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windows 7 preferred backup solution

S

SC Tom

Flightless Bird
"Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:uvJQn.72273$Gx2.1996@newsfe20.iad...
> SC Tom wrote:
>>
>>
>> "Elden Fenison" <usenet@moondog.org.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:SdCdnV0WcJ8CX4_RnZ2dnUVZ_sydnZ2d@giganews.com...
>>> On 6/11/2010 3:35 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>
>>> [snip]
>>>
>>>> I don't recall the price of Acronis.
>>>
>>> Thank you everyone for all the good feedback. (sig fixed)
>>>
>>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll probably just
>>> upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about troubles are unfounded.
>>>
>>> I appreciate the responses.
>>>
>>> --
>>> -=Elden=-
>>> http://www.moondog.org
>>
>> For what it's worth, I use Acronis Free Edition for Western-Digital
>> drives, and have had no problem restoring an image of a Windows 7 drive.
>> It's a basic version of Acronis 2009 without scheduling or incremental
>> imaging. I boot from the created CD and create my images on an external
>> WD drive, and have restored Win7 from an image twice- once to test it,
>> and once because the HDD in my notebook crashed. Both times I was able to
>> restore the image to a different drive and boot right up like nothing had
>> ever happened. If I ever decide to go with incremental backups, or
>> scheduling capabilities, I will definitely purchase the full version of
>> ATI. And you can upgrade for only $29.99 from here:
>> https://store.acronis.com/325/purl-...&tracking=geUA1499431,gaUA1499431,&quantity=1
>
> Where do I find a free edition of Acronis? All I see is a free trial
> version.
> --
> Crash
>
> "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
> ~ Robert Frost ~

You have to either an external or internal drive made by one of the three
companies that supply the free editions:

WD version of ATI:
http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en

Seagate/Maxtor Disc Wizard by ATI:
http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does, but I
installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has Maxtor drives in
hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD version on both Windows 7
and XP machines, but have only used Disc Wizard on an XP one.
--
SC Tom
 
D

Dave \Crash\ Dummy

Flightless Bird
SC Tom wrote:
>
> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:uvJQn.72273$Gx2.1996@newsfe20.iad...
>> SC Tom wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> "Elden Fenison" <usenet@moondog.org.invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:SdCdnV0WcJ8CX4_RnZ2dnUVZ_sydnZ2d@giganews.com...
>>>> On 6/11/2010 3:35 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>>
>>>> [snip]
>>>>
>>>>> I don't recall the price of Acronis.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you everyone for all the good feedback. (sig fixed)
>>>>
>>>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll
>>>> probably just upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about
>>>> troubles are unfounded.
>>>>
>>>> I appreciate the responses.
>>>>
>>>> -- -=Elden=- http://www.moondog.org
>>>
>>> For what it's worth, I use Acronis Free Edition for
>>> Western-Digital drives, and have had no problem restoring an
>>> image of a Windows 7 drive. It's a basic version of Acronis 2009
>>> without scheduling or incremental imaging. I boot from the
>>> created CD and create my images on an external WD drive, and have
>>> restored Win7 from an image twice- once to test it, and once
>>> because the HDD in my notebook crashed. Both times I was able to
>>> restore the image to a different drive and boot right up like
>>> nothing had ever happened. If I ever decide to go with
>>> incremental backups, or scheduling capabilities, I will
>>> definitely purchase the full version of ATI. And you can upgrade
>>> for only $29.99 from here:
>>> https://store.acronis.com/325/purl-...&tracking=geUA1499431,gaUA1499431,&quantity=1
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Where do I find a free edition of Acronis? All I see is a free
>> trial version. -- Crash
>>
>> "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
>> ~ Robert Frost ~
>
> You have to either an external or internal drive made by one of the
> three companies that supply the free editions:
>
> WD version of ATI:
> http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en
>
>
> Seagate/Maxtor Disc Wizard by ATI:
> http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD
>
>
>
> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does,
> but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has Maxtor
> drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD version on
> both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used Disc Wizard on an
> XP one.

Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
drive to me external Seagate drive?
--
Crash

"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."
~ Grace Hopper (RADM, USNR) ~
 
A

Alias

Flightless Bird
Dave "Crash" Dummy wrote:
> SC Tom wrote:
>>
>> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:uvJQn.72273$Gx2.1996@newsfe20.iad...
>>> SC Tom wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Elden Fenison" <usenet@moondog.org.invalid> wrote in message
>>>> news:SdCdnV0WcJ8CX4_RnZ2dnUVZ_sydnZ2d@giganews.com...
>>>>> On 6/11/2010 3:35 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> [snip]
>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't recall the price of Acronis.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you everyone for all the good feedback. (sig fixed)
>>>>>
>>>>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll
>>>>> probably just upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about
>>>>> troubles are unfounded.
>>>>>
>>>>> I appreciate the responses.
>>>>>
>>>>> -- -=Elden=- http://www.moondog.org
>>>>
>>>> For what it's worth, I use Acronis Free Edition for
>>>> Western-Digital drives, and have had no problem restoring an
>>>> image of a Windows 7 drive. It's a basic version of Acronis 2009
>>>> without scheduling or incremental imaging. I boot from the
>>>> created CD and create my images on an external WD drive, and have
>>>> restored Win7 from an image twice- once to test it, and once
>>>> because the HDD in my notebook crashed. Both times I was able to
>>>> restore the image to a different drive and boot right up like
>>>> nothing had ever happened. If I ever decide to go with
>>>> incremental backups, or scheduling capabilities, I will definitely
>>>> purchase the full version of ATI. And you can upgrade
>>>> for only $29.99 from here:
>>>> https://store.acronis.com/325/purl-...&tracking=geUA1499431,gaUA1499431,&quantity=1
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Where do I find a free edition of Acronis? All I see is a free
>>> trial version. -- Crash
>>>
>>> "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down." ~
>>> Robert Frost ~
>>
>> You have to either an external or internal drive made by one of the
>> three companies that supply the free editions:
>>
>> WD version of ATI:
>> http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en
>>
>>
>> Seagate/Maxtor Disc Wizard by ATI:
>> http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does,
>> but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has Maxtor
>> drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD version on
>> both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used Disc Wizard on an
>> XP one.
>
> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
> drive to me external Seagate drive?

Seagate only cares if there isn't a Seagate drive present. If only one
is present, it will work.I don't know about WD's utility but it should
be the same.

--
Alias
 
S

SC Tom

Flightless Bird
"Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:jnLQn.72274$Gx2.30567@newsfe20.iad...
> SC Tom wrote:
>>
>> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:uvJQn.72273$Gx2.1996@newsfe20.iad...
>>> SC Tom wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Elden Fenison" <usenet@moondog.org.invalid> wrote in message
>>>> news:SdCdnV0WcJ8CX4_RnZ2dnUVZ_sydnZ2d@giganews.com...
>>>>> On 6/11/2010 3:35 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> [snip]
>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't recall the price of Acronis.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you everyone for all the good feedback. (sig fixed)
>>>>>
>>>>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll
>>>>> probably just upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about
>>>>> troubles are unfounded.
>>>>>
>>>>> I appreciate the responses.
>>>>>
>>>>> -- -=Elden=- http://www.moondog.org
>>>>
>>>> For what it's worth, I use Acronis Free Edition for
>>>> Western-Digital drives, and have had no problem restoring an
>>>> image of a Windows 7 drive. It's a basic version of Acronis 2009
>>>> without scheduling or incremental imaging. I boot from the
>>>> created CD and create my images on an external WD drive, and have
>>>> restored Win7 from an image twice- once to test it, and once
>>>> because the HDD in my notebook crashed. Both times I was able to
>>>> restore the image to a different drive and boot right up like
>>>> nothing had ever happened. If I ever decide to go with
>>>> incremental backups, or scheduling capabilities, I will definitely
>>>> purchase the full version of ATI. And you can upgrade
>>>> for only $29.99 from here:
>>>> https://store.acronis.com/325/purl-...&tracking=geUA1499431,gaUA1499431,&quantity=1
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Where do I find a free edition of Acronis? All I see is a free
>>> trial version. -- Crash
>>>
>>> "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down." ~
>>> Robert Frost ~
>>
>> You have to either an external or internal drive made by one of the three
>> companies that supply the free editions:
>>
>> WD version of ATI:
>> http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en
>>
>>
>> Seagate/Maxtor Disc Wizard by ATI:
>> http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD
>>
>>
>>
>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does,
>> but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has Maxtor
>> drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD version on
>> both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used Disc Wizard on an
>> XP one.
>
> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
> drive to me external Seagate drive?
> --
> Crash
>
> "It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."
> ~ Grace Hopper (RADM, USNR) ~

