New free system imaging program

[SIW2]

Easeus have released Todo v3 free version.

It can create winpe 3 boot media for you.

It will burn it to a cd , or put it on a flash drive for you.

It can also add it as a boot menu entry.

Most surprising is that Recover to dissimilar hardware also comes with the free version.

That is more than other free image apps. are offering.

EaseUS Todo Backup Free - world's best free all-in-one backup & recovery software.

 

[MilesAhead]

That could be interesting. I wonder if WinPE has USB 3.0 support? Restore from external should be a lot faster if you can run at USB 3.0 speed. I'm using Macrium and at the moment I have to boot from USB stick then load the USB 3.0 driver manually if I want USB 3.0 speed. A bit of a kludge.

edit: looks like Macrium 5 now has USB 3.0 support in both the Linux and WinPE boot discs. At least according to the features page. But they want $22.50 to upgrade from 4.2 paid std version.

I got the Macrium 5 trial. The Linux boot should have USB 3.0 support. I'm not going to test it tonight though. The Macrium Free edition 5 should be out in awhile. I bet they use the same Linux boot CD for it or maybe one version behind, when that is released. But I expect it to have USB 3.0 support as there's been a lot of clamor for it on the Macrium forums.

edit2: the product you mention I looked at the instructions how to make the WinPE disc. It's version 3.0 not the latest 3.1. Also they make you download WAIK(which is a GB download) so it looks like you either don't get the full WinPE or they are somehow kludging it.

 

[SIW2]

You need to add usb 3 drivers to the pe3 image.

Easy to do it with dism.

looks like Macrium 5 now has USB 3.0 support in both the Linux and WinPE boot discs.

Macrium must have added the drivers already in the paid version download - because they aren't in the macrium pe3 you can run off if you d'l WAIK.



To make a macrium pe3 boot media:

You can use my little app from within win 7 and you don't need WAIK

d/l and install trial version of macrium 5 - any edition - server edition if you like - doesn't matter.

Run my little app and it will make a pe3 disc for you- it will also install renesas usb3 drivers.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium-37.html

 

[MilesAhead]

I run it from command prompt and it burns the CD?
Are you talking about RunMeAsAdminV2?

edit: in any case the Linux boot cd claims USB 3.0 support. That's all I need. If it doesn't work then I'll investigate further.

 

[pparks1]

Thanks, I'm going to give this a try. i used their older version as it would also image Server based systems.

 

[SIW2]

This is the app. for making Macrium pe3 media View attachment 170112

It makes this




Here is the Todo app. in one of my custom pe builds




- see

 

[MilesAhead]

Hmmmmmmmm, I just tried the Linux boot CD from Macrium 5. Does not recognize my SIIG USB 3.0 card. So looks like I'm sticking with 4.2 unless they come out with a fix.

I already have WinPE 2.0 on a USB key where I can manually load the SIIG USB 3.0 Windows driver. That's all I need.

 

[pparks1]

Thus far I really like what I see with the new FREE version of EaseUS ToDo Backup 3 Free;

What's so great about it;

1. 1 click system image, couldn't be easier
2. file level backup and restore
3. ability to do full backups, differential backups and incremental backups
4. hardware independent restore (I haven't tested this yet)
5. disk and partition cloning ability
6. It's free for business use on workstations
7. 1 button addition to the Windows startup menu for quick recoveries

And the other features that it offers

• Various levels of compressioin
• Password Protection
• Encryption
• File Splitting
• Backup priority levels
• Email Notifications
• Ability to offsite the backup copy to an FTP server
• Throttling for the offsite copy

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I downloaded it and ran it last night. Seems to work OK, with little interaction required. I made a boot disk and was able to boot from it and go a couple of steps into the recovery process without any issues.

I wasn't clear on the distinction between "system backup" and "disk and partition backup", so I ran both. The resulting images were virtually identical--within a few hundred bytes, so I am guessing both simply made an image of C alone?? I don't have any other partitions on my boot drive.

PParks: I did not see any configuration option for compression levels. Can you advise how to do that? In fact, I saw very little in the way of configuration choices.

I may keep it around to use, alternating with Macrium. I'd just as soon get rid of Acronis, which has never been completely confidence-inspiring.

 

[pparks1]

When you click on "system backup", you are choosing a 1 button simple backup....no options, no choices, it just images all physical drives on your system.

