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- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 72 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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16 out of 16 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Impressive Features- Relatively Easy to Use"
Pros: Clear Icon-based interface; fast backups; non-DOS; Helpful Wizards; Not a Memory Hog while backing up
Cons: Upgrade policy could be better.
Summary: After pulling my hair out with the old Norton Ghost (v.8 I believe), I started the hunt for a non-DOS-based Backup & Restore Software that would be faster, easier-to-use, and light on memory hogging. Acronis v8 impressed me (via reviews & user comments) so I bought it & put it to use pretty instantly. Within an hour of install, I understood the basic functions of the program, and created a full backup of my drive, for complete restoration if need be (having lost 1 drive before to virus 3 years ago, I'm eternally vigiliant!). The backup went cleanly, and I've performed rolling scheduled backups since then.
When my tabletPC went into the shop, I was given a new one, and restored the drive entirely without any issues! What a rewarding feeling!
3 months later, Acronis version 9 was released, and the company offered only a slight discount to upgrade to the new version. I was disappointed, as most software companies offer a 6-12 month window of full upgrade licenses. I think Acronis could reward their customers; loyalty more by offering such a license.
Anyways, that said, the new version is even more full featured, and I've made use of both the individual file/folder Backup & Restore, as well as Snap Restore to get up & running quickly after a crash. I'm very impressed with the functions, and don't find the software difficult to figure out at all (as mentioned in the review). I'm quite comfortable with technology, though I'm not an IT professional by trade.
I haven't tried the new Norton v10 as of yet, but I must say that Norton Utilities & AntiVirus programs have caused FAR more trouble on ALL my systems than any good they've done. For 1-2 weeks, there are no problems, but I find Norton's programs to be HUGE memory hogs & also they resist configuration & uninstallation. (i.e. I've turned off Email Outgoing Scanning on Norton Internet Security, and every time I send a message, it is still held up for 3-5 minutes being scanned by Norton. GRRR. Also, anyone who's tried to uninstall a registered version of Norton AV or System Works knows how incredibly difficult it is. The last time took me 5 days of successively complicated instructions from Symantec. (some of them involving manual registry editing-not for the faint of heart- just to get rid of it!!). Suffice it to say that anyone attempting a Norton uninstall will need Acronis True Image to back up their drive before editing their Reg!!
I hope I haven't strayed off topic too far, and I'd recommend Acronis to anyone looking for a very robust backup & restore program that runs cleanly & without the "baggage" of other suites. Best of Luck.