My guess (and it's just a guess) is that in your situation it wouldn't
matter.
I don't run mine from within Windows, though. Once it is installed (either
version), there's an option to create a bootable CD and run the program from
it. On my notebook (which has a Hitachi drive), I plug in my external drive
(WD My Book) and boot from the CD. It takes a few seconds while starting up
to "search for a qualifying drive" then boots right into the ATI GUI. From
there I create the image. I don't know if it truly makes any difference or
not, but I figure that way, nothing is in use in the OS, so I'm not risking
backing up partial data from a file that's in use. By running it that way, I
can start it up when I get up, then go eat breakfast, read the paper, and
shave and shower, and it's done. It's not interfering with my "computer
time" at all. It takes about an hour to make and verify an image of a 320GB
dive with ~50GB used. That's just about as easy as it gets for me, and I
love it!
--
SC Tom
 
P

Percival P. Cassidy

Flightless Bird
On 06/12/10 08:49 am, Dave "Crash" Dummy wrote:

>>> Where do I find a free edition of Acronis? All I see is a free
>>> trial version. -- Crash
>>>
>>> "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down." ~
>>> Robert Frost ~
>>
>> You have to either an external or internal drive made by one of the
>> three companies that supply the free editions:
>>
>> WD version of ATI:
>> http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en
>>
>>
>> Seagate/Maxtor Disc Wizard by ATI:
>> http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD
>
>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does,
>> but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has Maxtor
>> drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD version on
>> both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used Disc Wizard on an
>> XP one.

> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
> drive to me external Seagate drive?

Yes, I believe they are brand specific, at least wrt the drive *to*
which you are copying. E.g., the Seagate version that comes with one of
their drives assumes that you are going to copy from your existing drive
to the new Seagate one. I don't know whether it will copy *from* another
maker's drive, because I've bought nothing but Seagate for years; all
the dead drives I have here are WD.

I think I tried the WD version, but it told me that it couldn't find a
WD drive.

It so happened that one of the current NewEgg super deals is Acronis
True Image Home 2010 Amaray Case [Is this some special edition??] for
$9.99 ater $20 MIR and with free shipping:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ex-_-SecurityUtilitiesSoftware-_-32200012-L0G

But read the negative reviews on NewEgg -- of all editions of ATI 3020.

Perce
 
P

Percival P. Cassidy

Flightless Bird
On 06/11/10 07:11 pm, Elden Fenison wrote:

> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll probably just
> upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about troubles are unfounded.
>
> I appreciate the responses.

It so happened that one of the current NewEgg super deals is Acronis
True Image Home 2010 Amaray Case [Is this some special edition??] for
$9.99 after $20 MIR and with free shipping:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ex-_-SecurityUtilitiesSoftware-_-32200012-L0G

But read the negative reviews on NewEgg -- of all editions of ATI 2010.

