Rescue&Recovery VS Acronis True Image

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lautamas · #1 Post by **lautamas** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:07 am

I am planning to use either one software to make imaging that's versatile. Anybody has compared? I have been using Acronis and it works wonderfully for me unless the part where I need to install a SATA driver for my T60 when Acronis is restoring.

Anybody has experience with Rescue&recovery 4.0? If, for example, I change to another harddisk, can the software restore the image file completely?

Acronis has the UNIVERSAL RESTORE feature..meaning...if I make my image in this particular comp (A motherboard, B CPU, C Harddrive, D GPU) and if I'd like to restore to a completely different unit (B Motherboard, B CPU, B harddrive) with different hardware. Acronis can use its "Universal Restore" so Windows XP will be able to boot up. If I use without the universal restore, WIndows XP wont reboot because it detects a completely different motherboard and CPU.

#2 Post by **carbon_unit** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:17 pm

Acronis True Image also has the "Secure Zone" feature which takes part of a second partition and makes it hidden so you can put backup images in it and then it adds the Acronis program and modifies the MBR so you can press F11 during boot and boot into Acronis and restore your system without a boot cd. Similar to how Rescue and Recovery works with the HPA.

ashleys · #3 Post by **ashleys** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:05 am

I've heard good things regarding TrueImage and am about to install it on my desktop machine.

For my TP, I've always used Rescue & Recovery and found it does the job for me. As my TP is now a backup/test machine I quite regularly do a full backup/restore of my system. I've yet to have a problem with it. Moreover, I've upgraded the HD in my TP a few times and used RnR to restore my system after that as well.

CZOLG · #4 Post by **CZOLG** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:19 am

I went for the Acronis package for the following reasons:

1. Speed, backups using RnR are painfully slow, whereas Acronis performs them almost in a blink of an eye by comparison.

2. Ability to freely move and copy backup files with Acronis. As far as I know RnR only allows to copy backups from local drive to other location.

egibbs · #5 Post by **egibbs** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:59 am

I actually use both. Acronis is by far the better product, but R&R has it's advantages as well. I particuarly like the R&R ability to restore only Windows and System files while leaving data intact, that has come in handy a couple times.

Ed Gibbs

jamess · #6 Post by **jamess** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:17 pm

I will get a new HDD in about 2 weeks.

Could someone please help me clarify or confirm whether the following procedure is correct - i want to transfer both files and settings to a new drive and have the hidden partition on it:
1.) make full back up of current HDD (HDD 1) to external USB HDD
2.) create rescue and recovery disks using HDD 1
3) remove HDD 1
4) insert HDD 2
5) insert and run Recovery Disks made using HDD 1
6) log into ThinkVantage Blue button thing and select restore my system from USB HDD
7) USB HDD copies everything to HDD 2

HDD is ready to be used with an exact copy of HDD 1.

Is this OK? Anyone done that? What about Vista licensing etc?

mattbiernat · #7 Post by **mattbiernat** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:46 pm

I tried both and I decided to stick with R&R for the following reasons:
1. I have basic system image with no bloatware (Norton, google, set up files, etc.) customized to my needs
2. I don't need to transfer that image to any other computer.
3. takes me 7 minutes to completely restore my HD. With acronis it took me around 20 minutes.
4. i don't have to worry about viruses wiping my HD as R&R uses hidden partition. I don't think acronis has that feature.
Adventages of Acronis:
1. higher compression rates (at expanse of speed of course = impractical for people who restore their system a lot).
2. can be used on any system i think (didn't try this one)

lautamas · #8 Post by **lautamas** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:56 am

jamess wrote:I will get a new HDD in about 2 weeks.

Could someone please help me clarify or confirm whether the following procedure is correct - i want to transfer both files and settings to a new drive and have the hidden partition on it:
1.) make full back up of current HDD (HDD 1) to external USB HDD
2.) create rescue and recovery disks using HDD 1
3) remove HDD 1
4) insert HDD 2
5) insert and run Recovery Disks made using HDD 1
6) log into ThinkVantage Blue button thing and select restore my system from USB HDD
7) USB HDD copies everything to HDD 2
HDD is ready to be used with an exact copy of HDD 1.

Is this OK? Anyone done that? What about Vista licensing etc?