You can manually go into "disk and partition" backup if you want to do the same thing, but specify options. When you go this route, down at the bottom will be an options button and you can set all of those things that I mentioned.

These should be cooled
--Novice automatic mode
--Advanced mode.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

When you click on "system backup", you are choosing a 1 button simple backup....no options, no choices, it just images all physical drives on your system.

You can manually go into "disk and partition" backup if you want to do the same thing, but specify options. When you go this route, down at the bottom will be an options button and you can set all of those things that I mentioned.

Thanks for the info on the "options" button--I had missed it the first time through.

I just did another "system backup" and also a "disk and partition" backup of the C drive alone.

I then mounted both images. I can't see a difference in them. In both cases, only my C drive was shown among the mounted files.

I have 3 separate hard drives, each with a single partition:

C: SSD containing Windows only
D: spinner containing all data
E: spinner containing data backup

Unless I am totally confused (always a possibility), the "system backup" choice does not include D and E and appears to be identical to a "disk and partition" backup of C alone.

 

[Wishmaster]

I haven't tried this app yet, but it sounds like it works like Acronis.

Meaning, the "System backup" just Images the partition the OS is installed. With no options to configure, just a quick backup.

If the OS is installed on a disc on its own, this obviously works, but you could also opt for the Disc/Partion Image.
A Partiton Image of C, would be the same as the Auto System backup.

But the Disc Image will image the entire disc, Including the System reserved (if there is one) and all other partitons, as well as the disc signature.
This is my perfered method for my OS drive.
So this method might have a image thats just slightly bigger.


And it does sound as if its leaving out librarys that are located on other drives. Which, IMHO, is a good thing. Simply because you can back those up seprately. If like me, they probably do not need to backed up nearly as often as the OS does.


Of course this is open to correction, as Im basing this on my experience of Acronis. It sounds like it works the same though.


How is this app overall if compared directly to Acronis?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Wishmaster:

I'd guess the verdict is not in primarily because we don't have any info on problems or failed restore attempts, etc.

Superficially it appears better than Acronis: it's free, probably a better designed interface, seems to take less time to make an image, few limitations that would affect a home user, and no history (yet, that I know of) of failures.

I don't have any "reserved" partitions of any kind, so I can't tell you how it handles them. I would assume they would show up and need to be checked when doing a "disk and partition" backup.

A "system backup" requires all most no interaction with the user--you just choose a destination for the image.

Tentatively, I am going to use it, pending any feedback regarding issues. And get rid of Acronis (the free version available from WD and Seagate).

Of course, you never know about these apps until crunch time when you have a catastrophe.

 

[Comp Cmndo]

Tried Todo Backup last week on Win7-64 and WinXP-32 machines. After creating images for each machine on USB2.0 HD, created bootable CD for each machine. Both CD's failed to boot on their respective machines. Searched Easus Forums, many having same problem. For some, it locks computer, others, it just hangs. Most say it's a memory management problem, and to type command "MEM 2GB" at Linux command prompt, or something like that. Tried all variations, nothing worked.

No problem with Macrium. Won't use Todo until issues are resolved. What good is a backup, if the Bootable Media won't boot?

I can always get DOS to boot & run Symantec Ghost Enterprise 8.2. Just trying to move away from DOS, but it always seems to work.

 

[Wishmaster]

Wishmaster:

I'd guess the verdict is not in primarily because we don't have any info on problems or failed restore attempts, etc.

Superficially it appears better than Acronis: it's free, probably a better designed interface, seems to take less time to make an image, few limitations that would affect a home user, and no history (yet, that I know of) of failures.

I don't have any "reserved" partitions of any kind, so I can't tell you how it handles them. I would assume they would show up and need to be checked when doing a "disk and partition" backup.

A "system backup" requires all most no interaction with the user--you just choose a destination for the image.

Tentatively, I am going to use it, pending any feedback regarding issues. And get rid of Acronis (the free version available from WD and Seagate).

Of course, you never know about these apps until crunch time when you have a catastrophe.

Very true, and thanks for the input.

Think I'll go ahead & give it a try as well.

 

[pparks1]

Unless I am totally confused (always a possibility), the "system backup" choice does not include D and E and appears to be identical to a "disk and partition" backup of C alone.