Perce
 
P

Percival P. Cassidy

Flightless Bird
On 06/12/10 09:14 am, I wrote:

> It so happened that one of the current NewEgg super deals is Acronis
> True Image Home 2010 Amaray Case [Is this some special edition??] for
> $9.99 after $20 MIR and with free shipping:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ex-_-SecurityUtilitiesSoftware-_-32200012-L0G
>
>
> But read the negative reviews on NewEgg -- of all editions of ATI 3020.
^^^^^^
Ooops! Make that "ATI 2010." Too much blood in the caffeine stream.

Perce
 
D

Dave \Crash\ Dummy

Flightless Bird
SC Tom wrote:

<snipped>

>>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD
>>> does, but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has
>>> Maxtor drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD
>>> version on both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used
>>> Disc Wizard on an XP one.
>>
>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
>> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal
>> WD drive to me external Seagate drive?
>
> My guess (and it's just a guess) is that in your situation it
> wouldn't matter. I don't run mine from within Windows, though. Once
> it is installed (either version), there's an option to create a
> bootable CD and run the program from it. On my notebook (which has a
> Hitachi drive), I plug in my external drive (WD My Book) and boot
> from the CD. It takes a few seconds while starting up to "search for
> a qualifying drive" then boots right into the ATI GUI. From there I
> create the image. I don't know if it truly makes any difference or
> not, but I figure that way, nothing is in use in the OS, so I'm not
> risking backing up partial data from a file that's in use. By running
> it that way, I can start it up when I get up, then go eat breakfast,
> read the paper, and shave and shower, and it's done. It's not
> interfering with my "computer time" at all. It takes about an hour to
> make and verify an image of a 320GB dive with ~50GB used. That's
> just about as easy as it gets for me, and I love it!

That is my policy, as well. I don't want to do anything with the system
drive while it is in use. This applies to both backup programs and
partitioning programs. In fact, once the CD is created, I uninstall
the program from the main system so there's less to back up. :)
--
Crash

Life is short. Eat dessert first.
 
S

SC Tom

Flightless Bird
"Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.com> wrote in message
news:hv01ai$sgo$2@news.eternal-september.org...
> On 06/11/10 07:11 pm, Elden Fenison wrote:
>
>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll probably just
>> upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about troubles are unfounded.
>>
>> I appreciate the responses.
>
> It so happened that one of the current NewEgg super deals is Acronis True
> Image Home 2010 Amaray Case [Is this some special edition??] for $9.99
> after $20 MIR and with free shipping:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ex-_-SecurityUtilitiesSoftware-_-32200012-L0G
>
> But read the negative reviews on NewEgg -- of all editions of ATI 2010.
>
> Perce
>

After reading the "3 eggs or less" reviews, that's why I run mine from the
bootable CD. Although I haven't had any problems within Windows, the one
time I ran it from there took forever. Much faster and easier booting from
the CD and creating the image from it. Granted, incremental scheduled images
can't be made like that, but if someone is making an image on a regular
basis, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. In a business setting, maybe, but
for the average home user, I'd think once a week would be plenty, IMHAWO. .
..
--
SC Tom
 
S

SC Tom

Flightless Bird
"Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:eek:%LQn.54395$mi.39540@newsfe01.iad...
> SC Tom wrote:
>
> <snipped>
>
>>>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does, but
>>>> I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has
>>>> Maxtor drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD
>>>> version on both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used Disc
>>>> Wizard on an XP one.
>>>
>>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
>>> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
>>> drive to me external Seagate drive?
>>
>> My guess (and it's just a guess) is that in your situation it wouldn't
>> matter. I don't run mine from within Windows, though. Once it is
>> installed (either version), there's an option to create a bootable CD and
>> run the program from it. On my notebook (which has a Hitachi drive), I
>> plug in my external drive (WD My Book) and boot from the CD. It takes a
>> few seconds while starting up to "search for a qualifying drive" then
>> boots right into the ATI GUI. From there I create the image. I don't know
>> if it truly makes any difference or not, but I figure that way, nothing
>> is in use in the OS, so I'm not risking backing up partial data from a
>> file that's in use. By running
>> it that way, I can start it up when I get up, then go eat breakfast,
>> read the paper, and shave and shower, and it's done. It's not
>> interfering with my "computer time" at all. It takes about an hour to
>> make and verify an image of a 320GB dive with ~50GB used. That's
>> just about as easy as it gets for me, and I love it!
>
> That is my policy, as well. I don't want to do anything with the system
> drive while it is in use. This applies to both backup programs and
> partitioning programs. In fact, once the CD is created, I uninstall
> the program from the main system so there's less to back up. :)
> --
> Crash
>
> Life is short. Eat dessert first.