1-5 is OK.
However, You have it all wrong with no. 6. You cannot use the Blue button anymore since you have removed your HDD1. The hidden partition to run Thinkvantage Rescue&Recovery (that's what the blue button does) is already gone along with HDD1.
So, after 1-5 steps.
6. Insert Recovery Disc made by HDD1
7. Restore image from USB HD
8. Now...the tricky thing...:
a. If you only change HD, you shouldnt worry about licensing and everything since it is basically the same thing.
b. If you finally cannot boot into the HD, try using Aconis Universal Loader ( if you have one). This Universal loader will intercept your loading and ask you whether you use a totally different Hardware. This is usually most common when you change into a COMPLETELY NEW COMPUTER with different Motherboard, CPU...

Good luck...

jamess · #9 Post by **jamess** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:30 pm

The image stored on the external USB HD is actually a R&R made backup, am i correct?

lautamas · #10 Post by **lautamas** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:42 am

jamess wrote:The image stored on the external USB HD is actually a R&R made backup, am i correct?

No..I am talking about Acronis True Image. There is no R&R involved here.

Hmm..I have never tried using R&R. However, I believe it should the same way. By the way, there is no way you can press the blue "Thinkvantage" Button and pops up the rescue dialog once you have changed into a new HD.

Please be reminded that the thinkvantage button rescue & recovery will work only when it detects the "hidden partition" in HDD1. When your new HDD doesnt have "hidden partition", you cannot boot into R&R

jamess · #11 Post by **jamess** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:47 am

I thought that inserting Recovery Discs made by HDD1 and booting from Discs creates "copy" of the ThinkVantage pre-boot. After that - I can either restore a R&R back up OR choose say custom factory restore...

I think Recovery Discs are supposed to "make" the hidden partition etc.

Am I wrong (again)?

lautamas · #12 Post by **lautamas** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:29 am

I'm not sure about that. For your information, the hidden partition is about 5GB. So, when you create the RECOVERY CD...how many CD did it take? If it takes only 1-2 CD, then most probably it wont create any 'hidden partition'. However, if the CD is around 7-9 CDs..then most likely it will first restore the 'hidden partition' and you can boot to the hidden partition.

Anybody who has experience with R&R can give comment?

Can you tell me first how many CD does it take for R&R when it created the CD Recovery?

jamess · #13 Post by **jamess** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:48 am

Takes 1 CD and 1 DVD.

westsailor · #14 Post by **westsailor** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:13 am

Pardon my ignorance, but is 'Rescue & Recovery' the same as IBM Rapid Restore?

If not, how does one access Rescue & Recovery to create the CD/DVD disks?

#15 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:30 am

westsailor wrote:Pardon my ignorance, but is 'Rescue & Recovery' the same as IBM Rapid Restore?

If not, how does one access Rescue & Recovery to create the CD/DVD disks?

Item #1: Yes

Item #2: For what is being discussed above, this is not done in Rescue and Recovery or Rapid Restore. To make the Product Recovery Discs, see below.

The old way was to go to: Start > All Programs > Access IBM > Create Recovery Discs.

The new way is to go to: Start > All Programs > ThinkVantage > Create Recovery Media, then click on radio button: "Create a set of Product Recovery discs now", and finally click on OK. You can also create the Rescue Media from this screen.

jamess · #16 Post by **jamess** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:05 pm

OMG something terrible happened

As mentioned, creating recovery disks failed to an unknown error (freeze) supposedly because of the DVD incompatibility. Now I get the message:

You have already created a set of Product Recovery Disks. The Microsoft (R) license for your operating system only permits you to create one set of P.R. discs. If your Product Recovery discs have been lost, stolen or damaged, contact the Lenovo HelpCenter for assistance.

What now? If I create rescue medium, that is probably not the same?!

I am desperately in need of help, because I am getting a new HDD in a week or so and will now not be able to make "fresh" custom factory restore.

EDIT:
If I do a factory restore on current HDD, will I be able to make another set of Rescue Discs ??

EDIT 2: Will it work if I use Rescue Discs made by my friend's T61W also with Windows Vista B32 = same operating system as mine.

#17 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:25 pm

jamess wrote:EDIT:
If I do a factory restore on current HDD, will I be able to make another set of Rescue Discs ??

EDIT 2: Will it work if I use Rescue Discs made by my friend's T61W also with Windows Vista B32 = same operating system as mine.

