# Free Imaging software



## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

A FREE imaging software backup program: http://www.macrium.com/ReflectFree.asp

Reminds me a bit, and seems "close", to Acronis!!!

Wandered across this last night and no, I have not used it.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Good find.


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## Plantsman (Jan 20, 2008)

A point worth mentioning, you can only restore a Macrium disk image with the boot CD and not create one, so you need to install the program first to create an image to restore later. Maybe not that important but Acronis and Shadowprotect do have this feature but then Macrium is free or much cheaper to buy than these two. Just thought I'd set the record straight.


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

Hi,
A bit different, but for docs/images you're working on 'Filehamster' could be useful. I've had Word crash a few times and this has bailed me out:
http://www.mogware.com/FileHamster/

Richard


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## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

Sounds like experience Plantsman and I, we, appreciate your suggestion. Now, I have to just remember to do that IF I choose to use it. Don't know that Acronis is beatable.


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## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

richards, appreciate your input and recommendation.


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## 1002richards (Jan 29, 2006)

buf,
You're welcome.

Richard


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## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

Something just came to mind. I thought I recalled reading that having *more* than one imagining application installed would cause problems. Anyone know if this is true or not??
I do not intend to remove Acronis 11 to prove or disprove this because I am too happy with its results each time I have to use it.


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## Plantsman (Jan 20, 2008)

I know you cannot use Storagecraft's Shadowprotect while Acronis is installed. Even if you uninstall Acronis there are still left over files which need to be removed first. This may be true of other imaging programs, I wouldn't know but Acronis does leave 'hooks' behind which might interfere with these also.


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## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

Thanks. Guess I knew I wasn't going to remove Acronis. Nothing does its job better than Acronis; for my money.


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## Plantsman (Jan 20, 2008)

buf said:


> Nothing does its job better than Acronis; for my money.


One of the luckier users then!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I've used Acronis True Image and Disk Director for years here, and it's worked very well. There are a LOT of lucky Acronis users.

There is no issue that I know of having more than one imaging utility installed at the same time, it's never affected me. I used to have GHOST and TI installed on several machines, eventually I moved totally to TI.


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

I'm also a lucky TI user and even luckier because it's free to Maxtor/Seagate hard drive owners.
It's included in Discwizard which can be downloaded here:
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/discwizard

Did I mention it's free?..........


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## Plantsman (Jan 20, 2008)

Let's not be too euphoric here. For the uninitiated it is well to be aware that there ARE problems for many users using Acronis Trueimage. This is not to say that the product is necessarily a bad one but rather it can present problems with some systems and in my opinion could largely be avoided if only Acronis would adopt a Windows based boot CD rather than the Linux one.

I can only say I had a five month hassle with Acronis and their boot CD which I posted on this forum. I don't really want to get into a debate on this matter again, but rather to say that if anyone is thinking to purchasing Acronis to consider the possible downsides as well as the up. There seems to be a blind bias at the moment on Acronis being the very best in it's category, an opinion to which I once subscribed, but have now realised there are more dependable products out there and for me it is Shadowprotect.

If you're interested and at the risk of opening a can of worms ( I won't get involved again) here's the thread I started some time ago, hope you can bear the angst.

http://forums.techguy.org/all-other-software/675067-solved-acronis-trueimage-11-boot.html


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

> For the uninitiated it is well to be aware that there ARE problems for many users using Acronis Trueimage.


How many are 'many'?
What was unique about your configuration that caused the problem?


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

> I don't really want to get into a debate on this matter again, but rather to say that if anyone is thinking to purchasing Acronis to consider the possible downsides as well as the up.


That's why I posted the free version that Maxtor/Seagate offers to owners of their product.
If it doesn't work, they aren't out a financial loss.

This thread is titled "* Free Imaging software *"
The one I posted is free to Maxtor/Seagate hd owners.

I saw this at Barts web site a while ago, that may be the issue for some that have a problem with TI:
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/


> A PC can boot from a CD-Rom if the PCs BIOS supports the El Torito Bootable CD-ROM Format Specification v1.0.
> This specification provides a way of getting to the location on the CD that will provide the boot information, while maintaining ISO-9660 compatibility.
> 
> El Torito is not mexican food, it is the bootable CD-Rom specification The El Torito specification was created in january 1995, by Curtus E. Stevens (Phoenix) and Stan Merkin (back then IBM). And it was called after a restaurant, the "El Torito grill", where they went to eat and talk about bootable CD-Roms. Click here for the full story...
> ...