Ditto!! :)
--
SC Tom
 
A

~~Alan~~

Flightless Bird
"Elden Fenison" <usenet@moondog.org.invalid> wrote in message
news:6s2dnf3xY9cHoI_RnZ2dnUVZ_tidnZ2d@giganews.com...
> A year or two ago when I researched it, Acronis True Image came highly
> recommended when it came to Windows backup solutions.
>
> Anyone here have experience with that on Windows 7, good or bad?
>
> I heard that it initially had issues with Windows 7. But I presume that
> Acronis has fixed those by now.
>
>
> -=Elden=-
> http://www.moondog.org

My preference is Symantec Ghost v15. Ghost is not the disk imaging product
it used to be but rather a full backup solution with fulls, incremental, and
differentials.

A few days ago, I started to boot my system and it blue screened, accusing
mrtrate.sys as
the (possible) culprit. I really could not find much information about this
and I really did not have the time or the patience to research the crash.
It was 6 in the morning and I had to go to work.

But! TGFB (Thank Goodness for Backups). For the past 4 years or so, I've
been using Symantec Ghost (v10 with my XP system and v15 with my Win7
systems). Ghost starts off by creating a full system backup and then
differentials after that until the next cycle begins.

In my case, I booted from the Ghost CD and performed a full restore from the
last full and then the differentials stored on an external USB drive, and
2.5 hours later, my system is back. The bootable CD allowed me, with a
Command Line prompt, to copy any files created after my last backup, to a
USB drive before the restore.

My advise, if you have a backup solution, make sure you can restore from it
with as little intervention or pain as possible.

I am also a customer of Carbonite just in case my system and backup fail.

~alan
 
A

Al Dykes

Flightless Bird
In article <x2MQn.25267$%u7.20915@newsfe14.iad>, SC Tom <sc@tom.net> wrote:
>
>"Percival P. Cassidy" <Nobody@NotMyISP.com> wrote in message
>news:hv01ai$sgo$2@news.eternal-september.org...
>> On 06/11/10 07:11 pm, Elden Fenison wrote:
>>
>>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll probably just
>>> upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about troubles are unfounded.
>>>
>>> I appreciate the responses.
>>
>> It so happened that one of the current NewEgg super deals is Acronis True
>> Image Home 2010 Amaray Case [Is this some special edition??] for $9.99
>> after $20 MIR and with free shipping:
>>
>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ex-_-SecurityUtilitiesSoftware-_-32200012-L0G
>>
>> But read the negative reviews on NewEgg -- of all editions of ATI 2010.
>>
>> Perce
>>
>
>After reading the "3 eggs or less" reviews, that's why I run mine from the
>bootable CD. Although I haven't had any problems within Windows, the one
>time I ran it from there took forever. Much faster and easier booting from
>the CD and creating the image from it. Granted, incremental scheduled images
>can't be made like that, but if someone is making an image on a regular
>basis, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. In a business setting, maybe, but
>for the average home user, I'd think once a week would be plenty, IMHAWO. .
>.


I too boot the CD and do a stand-alone backup. I backup prior to
"patch Tuesdays" if nothing else.