Yes, a factory restore will allow you to make another set of Product Recovery Discs.

You could try them if you want to find out for sure. Allow several hours to complete the factory restore.

EDITED out content I mistakenly posted about XP.

lautamas · #18 Post by **lautamas** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:40 pm

Why dont you just use Acronis True Image? It works all the time for me. As far as Windows XP goes, there is no licensing problem even if I put the image to a completely different PC/laptop (using Acronis Universal Loader)

jamess · #19 Post by **jamess** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 2:58 am

I would like to perform new install - that is from recovery disks making new partition etc - because there's so many problems with vista / MS office already. MS EXcel for instance crashes every time i want to close it etc. ANd because the computer was shipped with the wrong wireless card, I'll need to reinstall drivers for that as well. I guess I like to keep things clean/tidy and will just have to spend another day installing

jamess · #20 Post by **jamess** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 3:23 pm

GomJabbar wrote:
Yes, a factory restore will allow you to make another set of Product Recovery Discs.

I thought about this a bit more... and just out of curiosity... Don't you think ThinkVantage "saves" the data that REscue Media can't be created, so even after factory restore, you CAN NOT make another set.

#21 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 5:24 pm

jamess wrote:I thought about this a bit more... and just out of curiosity... Don't you think ThinkVantage "saves" the data that REscue Media can't be created, so even after factory restore, you CAN NOT make another set.

I have already done this, so I know it works.

jamess · #22 Post by **jamess** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 3:45 am

Great! That's what I wanted to hear

Thanks again.

#23 Post by **carbon_unit** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:36 am

I have done it too, it works.

Armi · #24 Post by **Armi** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:22 am

Hello everybody, here is a newcomer from France.

Due to lot of problems, I uninstalled Rescue and Recovery, and just bought Acronis True Image.

Does somebody know if I can use the ThinkVantage blue button with True Image in the same way I did with RnR ? If I this is possible, what should I do to have the button working ?

Thanks.

lautamas · #25 Post by **lautamas** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:23 am

@above: u cannot use the Blue Button to connect to TI

Ken Fox · #26 Post by **Ken Fox** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:44 pm

Armi wrote:Hello everybody, here is a newcomer from France.

Due to lot of problems, I uninstalled Rescue and Recovery, and just bought Acronis True Image.

Does somebody know if I can use the ThinkVantage blue button with True Image in the same way I did with RnR ? If I this is possible, what should I do to have the button working ?

Thanks.

If you still have your service partition intact, the blue button will continue to work. If all you done is to uninstall rescue and recovery, this has no impact on the service partition and Rescue and Recovery can be used to restore the system to factory (or revised factory) contents.

For backup purposes, as pointed out in previous comments, you would not use the blue button but rather would use True Image directly.

J'espere que vous aurez de la chance.

ken

Armi · #27 Post by **Armi** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:49 am

Thank you and merci.

#28 Post by **carbon_unit** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:18 am

I would still recommend making a set of recovery discs while you can. They will help the resale value.

Armi · #29 Post by **Armi** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:19 am

A few words to tell my catastrophic experience with ACRONIS. It was just enable to recover the system after a general crash, and I had to reinstall everything, starting with Windows. The assistance was just inexistant, it took them ten days to answer my request for help (this was in France).

My opinion is that this product is not reliable, which means dangerous as far as computer safety is concerned. The assistance as well.

I suggest to be very careful with ACRONIS if you plan to rely on it for the safety of your computer. Better seriously think the matter over

Of course, I gave up this junk, and I am back to RnR, version 4.2, fighting with chkdsk problems. Hope it will be safer.

#30 Post by **Kyocera** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:33 am

armi wrote:I suggest to be very careful with ACRONIS if you plan to rely on it for the safety of your computer. Better seriously think the matter over

There really is no such thing as relying on anything for the "safety" of your computer. I work with people every day who are told over and over to back up their data to their shared network drive so if something happens to their OS they won't lose their important data. Some do it some don't.

I've used Acronis for backup solutions and cloning it has worked fine so far for me. Other than the issues some are having with the newer version it's been reliable for what the mfr says it will do.

Hardware fails, software fails, it's generally not a good idea to have just one backup solution for any critical personal or job related information.

There are mitigating circumstances to every individuals situation, it's not fair to rubber stamp acronis as "hazardous" until there is way more than the few horror stories that I have read here.

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