> This all sounds very great, a nice and clear specification about bootable CD-Roms and if all BIOS vendors would implement the complete specification, there would be nothing to worry about. But the BIOS vendors do no follow the full El Torito specification!


Perhaps that is your problem?


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## Plantsman (Jan 20, 2008)

Stoner said:


> How many are 'many'?
> What was unique about your configuration that caused the problem?


How am I supposed to answer how many? If you do a Google search there are plenty. The configuration problem is still not understood either by Acronis, myself or anyone as far as I know, otherwise Acronis would/should have implemented a fix by now.

They only finally solved it for me by trial and error and when I asked if the fix would be implemented in the next update they said no, as the fix was only per user. Read what you want into that but it suggests to me there could be dozens if not hundreds of potential clashes with different hardware setups. All I had was a straightforward vanilla Vista laptop, so why should I have had so much trouble?

It's all in the thread I gave. Read it if you will, if not and like I said earlier I can't be drawn into a discussion where I'll just be repeating myself again. The problems are real and I for one haven't made it up. For one more time I wanted to draw attention to the fact that Acronis is not for everyone, but for me now this matter is finally closed.


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## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

I am really really sorry for the way you feel about Acronis. Guess I am one of the lucky ones, however, on occasions I have had some problems with it but most likely my lack of totally understanding it in the beginning and that carried over until about a year + ago.
I will add that there have many apps. that have caused me grief.
And I won't blame how you feel and I don't want to hear the angst either. Been there---done that also.

EDIT: Thanks for your words about non-conflicts if more than one recovery app. is installed. I *know* I read that some where.


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## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

Plantsman said:


> How am I supposed to answer how many? ......................


If you are making recommendations, I think it's up to you to define how many is 'many' when you describe it as such.

I know you had a lot of trouble with TI, but looking at http://forums.techguy.org/all-other-software/712572-acronis-solves-trueimage-boot-cd.html
I suspect TI tech had a problem writing for a possible non standard bios as Bart outlined as some common issues.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Actually the Acronis Linux window enabled far greater recognition for external drives and had a lot to do with why Acronis has always used that as well as the ability to restore in Windows environment as well.
The only issues I have ever found with Acronis is that hard drives with any issues at all will neither restore or complete backup image files but the interface is the easiest to use with the most functionality IMHO and I have been a user and beta tester for them for 7 years.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I've used TI on a ton of systems. There were some issues with USB drives in older versions, from around two years ago, all of that seems worked out. I agree with Rich, one of the strengths of TI has been the wide variety of hardware it'll run on, and the fact that you don't need to tinker around with drivers.


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## mickaldinho (Jul 28, 2008)

Very nice find man i'll check it out


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## pmorgan (Aug 7, 2008)

I'm also one that experienced Acronis problems. In fact, I have a different post asking about one of these leftover "hooks" from uninstalling Acronis. 

I had backed up to a new external hard drive that I frequently use, but on the "restore" to my laptop, Acronis kept telling me "file is corrupted" (despite successful notices that it had backed up OK). When I tried to restore the backup for the desktop to the desktop, it also said files were corrupted. 

Funny, as all my other data on that hard drive was salvageable. 

Anyway, if anyone knows where some of these leftover Acronis files exist please let me know cuz I can't find them.

Thanks,
Phil

Oh . .thanks Plantsman for your info.


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## buf (Nov 4, 2001)

Phil, may I ask what version of Acronis you are/were using?


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## tbird6820 (Aug 10, 2008)

When downloading it asks, select your windows version, 32-bit or 64-bit, how do I know which one?


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

tbird6820 said:


> When downloading it asks, select your windows version, 32-bit or 64-bit, how do I know which one?


Right click, My Computer, choose Properties and you will see the version there.


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## tbird6820 (Aug 10, 2008)

Under system It shows version 2002?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

You have a 32 bit system.


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## tbird6820 (Aug 10, 2008)

Thanks. I'm curious to know how to find this?


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

In your case, I made an educated guess, since it's very unlikely that you'd be running a 64 bit system and not know.

Start, Run, MSINFO32.EXE, under system type, if it say X86, it's a 32 bit system.

Here are a couple of other ways from a Microsoft page.


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## tbird6820 (Aug 10, 2008)

I never knew this, under system type, it said X86. thanks!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Glad to help.


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