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DriveImage XML is an easy to use and reliable program for imaging and backing up
partitions and logical drives. The program allows you to backup logical drives
and partitions to image files, browse these images, view and extract files, restore
these images to the same or a different drive, copy directly from drive to drive.
Image creation uses Microsoft's Volume Shadow Services (VSS), allowing you to
create safe "hot images" even from drives currently in use. Images are stored in
XML files, allowing you to process them with 3rd party tools, so you'll never
again be stuck with a useless backup. Restore images to drives without having to
reboot. DriveImage XML also runs from a BartPE boot CD-ROM.
DriveImage XML runs under Windows XP, Windows Media Center, and Windows Server
2003. The program will backup, image and restore drives formatted with FAT
12, 16, 32 and NTFS.
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What is a drive image (also called a disk image)? A drive image is an
exact copy of the contents (and structure) of a computer's hard drive or partition.
Like a photograph it represents a moment in time. How can creating a "drive image"
help you? Example: You use DriveImage XML to create an "image" of your computer's
hard drive when your computer is operating correctly. If your computer develops
a problem you use DriveImage XML to restore the image to your hard drive. Your
computer will work as it did at the time you created your drive image.
DriveImage XML can be a useful emergency rescue tool. Some examples of situations
where a drive image can help you include:
- You add new software to a computer and it creates undesirable side effects,
issues/problems. Uninstalling the software does not resolve the issues/problems.
- You add a Microsoft update or patch and it causes an issue/problem.
- Your computer becomes infected with a virus, Trojan or spyware has been installed.
- Your computer is not running like it used to when you first purchased it. It
seems slow or sluggish, you receive unusual error messages when you use it.
The previous four situations can often be solved by restoring a drive image back
to your computer's hard drive. Of course you will need to have created a drive image
when your computer was operating correctly.
Many of the types of problems DriveImage XML can help you recover from are software
(operating system or application) related issues. Most computer related operational
problems are not the result of a mechanical (hardware) failure. Drive imaging is
seldom an effective tool to recover from most computer mechanical failures.
The exception where DriveImage XML can help is if there has been a mechanical
failure of your computer's hard drive. If your computer's hard drive fails (it
does happen) you will need to reinstall/restore your operating system and updates
plus device drivers and any additional software titles you use. You will need to
re-configure any personal preferences, Internet and e-mail accounts. Depending on
your hardware and software configuration a new installation could take several
hours to complete. That's if everything goes well and you don't make any mistakes,
forget anything or suffer an installation failure or hardware/resource conflict
of any type. If you had a known good drive image stored for emergencies you could
copy/restore that image to a newly purchased hard drive.
Restoring a drive image to a hard drive can take as little as five
minutes. This will depend on the speed of your computer's hardware and
the size of the image file to be restored. The size of the image file is dependant
on the operating system (OS) (Example: Windows 98, 2000, XP) you have installed
and updates, plus the number of software titles you have installed. I suggest you
independently backup any important personal files (pictures, MP3, video, Word
documents, Excel spreadsheets, database files etc.) stored on the drive. The backup
application Allway Sync will work very nicely for most
people. Allway Sync can be easily configured to perform scheduled, automatic
backups. It is easy to use and FREE of charge for personal use!
DriveImage XML can be used/run in two different ways.
- Installed on the computer from which you will use/run it. The computer must
be able to start/boot and allow you to access and run DriveImage XML.
- You can also use/run DriveImage XML from a bootable BartPE or
UBCD4Win CD/DVD. Running DriveImage from a bootable
CD/DVD is the most flexible and powerful way to use it. The computer to which you
want to restore an image does not need to be able to start/boot using the installed
operating system.
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