What is the Best Backup/Image Software (Ghost/DI/True Image)?

[InfoQuest]

What is the best backup/image software to use? Thoughts on Pros and Cons?

Ghost 2003
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
Drive Image 7
http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/

True Image
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/

Do any not support Western Digital External USB 2.0 external hard drive?

 

[Harry Ohrn]

I use Ghost and it has been fine for me. Yes it will support USB 2.0

 

[Richard]

What is the best backup/image software to use? Thoughts on Pros and Cons?

Ghost 2003
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
Drive Image 7
http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/

True Image
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/

Do any not support Western Digital External USB 2.0 external hard drive?

I can answer for Drive image 7. I use it myself. You can make backup images
without leaving Windows. It works with external USB 2.0 drives. I also use
Western Digital. Restorations are done by booting from the PQ CD which makes
the external HDD available.

Richard.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Richard wrote:

What is the best backup/image software to use? Thoughts on Pros
and Cons?

Ghost 2003
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
Drive Image 7
http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/

True Image
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/

Do any not support Western Digital External USB 2.0 external hard
drive?

I can answer for Drive image 7. I use it myself. You can make backup
images without leaving Windows. It works with external USB 2.0
drives. I also use Western Digital. Restorations are done by booting
from the PQ CD which makes the external HDD available.

Before "deciding" which to use, know that changes are likely to happen in
Symantec's products and no further advancment may happen with Drive Image:
http://www.symantec.com/press/2003/n031208.html
and/or
http://www.powerquest.com/

However, you did not state WHY you want to use an imaging software, so
telling you which is better would depend on what yuou want to do with it.
Matter of fact, that will also determine if any of those are best for your
purposes..

 

[sded]

I have used Acronis True Image for about 18 months and have been very happy with
it. All imaging can be done in the background from Windows, and restore of the
primary partition is done by booting into a Linux kernel-no more DOS! There is
also an incremental imaging capability to cut down the size of the stored data,
and a scheduling program. It does work with USB2.0 drives- I use a Maxtor
3000LE. There is a downloadable trial edition on their website so you can see
if it suits your needs. Also 30 day money back guarantee if you are not happy
with it after you buy it. Hard to beat!

 

[Charlie]

I use Acronis and am very happy with it. I much prefer it to Ghost.

 

[Gene K]

What is the best backup/image software to use? Thoughts on Pros and
Cons?

Ghost 2003
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
Drive Image 7
http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/

True Image
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/

Do any not support Western Digital External USB 2.0 external hard
drive?

Are you sure that your external drive does not have some form of backup
software which comes with it as part of the package? Many do.

 

[Richard Urban]

Damn. This is a political question such as Windows vs. Apple vs. Linux.

They all work. I have used them all. Opinions vary, but they are just that -
opinions. Try them all and decide which features best fit your
circumstances.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[InfoQuest]

Hi Shenan,

I have been using Windows XP Backup Utility Automated System Recovery to do
complete backups of my hard drive? Twice the system got to a point that
using restore points, last known good configuration, Windows repair, etc.,
could not resolve the issue. In both cases I was able to restore from the
complete backup and get up and running again. Since the Windows XP Backup
Utility does not span disc, I ended up getting an external. I just found
out that I will not be able to access the external USB drive in the event of
a complete hard drive failure during the ASR process. The only option
would be to install windows and then restore the complete backup. The
reason for asking about and looking for software that provides backup and
imaging is to take care of both needing to recover files and recover from
hard drive failures in the least amount of time. Any recommendation or
thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[InfoQuest]

Hi Gene,

I noticed that some of the external now have this functionality.
Unfortunately this is a Western Digital USB 2.0 80 GB external drive without
all the bells and whistles.

Thanks for the thought!

 

[Guest]

I am using ghost fro years now, an I would say it works really fine too as well as disk swapping or DVD handling
The big advantage of ghost I will say is that you can setup a standard backup and restore procedure hidden from your end user aas it support command line operation

regard
serge

 

[Sharon F]

What is the best backup/image software to use? Thoughts on Pros and Cons?

Ghost 2003
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/
Drive Image 7
http://www.powerquest.com/driveimage/

True Image
http://www.acronis.com/products/trueimage/

Do any not support Western Digital External USB 2.0 external hard drive?

You forgot a program in your list:
Image for Windows: www.terabyteunlimited.com

I was using Drive Image but when Symantec bought this, I went shopping for
an alternative. Have been very pleased with Drive Image. Imaging and
restoring are both very straightforward and easy to do. There is a trial
version available in their download area.