Back in the day I used NTbackup on production file servers and did
full backups while users could hit the machine. Don't try this unless
you know your server applications.

I rebuilt several failed C drives from bare iron with those backups
with zero problems. I'm sure TI does at least as good a job of using
the appropriate OS services to do backups of locked files.


--
Al Dykes
News is something someone wants to suppress, everything else is advertising.
- Lord Northcliffe, publisher of the Daily Mail
 
D

Dave \Crash\ Dummy

Flightless Bird
SC Tom wrote:
>
> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
> news:eek:%LQn.54395$mi.39540@newsfe01.iad...
>> SC Tom wrote:
>>
>> <snipped>
>>
>>>>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD
>>>>> does, but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she
>>>>> has Maxtor drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've
>>>>> used the WD version on both Windows 7 and XP machines, but
>>>>> have only used Disc Wizard on an XP one.
>>>>
>>>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive
>>>> and an external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my
>>>> internal WD drive to me external Seagate drive?
>>>
>>> My guess (and it's just a guess) is that in your situation it
>>> wouldn't matter. I don't run mine from within Windows, though.
>>> Once it is installed (either version), there's an option to
>>> create a bootable CD and run the program from it. On my notebook
>>> (which has a Hitachi drive), I plug in my external drive (WD My
>>> Book) and boot from the CD. It takes a few seconds while starting
>>> up to "search for a qualifying drive" then boots right into the
>>> ATI GUI. From there I create the image. I don't know if it truly
>>> makes any difference or not, but I figure that way, nothing is in
>>> use in the OS, so I'm not risking backing up partial data from a
>>> file that's in use. By running it that way, I can start it up
>>> when I get up, then go eat breakfast, read the paper, and shave
>>> and shower, and it's done. It's not interfering with my "computer
>>> time" at all. It takes about an hour to make and verify an image
>>> of a 320GB dive with ~50GB used. That's just about as easy as it
>>> gets for me, and I love it!
>>
>> That is my policy, as well. I don't want to do anything with the
>> system drive while it is in use. This applies to both backup
>> programs and partitioning programs. In fact, once the CD is
>> created, I uninstall the program from the main system so there's
>> less to back up. :)
>
> Ditto!! :)

Catch-22. I downloaded both and created CD's. I tried the Seagate
version first. It wouldn't run because it couldn't find a Seagate drive.
My Seagate drive is a USB connected external drive. I installed the
optional USB drivers when creating the bootable CD, but the Acronis
utility apparently looks for a qualifying disk before those are loaded.

Next I tried the WD version. It booted up and ran and I was able to
create an image file, which I saved to my Seagate USB drive. But what is
going to happen if I replace my internal drive with something other than
WD? I doubt that the WD Acronis will restore the image I have saved.

So much for free Acronis. Fortunately, I still have free Windows backup,
free Macrium backup, and free Paragon backup. :)
--
Crash

"The future ain't what it used to be."
~ Yogi Berra ~
 
C

CrackerJack

Flightless Bird
<snip>

>>>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive
>>>> and an external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my
>>>> internal WD drive to me external Seagate drive?
>>>

I have made/restored backups of slaved WD drives with the Seagate version. Same for the Seagate version. For either
the WD or seaget version all that is required is at least one drive in your system is a WD or Seagate respectively.

I know for a fact I can not restore an immage made from Acronis true Image using the Seagate version. As long as you
restore with the software that made the backup you should be ok.

Your mileage may vary. cheers:)
 
R

Roy Smith

Flightless Bird
"Bigguy" <bigguy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:87f2bbF6i4U1@mid.individual.net...
> On 11/06/2010 14:43, Elden Fenison wrote:
>> A year or two ago when I researched it, Acronis True Image came highly
>> recommended when it came to Windows backup solutions.
>>
>> Anyone here have experience with that on Windows 7, good or bad?
>>
>> I heard that it initially had issues with Windows 7. But I presume that
>> Acronis has fixed those by now.
>>
>>
>> -=Elden=-
>> http://www.moondog.org
> Windows 7 (all versions?) comes complete with a very good backup / restore
> program.
>
> I used it to install a larger hard drive in my laptop and it worked as
> well as Acronis.

