worked.
I restored an image with FDISR over an installed harddisk without FDISR, to see if that worked.
That's how you learn to trust your backup software and without risks and you can use that experience much later when you really have to recover your harddisk due to some disaster.

I also moved my data to another harddisk/partition in those days, because I wanted my system partition completely INDEPENDENT from my data partition.
My data partition contains nothing but data folders, data files and the profile folders of Firefox/Thunderbird and of course all my downloaded files, including software installation files, but WITHOUT Windows folders or system files.
Whatever happens on my system partition, it won't affect my data partition and I also wanted total freedom on my system partition to PLAY with it.
Meanwhile I took backups of my system and data partition and restored over and over again, just to make sure that everything worked.
I also archived and restored snapshots over and over again and in combination with ATI (backup/restore).

Then I created my off-line snapshot without security/internet softwares to have a quiet environment for work.
Later on I used that snapshot for all kinds of jobs that don't need internet, like defragging, backup and archive, restoration, burning CD/DVD's, copy/updating snapshots, etc.

Then I created my on-line frozen snapshot and that's where I am right now.
I have to protect that on-line snapshot against malware to save the day.
That's still a problem that needs to be solved.
Very soon I will reinstall my system partition, because I want to split my images and archived snapshots in TWO groups : clean and daily.

 

Hi Eric. Seems you really can be very imaginative with FD-ISR in so many ways that it's mind boggling for a first time user and better yet 101% effective! Simply incredible!

You mentioned "trust" Eric, and thats at the very core of all these computer programs and most of all backup recovery solutions. The user has to experience complete satisfaction and see it for themselves, not just once but over several tries to finally rest on the solid conclusion that this is for real.

I've taken on a whole new respect i think toward backup programs more than ever before now that i seen for myself all the positive results which this program can offer. I've read the posts here of everything from issues to experimental strategies tried and i honestly can't see any other Immediate Recovery as much efficient. Some others might claim they're faster but from what i've gathered FD is plenty fast enough when you take into account how much time & energy can be preserved by depending on FD. The mere fact that updating to your snapshots literally can exhaust but seconds and not just minutes in some cases, is of immense benefit for anyone.

However full disk imaging still eludes my reach for now but only untill a time which that will be remedied also. I trust your judgement and experiences with ATI as much as Peter2150's results with ShadowProtect and i can't wait to set all these pieces into motion and experience that RELIEF factor firsthand myself like so many others before me already.

 

Yes you can do whatever you want with FDISR. FDISR just offers functions and there are only technical rules, which are already controlled by wizards.
It's up to the user HOW to use them and that's why Peter and me have a different set of snapshots. Acadia uses even 16 snapshots.
The classical and recommended method of FDISR itself is : a WORK snapshot and a ROLLBACK snapshot, but you don't have to do it this way. That method is for starters, because they have to begin somewhere and learn how to use FDISR.

 

I also read someplace in these sections that Defraggers can make a stir but according to Peter2150 a simple reboot realigns or otherwise recognizes the preboot again. Is this the case and aside from PerfectDisc which other defrags do file placements without conflicting with FD-ISR.

Thnx.

 

I always used PerfectDisk along with FDISR, I never had any problems with it.
What is so important about defragging anyway ? It just defrags your harddisk, that's all. FDISR has nothing to do with it. Defragging applies to ALL softwares, not just FDISR.
I never noticed any difference before or after defragging.
I try to run PerfectDisk one time a month, but I often forget it. I always run Smartreplacement.
I always run PerfectDisk on demand, never automatically, because that creates errors in the copy/update function of FDISR and that is very logical IMO.

 

Quite an expensive scare Peter : VMware Workstation = $189.00

 

Erik,
You will love virtual machines
Begin with the freebies (VMware Server, VMware Player, VirtualBox, Virtual PC)

 

Now the number is 20.

Acadia