Re: OT: re Acronis & Win-10

[J R FOX <jr_fox@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Because I generally find it useful to have more than one option --

and as with browsers an actual array of options -- I would like

to locate some good instructions for that hardware independent

transfer via Shadow Protect.  What I have is an early x64 version 5.  (It was acquired from an online source, sans any
documentation.)  Then again, I'm not sure how much application

it could have to that particular task I mentioned, seeing as I only

have an Acronis image to work with, all of these program formats

are proprietary to the particular image program in question, and

they don't "cross over" to cover other formats.  Given the current

state of that old XP machine, I'm skeptical that making any

further images is going to be possible.  For example, all of the

USB ports on it are flakey, so the only way to get stuff in or out is

via the optical drive.  And there was other deterioration.

I think I'll try one of those (other) XP install disks next on the

half-restored-to-new-hardware, boots-only-in-Safe-Mode result . . .  because there is not much left to lose with that, at this point. 

First, I think I'll need to read up on how you go about doing a

"Repair" install under XP, so as not to trash the apps etc. that

were already present.

   Jordan

On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, 11:43:19 AM PST, Edward Mendelson <em36@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Everyone has different experiences, but mine (based on a few decades of experience) are these:

1. After some really awful experiences, which matched other people’s similar experiences, I won’t let anything named Acronis anywhere near my computers. I don’t want to use backup software that requires me to be careful, to verify, etc., etc., etc. I want the software to be careful for me. I want backups to be invisible and effortless.

2. ShadowProtect has never failed me, and I’ve done some tricky hardware-independent restores with it. After a hardware-independent restore, Windows 10 finds the drivers it needs. When I did a hardware-independent restore of a Windows 7 system many years ago, Windows didn’t have a network driver that the new machine needed, so I installed the driver from a CD that came with the machine (or I could have downloaded the driver from another machine). I wouldn’t even think of trying this with Acronis. My blood pressure couldn’t handle it.

3. The current ShadowProtect version (now called SPX) has a confusing interface, but anyone who can manage XyWrite can figure it out. I sometimes gnash my teeth if I forget some detail while setting up a backup or exploring a backed-up image, but that’s the worst that happens; I simply go through the procedure again, remembering what I should have remembered the first time The point about ShadowProtect is that you can set it up and then forget it for years, until you install a new system and have to set it up again (which I did last week, hence the brief one-time-only teeth-gnashing).

Again, this is my experience only. If you’re happy with Acronis, and if you find that Acronis offers benefits that justify the care and attention and verification that some contributors to this list say it requires, then don’t let me discourage you from using it forever. Everyone’s tastes are different.