But it has limitations. For starters if you want to save the restore files
on a networked drive, you need to be running Win7 Professional or higher.
Second, if you store your backup files on a networked drive, then you can
only save the most recent full disk image.
 
R

Roy Smith

Flightless Bird
"Tony Harding" <tharding@newsguy.com> wrote in message
news:huualt0e1g@news2.newsguy.com...
> On 06/11/10 09:43, Elden Fenison wrote:
>> A year or two ago when I researched it, Acronis True Image came highly
>> recommended when it came to Windows backup solutions.
>>
>> Anyone here have experience with that on Windows 7, good or bad?
>>
>> I heard that it initially had issues with Windows 7. But I presume that
>> Acronis has fixed those by now.
>
> IIRC, I've been using ATI since 2006 and I've been quite satisfied with it
> including Win 7 Pro (64-bit) the last 6 months. Make sure you use Acronis
> True Image 2010 for Win 7, don't know if you'll have problems from earlier
> versions. FWIW, I went from Win XP to Win 7.

If you try to install an earlier version of ATI you get a compatibility
warning message. Once I got that, I just went ahead and bought the upgrade
for ATI 2010 so I don't know for certain if it would actually run on Win 7.
 
R

Roy Smith

Flightless Bird
"Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:jnLQn.72274$Gx2.30567@newsfe20.iad...
> SC Tom wrote:
>>
>> "Dave "Crash" Dummy" <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:uvJQn.72273$Gx2.1996@newsfe20.iad...
>>> SC Tom wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Elden Fenison" <usenet@moondog.org.invalid> wrote in message
>>>> news:SdCdnV0WcJ8CX4_RnZ2dnUVZ_sydnZ2d@giganews.com...
>>>>> On 6/11/2010 3:35 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> [snip]
>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't recall the price of Acronis.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thank you everyone for all the good feedback. (sig fixed)
>>>>>
>>>>> Since I own a prior version of Acronis True Image, I'll
>>>>> probably just upgrade. Sounds like the reports I'd heard about
>>>>> troubles are unfounded.
>>>>>
>>>>> I appreciate the responses.
>>>>>
>>>>> -- -=Elden=- http://www.moondog.org
>>>>
>>>> For what it's worth, I use Acronis Free Edition for
>>>> Western-Digital drives, and have had no problem restoring an
>>>> image of a Windows 7 drive. It's a basic version of Acronis 2009
>>>> without scheduling or incremental imaging. I boot from the
>>>> created CD and create my images on an external WD drive, and have
>>>> restored Win7 from an image twice- once to test it, and once
>>>> because the HDD in my notebook crashed. Both times I was able to
>>>> restore the image to a different drive and boot right up like
>>>> nothing had ever happened. If I ever decide to go with
>>>> incremental backups, or scheduling capabilities, I will definitely
>>>> purchase the full version of ATI. And you can upgrade
>>>> for only $29.99 from here:
>>>> https://store.acronis.com/325/purl-...&tracking=geUA1499431,gaUA1499431,&quantity=1
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Where do I find a free edition of Acronis? All I see is a free
>>> trial version. -- Crash
>>>
>>> "Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down." ~
>>> Robert Frost ~
>>
>> You have to either an external or internal drive made by one of the three
>> companies that supply the free editions:
>>
>> WD version of ATI:
>> http://support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp?swid=119&wdc_lang=en
>>
>>
>> Seagate/Maxtor Disc Wizard by ATI:
>> http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.j...toid=d9fd4a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD
>>
>>
>>
>> Seagate doesn't come right out and say it's ATI Free like WD does,
>> but I installed it and ran it on my S.O.'s PC since she has Maxtor
>> drives in hers, and it worked just fine. I've used the WD version on
>> both Windows 7 and XP machines, but have only used Disc Wizard on an
>> XP one.
>
> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
> drive to me external Seagate drive?