I'm sure that is the case, and you aren't crazy. I've only tested on a box that contained a single C drive. Probably most home users would have a single drive setup as well and this one click backup would suffice. My home system (where I presently run Acronis) has an 80GB SSD for the OS and all applications. I have a spinner drive in this box, but it's just internet downloads and scratch stuff....so I don't include it anyway when I do images. Whenever I restore an image, all I want is the C drive. My actual data is stored on a file server at my house...which is backed up separately.

I'll test in a little bit to ensure that it gets the system reserved partitions and such.

 

[mjf]

I got the Macrium 5 trial. The Linux boot should have USB 3.0 support. I'm not going to test it tonight though. The Macrium Free edition 5 should be out in awhile. I bet they use the same Linux boot CD for it or maybe one version behind, when that is released. But I expect it to have USB 3.0 support as there's been a lot of clamor for it on the Macrium forums.

edit2: the product you mention I looked at the instructions how to make the WinPE disc. It's version 3.0 not the latest 3.1. Also they make you download WAIK(which is a GB download) so it looks like you either don't get the full WinPE or they are somehow kludging it.

I made the pe disk via the download. I think this inconvenience may be a licensing constraint imposed by MS.
Anyway the pe disk works fine EXCEPT I cannot get the Renesa usb3 drivers accepted when make the pe disk. Yet they are accepted and can be loaded after you boot the pe disk!

I might try the DISM suggestion to add them.

 

[pparks1]

Test results thus far:

Grabbed a Dell E6400 Laptop at work. Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz CPU and 4GB of RAM. Since 160GB hard drive, 7,200 RPM. Installed Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit from USB key to it.

Total disk size after install, and download of EaseUsToDoBackup version 3 and installation of said sofware was 15,717.303.368 bytes.

Ran the 1 button press backup job (which did grab my C drive, and my System Reserved Partition) to my eSATA external drive
--Job took 2:28 seconds to backup. 4.734,436KB resulting output file.

Ran the backup manually, specified HIGH COMPRESSION with MEDIUM PRIORITY,
--Job took 6:30 seconds to backup, 3,732,976KB resulting output file.

Booted from the standard recovery media (is a bit slow, but works) and restored the 1 button push backup file
--Job took 4:45 seconds to restore.

Booted back into Windows 7 no problems at all.

edit: I'm in the process of burning the Windows PE version of the recovery media and will try that.

Edit: Windows PE version worked as well. Probably took a bit longer to start, presented by drive letters a bit nicer, but the overall restore process took 6:21 seconds versus 4:45 with the standard recovery media.

 

[MilesAhead]

I got the Macrium 5 trial. The Linux boot should have USB 3.0 support. I'm not going to test it tonight though. The Macrium Free edition 5 should be out in awhile. I bet they use the same Linux boot CD for it or maybe one version behind, when that is released. But I expect it to have USB 3.0 support as there's been a lot of clamor for it on the Macrium forums.

edit2: the product you mention I looked at the instructions how to make the WinPE disc. It's version 3.0 not the latest 3.1. Also they make you download WAIK(which is a GB download) so it looks like you either don't get the full WinPE or they are somehow kludging it.

I made the pe disk via the download. I think this inconvenience may be a licensing constraint imposed by MS.
Anyway the pe disk works fine EXCEPT I cannot get the Renesa usb3 drivers accepted when make the pe disk. Yet they are accepted and can be loaded after you boot the pe disk!

I might try the DISM suggestion to add them.

I was just disappointed the Linux boot didn't work hands off. Afaik (and a system builder guy may correct me if I'm wrong) all the USB 3.0 stuff is NEC with an NEC driver. So I would think if the Linux kernel with USB 3.0 works for motherboard USB 3.0 it should work for SIIG express card. I have WinPE 2.0 and can load the SIIG driver manually using drvload. It's just a pain having to fish it out during a restore.

Just seems like Macrium 5 is different than Macrium 4.2 in that the GUI is shifted around a bit and an upgrade now costs $$. Looks marketing rather than technical.

edit: btw didn't mean to turn it into a Macrium thread. So I'll quit bitchin'

 

[mjf]

This is the app. for making Macrium pe3 media View attachment 170112

It makes this

View attachment 170114


Here is the Todo app. in one of my custom pe builds

View attachment 170115


- see

Some instructions would help