Discussion on:

Five tips for more reliable Acronis backups

I had used Acronis True Image for many years
and am very sad at the current state of
their software. I will not go into details
here.

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Acronis is the best backup tool I used.

f.y.i. The Western Digital Acronis TrueImage WD Edition 2010 (build 14,010) was released just recently. I found it and installed it on WinXP/Vista/Win7 [triple boot PC] 14 October 2010.
Two backups and one restore from within XP SP3 seems to have no issues. I shall try same backup/restore process within Vista and Win7 later, to verify full functionality in all three OS's.

I have tried Acronis 6 and TI Home 2009 and TI Home 2010. All without success. There has ALWAYS been some kind of fatal flaw that prevents it from doing its job. Images have been created, validated, checked and re-checked but when the chips are down...bare metal drive installed, there has always been a problem with why Acronis can't restore the image. That's cr*p in my book. So, give me no tips on how to obtain a more reliable backup and definitely give me no advice that I spend even more to get an option that shouldn't be necessary. What a joke.

I have never even bothered to screw around with the backup feature in Acronis. I have a second drive that I use to clone my primary drive to. It takes about 25 minutes for a complete cloning. The cloned drive contains EVERYTHING including a bootable OS and ALL program configs. If I crash all I have to do is swap drives and I am up and running in 5 minutes.

To do this you can use an internal or external drive. The external is safer because you can store it offsite or onsite in a fireproof safe or where ever you deem appropriate.

The time that I quoted above will depend on the amount of data you have, processor speed, drive speed and bus speed. I clone approx 60gigs of data on 3.8gHz dual core with a 1066mHz bus on 7200rpm drives.

Jack, you're such a great Tech Writer...
But where's your good judgement???

PLEASE dont waste our time trying to convince us that Acronis is reliable when, in your heart, you know it's "Unsafe At Any Speed" and should be shot.

The next article you write should compare the flaws in *all* the popular backup software, then let the CONSUMER put Acronis out of it's misery.

Fair?

I'm using Acronis True Image 10 Home, but I can't see how to create a separate validation task. Is this only available in version 11?

I have been using Acronis for 5 years. Their product has improved a lot (Enterprise edition). Have not used the home edition. I am currently backing up 40 local servers and 79 offsite servers. The great things is that I can look at the Management console every morning and know if any site has had errors backing up. And have also setup email notification. Saves a lot of time!!

I am an end user and I find that Acronis is still not as good as the old Norton Ghost.

1. I recover disk images to DVD and the performance is...not good it doesn't automatically check the DVD, and it doesn't check the image to disk. Why not the junkware version of Cyberlink system recover does? I use Acronis to save my disk images after ripping out all the crapware, so the cyberlink freeware won't work it works only for the OEM image.

2. When reloading the images, even when it works it work...not very well. Acronis will hang (even on good disks) in older versions you had to try all over again. On the new version you often can't just click and go the apps see a disk error, you have to browse to the image and then go. So far, I have been able to back into the app and get it to work over the rough spots.

3. All the shuffling of disks is a pain in the (*well you know), first you put in the last disk (what is up with that) then you have to put in the first disk, then in some as yet un-discovered pattern it asks for some middle image disk say 4, then it asks for disk 2, then it asks for 4 again, then three and if you are lucky it will then feed the disks through.

The old Ghost was a dream. Build your floppy, insert floppy, boot, navigate to the drive, burn image, repeat and re-image. No shuffling, no stutters, simple and no hassles.

I have tried DriveXML, too cludgy

I have tried the new ghost, won't save a disk image, so when I can I use the old version.

I use system commander for machines with issues, and while I have liked it, it is for the nerd's nerd. Way too much overkill for just a burn and run. I do like it for technical stuff like shuffling partitions, changing the boot order and partition images etc. I have to get my spinner beany cap and pocket liner to get in the mood first.

I am now looking at Linux specifically Ubuntu live disks using tools like dd, and a couple of those recovery disks however, too geeky for my tasks and tastes, but it works and is reliable even if it is hard to figure out coming from the Windows world.

However so far the Linux stuff has proven bullet proof for my simple needs and I will probably shift over once I get comfortable with doing images in the Linux-ese way. I hate man pages, but with an interpreter they work.

Back again...

I am currently testing ShadowProtect and have had NO
problems other than the cost. They could take away
Acronis's crown any time now...