Since you have both it really won't matter. These free versions of Acronis
have the limitation in that you have to have a drive from the respective
manufacturer installed on your PC. Since you have both Seagate and Western
Digital you can use either one you choose.
 
D

Dave \Crash\ Dummy

Flightless Bird
<snipped for brevity>
>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
>> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
>> drive to me external Seagate drive?
>
> Since you have both it really won't matter. These free versions of
> Acronis have the limitation in that you have to have a drive from the
> respective manufacturer installed on your PC. Since you have both
> Seagate and Western Digital you can use either one you choose.

(Copied from elsewhere in this tree:)

Catch-22. I downloaded both and created CD's. I tried the Seagate
version first. It wouldn't run because it couldn't find a Seagate drive.
My Seagate drive is a USB connected external drive. I installed the
optional USB drivers when creating the bootable CD, but the Acronis
utility apparently looks for a qualifying disk before those are loaded.

Next I tried the WD version. It booted up and ran and I was able to
create an image file, which I saved to my Seagate USB drive. But what is
going to happen if I replace my internal drive with something other than
WD? I doubt that the WD Acronis will restore the image I have saved.

--
Crash

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall, that wants it down."
~ Robert Frost ~
 
A

Alias

Flightless Bird
Dave "Crash" Dummy wrote:
> <snipped for brevity>
>>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
>>> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
>>> drive to me external Seagate drive?
>>
>> Since you have both it really won't matter. These free versions of
>> Acronis have the limitation in that you have to have a drive from the
>> respective manufacturer installed on your PC. Since you have both
>> Seagate and Western Digital you can use either one you choose.
>
> (Copied from elsewhere in this tree:)
>
> Catch-22. I downloaded both and created CD's. I tried the Seagate
> version first. It wouldn't run because it couldn't find a Seagate drive.
> My Seagate drive is a USB connected external drive. I installed the
> optional USB drivers when creating the bootable CD, but the Acronis
> utility apparently looks for a qualifying disk before those are loaded.
>
> Next I tried the WD version. It booted up and ran and I was able to
> create an image file, which I saved to my Seagate USB drive. But what is
> going to happen if I replace my internal drive with something other than
> WD? I doubt that the WD Acronis will restore the image I have saved.
>

Good reason to always buy hard drives from the same manufacturer. Either
that or pay for an imaging program.

--
Alias
 
C

Char Jackson

Flightless Bird
On Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:20:54 -0400, "Dave \"Crash\" Dummy"
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

><snipped for brevity>
>>> Are these really brand specific? I have an internal WD drive and an
>>> external Seagate drive. Which should I use to backup my internal WD
>>> drive to me external Seagate drive?
>>
>> Since you have both it really won't matter. These free versions of
>> Acronis have the limitation in that you have to have a drive from the
>> respective manufacturer installed on your PC. Since you have both
>> Seagate and Western Digital you can use either one you choose.
>
>(Copied from elsewhere in this tree:)
>
>Catch-22. I downloaded both and created CD's. I tried the Seagate
>version first. It wouldn't run because it couldn't find a Seagate drive.
>My Seagate drive is a USB connected external drive. I installed the
>optional USB drivers when creating the bootable CD, but the Acronis
>utility apparently looks for a qualifying disk before those are loaded.
>
>Next I tried the WD version. It booted up and ran and I was able to
>create an image file, which I saved to my Seagate USB drive. But what is
>going to happen if I replace my internal drive with something other than
>WD? I doubt that the WD Acronis will restore the image I have saved.

How can you trust a backup that you haven't tried to restore? :)
Instead of asking what will happen, you owe it to yourself to try it
and find out what will happen. The time to do it is now, not after
you've had a 'data emergency'.
 
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