a few Drive Image 7 questions

[BeStiff]

I have some questions about PowerQuest's Drive Image 7 program. I am
currently using Drive Image 2002 on my Windows XP Dell 2.4 ghz.
machine, and a Maxtor external USB drive using a 1.1 usb port. The
problem is, it takes forever to back up my hard drive, and I have to
sit there and put in one cdr after another until the job is done. DI
7 will let me use an external USB drive, which is the only reason I
was planning on upgrading. I used Google to check out any posts about
DI 7, but didn't find many posts, and none of them recent. The few
that I found raised more questions than they answered.

First, some of the posts mentioned that in order to use DI 7, I would
have to install Microsoft's Net Framework. What is this program, and
Why would I want it on my computer, or why wouldn't I want it on my
computer.

There was also one post that said that DI 7 caused problems with some
external USB hardware, in particular, on Iomega Zip drive. Now, I
just picked up an external zip drive, since my old computer had an
internal zip, and wanted to transfer some of my old files still on
disk to the new computer. Has anyone else had problems like this?

Another post said that after installing DI 7, their computer took 10
times longer to shut down than before. Now I don't understand this,
since one of the main reasons I want to go with a drive image program
instead of something like GoBack or Second Chance, is I don't want the
program running in the background at all times using up system
resources and possible interfering with other programs. DI should not
be doing anything until I activate it, so I don't understand why it
would make the computer take longer to shut down. It is not as if it
is keeping track of files on the hard drive and saving changes when
you power down, it should just wait until such time as you tell it to
make a complete copy of the hard drive, nothing else.

Finally, I will probably replace my computer with a new one in about 3
months and sell my current system to my cousin. Will I be able to
install this program on the new computer in a couple of months. I am
perfectly willing to uninstall the program on my old machine when I
do, but if I will not be able to use this program on a new computer in
a few months, I am not going to bother with it now.

So, I just want a program that will let me easily back up my entire C:
drive, and then, if I have a problem with a virus, or program install
messes up my computer I can just select an earlier back up from my
external hard drive, and put everything back the way it was. No fuss,
no bother, and reliable!

By the way, how does DI 7 compare to Ghost and TrueImage?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Richard Urban]

Net framework - you want it on your computer if you plan to use Drive Image
7.0/01. There is not other option in this matter.

I have successfully Imaged to and restored from external USB drives. I never
have, and never will use a Zip disk. Why would you? They are what, 1/2 - 1/3
the capacity of a CD.

I have not noticed any slow down in booting or shutdown.

Drive Image 7.01 must be activated but you don't even have to be on-line to
do it. It is 100% internal to your computer (it not really activation as we
know it in a Microsoft sense).

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Gary L. Hunt]

I used to use Drive Image 2002 and then 7 but now I use True Image 7 from
Acronis and it is the best imaging program that I have ever used. I don't
plan on going back to Symantec any time soon. Go to Acrons.com and read
about it. It is fantastic.

Gary

 

[Richard Urban]

Except its file sizes are about 1/3 larger than those created by Drive Image
7.01. You see, I tried True Image also!

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Gary L. Hunt]

Functionality is superior because it contains disk migration functions that
Drive Image does not have. If you have disk with multiple partitions you
want to transfer to another disk, you have to do it one partition at a time
but with True Image, you do them all at once.

Gary

 

[Richard Urban]

That is categorically untrue.

If you image a drive, and choose/highlight all the partition, you will image
all the partitions. Of course, it helps if you use the advanced view! You
can restore one, or all, to a new drive or the same drive.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

 

[Gary L. Hunt]

It's strange when I tried this that Powerquest Tech support also confirmed
what I said to be true but you may be right. If you are, I am glad to hear
it but still will stay with True Image 7.

Gary

 

[JAX]

Have to go along with Richard on this one. Indeed, you can image all
partitions and then switch to a larger drive and the partitions will be
loaded proportionately, i.e., if you go from a 100 Gig drive with a primary
partition of 10 Gig's to a 200 Gig drive the new partition will be 20 Gig;s
etc. That applies to all partitions on the HD.

Pretty neat program.

JAX

 

[Zinger [VIP]]

I notice that Symantec has purchased Powerquest, and now offers Drive image,
I have to wonder which of their two image programs, "Drive-Image" or "Ghost"
will survive this merger.
As a long time user of "Drive Image" ver 3 thru 7 I am currently using power
quests new offering "V2i" which I feel is the best I've tried.
It not only images your total drive, but will also do "incremental" image
updates that take only seconds to do and keep your backups current.

 

[Darrell]

Drive Image 7 works great using an external USB hard drive. It would be
worth your time to upgrade your computer for USB 2.0. It's 40X faster than
USB 1.1. I just imaged my hard drive (26GB of data) in 30 minutes using DI
7 and USB 2.0. That would assume your USB drive can handle USB 2.0.

 

[Picsou]

I have been a long-time user of Drive Image.
Version 7 is however the most bloated, useless version I have seen.
It is absolutely worthless, I am not using it nor will I ever do:
- A restore takes ages because one has to boot from a CD on the one hand,
and loading the restore environment (once booted) is slow like hell on the
other hand.
- It slows down the shut-down procedure of a PC because it has first to
close a number of (useless) running services.
- It runs (see above) a number of services during a normal Windows XP
session that take up resources for no reason (as if Drive Image is the one
and only, most importing application that a normal user is using every 5
minutes).

That is my opinion (once a very dedicated user of Drive Image).

 

[BeStiff]

Net framework - you want it on your computer if you plan to use Drive Image
7.0/01. There is not other option in this matter.

What does it do. Is there any drawbacks to isntalling this on your
computer that would make me pass on DI 7?

I have successfully Imaged to and restored from external USB drives. I never
have, and never will use a Zip disk. Why would you? They are what, 1/2 - 1/3
the capacity of a CD.

I have not noticed any slow down in booting or shutdown.

I don't plan on using the zip discs for anything now, but I did have a
number of old files on zip discs from back in the days before there
were CD burners, and I wanted to transfer a lot of these old files to
my hard drive. One post I read said that DI 7 was interfering with
some external USB devices, including a digital camera and an external
zip drive.

 

[BeStiff]

I have been a long-time user of Drive Image.
Version 7 is however the most bloated, useless version I have seen.
It is absolutely worthless, I am not using it nor will I ever do:
- A restore takes ages because one has to boot from a CD on the one hand,
and loading the restore environment (once booted) is slow like hell on the
other hand.
- It slows down the shut-down procedure of a PC because it has first to
close a number of (useless) running services.
- It runs (see above) a number of services during a normal Windows XP
session that take up resources for no reason (as if Drive Image is the one
and only, most importing application that a normal user is using every 5
minutes).

That is my opinion (once a very dedicated user of Drive Image).

Do you have any idea why it is running programs in the background.
The whole idea about having an imaging program, instead of something
like GoBack, is that I liked having a utility that didn't do anything
until I told it to, then did it's job, and shut down. Simple and
direct, copy this drive, restore this drive, shut down.