I’m looking to image my hard drive before loading up C6 trial demo.
Any recommendations? I can pay some money, if it’s better than freeware. I have below average computer skills … I read Norton Ghost asks users to make all kinds of choices without default settings that could be troublesome (“DOS type, peer-to-peer settings, TCP/IP and SCSI driver settings, and virtual partition free space options”) - that stuff would definitely stump me.
Thanks for any advice -
I’ve always considered anything Norton a virus 
I personally use Acronis, but you can check this topic : Data BackUp Methodology - WaveLab - Steinberg Forums
Thanks, Paul.
“Backup vs image” … when I mentioned I backed up, someone implied better to image.
Any thoughts on whether the difference is important in this situation (before loading up C6 Trial version)?
Same here. Hideous stuff
OK, but what do you recommend, Paul? Thanks!
I run two identical data drives as a 1st level of backup and then burn 2 copies to DVDr
I use the full version of Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 for my office computer. I got stuffed big-time last year during a partioning exercise but Paragon redeemed themselves with an excellent remote desktop session followed by a decent “English-friendly” update. I still use it on my office machine - but I only trust my DAW backups/mirrors with Acronis.
RTFM is essential advice with any back-up software as hard-drive and partitioning terminology is still in the Stone Age of computing. 
The words “Norton” and “Symantec” fill me with dread… 
Hi
I share Alexis’ opinion of Norton
Here is what I use … it adds firewall and antispam as well as protecting fro virii
The mentions of Paragon included Kudos for their remote support. I do recommend software by a company who gets you this kind of customizwd ‘person to person’ support promptly when needed.
Eset have also demonstrated their ‘live’ efficiency … four times they have given me live support within 15 seconds of dialing their number - twice involved a remote desktop session. That’s in addidion to their firewall handling my many and various comms needs without my having to adjust it ‘under the bonnet/hood’. The only ‘bad stuff’ it has not caught, has been when a website or popup has tricked me onto accepting something nasty. I’m in England, by the way. Oh … and please call this ‘testimonial’ rather than recommendation … I’ve not have recent experience with any other product.
Oh … and I consider disk-imaging essential … I’ve been using the Win 7 onbard imaging process, but have recieved plenty of recommendations for Acronis. DO read up on the web, because there are some interesting and involved debates about the reliability and trustworthiness of different versions of Acronis, and Symantek Ghost. Up until 2003, Ghost was great … it worked fine with XP, and the Ghost 2003 was the version I used. Subsequent versions of Ghost began to get a bit complex.
There are discussions about the relative safety of doing a disk image while actually IN windows, of rebooting and doing the imaging from a DOS shell. The argument is that there is a definitly higher risk of messing up, if the Imaging software is tring to tak an image of, for example, the Windows operating system, while they are actually in use.
All the best
Glyn
I’ve used Acronis TrueImage for a long time, I’ve made a bootable recovery disc and after that unistalled the program itself from Windows. I repeat the process every time there is an update for the program. Never failed me yet.
Cheers,
Mauri.
+1 for Paragon free, works very well and has saved my bacon on a few occasions as well as being useful when installing a new system drive.
Argh!! I hate Norton so much right now!
I’ve not used my main DAW much so far this year. In fact the last time I switched that PC on was to make an image when I was toying with the prospect of going to C6.
Today: inspiration strikes and I’m setting up a new project. I’m about to start a rough recording when I notice a lot of disk activity. Norton has noticed that I haven’t done a back-up for more than 30 days … so it’s decided to do one … without any promoting. It’s never done that before and I make a point of disabling all scheduled back ups. [I decide when to back up]
I’m a-feardy to stop it half way through so I’m just letting it go … 30 mins so far. I’ll remind you that the last thing I did was a full image!!
I have Acronis on my lap top, it’s a bit old and rudimentary but it only ever does what I tell it to.
R.
I used Ghost until I switched over to WIN-7. I started having probs with the “system reserved” partition. The image just wouldnt boot anymore after the ghost. So I gave up on Ghost and tried a lot of different tools (including Acronis) and the best one IMHO is Clonezilla. Its a bit “linux-ey” (in the beginning you ask yourself "is it really doing what I want it to do?) but when you get used to it, it works perfectly fine and the image is really absolutely identical. I’ve been using it for about a year… and its free
If you have the nerves to deal with the linux stuff, give it a try.
Heres the Link:
http://www.clonezilla.org/
Hi
File and audio backup is not the same as imaging. Imaging is best for os backup and should be done when you have a stable set up… Projects and audio are best backed up regularly
I use paragon for os backup. For file backups I have a spare internal drive and a network drive and use good sync.
Thank you everybody, for the replies!
I’m reading a bit about Paragon … is this the product you folks are talking about? Free Data Recovery software | Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition It doesn’t mention “image” as much as “backup”, so I’m not sure if it’s the right one.
Aside - how does a company stay in business giving away free complex products? It’s not just a random question … I sort of wonder how likely it is or isn’t that they’ll be around for support as time goes on if they keep giving their profits away …?
Kind of like, how does an artist survive if they keep giving their stuff away for free?
That’s the one I use for disc imaging , give it a go.
I just downloaded the Paragon, but all of a sudden I’m getting sweaty palms … it seems it’s unavoidable that there’s a huge window of vulnerability when imaging … if something goes wrong, the downside could be horrific. Especially the 1st time.
I suppose there’s no getting around it!
(Except Paul W.'s method of having identical hard drives in use … [drool]icon[/drool]
I used to use Acronis True Image, but stopped. When it came time to fix a partition by putting up the image, it didn’t entirely work. I have also read a lot of users reporting frustration / problems with Acronis and Win7. I’m currently working with Symantec Backup Exec. Other than the fact that I utterly despise the interface, it seems to work well. Still need to try the acid test of putting an image back up.
Backup Exec (and Ghost) are now essentially Power Quest’s Drive Image Program. Symanted acquired Power Quest. I used to use Drive Image and thought it was by far the best program out there in terms of just working well everytime. So I have hope for Backup Exec.
So, if it doesn’t work, and everything melts …
I wonder if maybe I should use TWO different imaging programs, then test putting an image back up, using one at a time. The chances of BOTH failing seem infinitesimally small.
Win7 backup got me out of the cack more than once or twice when i was having some problems a while back… worked perfectly and very quickly for me thankfully! 