Drive Snapshot


Drive Snapshot creates an exact Disk Image of your system into a file, including the operating system, installed programs, your data and all security attributes - while windows is running and you continue to work. If disaster strikes (a virus, trojan, or hard disk crash), a complete and exact restoration of your system will be possible in only a few minutes. Single files and directories can be easily restored, using the Windows Explorer, or used by any other program (e.g. WINDIFF). Restart to DOS is only necessary if you must restore your system partition. Otherwise, there is no need to reboot - not even during installation. Drive Snapshot saves only the used disk space, compresses the data and is extremly fast - a P4/2GHz will save approx. 1GByte/Minute on a local disk drive.


Screen Shots

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click to enlarge


Visual Synopsis

Windows 98 UpgradeWindows MEWindows 2000 ProWindows XP HomeWindows XP Pro  
Can encrypt or password protect backupKeeps detailed log  
Will backup to another hard drive on your systemCannot write to CD odr DVD without external supportbacks up to firewire devicesWill backup to flash drives Will backup to any network deviceCan backup to zip drives  
Compatible with Parallel ATA drivesCompatible with most raid arraysCompatible with Serial ATA (2) Compatible with UBS2 devicesBacks up IDE drives Handles FAT 16 and FAT 32  
Backup to an image  

Restore complete image filerestore entire partitionRestore entire system Restore file foldersRestore individual files

 
Very easy to useExcellent value Veryt limited features  
License for one computerPrice cut when you buy more than oneFull featured trial for 10-30 days Download the program click here  
Can completely rebuild your Hard rive from scratch  
But it from Element 5 Online  
  • Single computer license ~ $ 49.26
  • Server License ~ $ 112.41
  



What our tester has to say...

Drive Snapshot is an Image backup utility. So you can't just backup your email files. Instead you have to backup the entire partition. If you have less than 10 gigabytes of data on your drive you're looking at 20 minutes or less. However, if you have 150 gigabytes it may well be an all night job. But then it does it by itself. Better yet it can do it while you're working.

The program can be installed by anyone and is simple and straight forward. Of course, simple often implies a reduced option set and Drive Snapshot is no exception. The company offer several tips and tricks to overcome some of the missing features. However, these tricks may be beyond a regular user.

Let's have a look at the actual program. As the screenshots show, you choose which partition to backup. Then you choose the backup destination. There is no direct CD-R or DVD-R support as found in competitive products. I also did not find any email options and schedules. To recover, you have to start the system with a boot floppy you can create if your computer still has a floppy. Otherwise, that may be one more reason to look at other products like Exact Image or Drive Backup.

Some of the issues are no problem to overcome for an IT person. The question is, why should anybody since you can get these features and more for the same price or less.

Drive Snapshot claims to be able to backup any raid configuration. We will test it in this regard. Many other image backups have issues with dynamic configutations or software raids. So stay tuned.

 

*****
Conclusion:
+ Simple to use for most users
- Fewer features than others

 

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$ 49.26

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$112.41
   


What the vendor has to say...


Create Disk Image Backups, while running Windows
The Backup process will backup all your data into a single file, containing all data, including system data, registry for total security, should your computer ever crash. There is no restart (to DOS) necessary.
Continue your work, while the Backup is in progress

  • The new Snapshot technology ensures that all data is consistent, and reflects the PC's data at the start of backup.
  • There are no difficulties with opened files.
  • This allows for a very fast and easy way to backup servers and other computers that must run 24 hours a day.
  • Easy Use and Restore of single files or directories
  • Drive Snapshot creates a virtual drive, containing all your drives' data. You may use, compare, or restore these files directly from the Disk Image file.
  • This works with any program of your choice, including (of course) the Windows Explorer

Complete Restore of a disk in case of Disaster
If a disk is restored to it's original state, it will be exactly the same as at the time of Backup - byte for byte.
Restoring a system partition will require DOS; other drives can be restored using Windows

What the user has to say ....

 

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