Really Useful Stuff: Acronis True Image

Don't turn away before reading this: this is probably the most underrated and most useful piece of software that could make you happier person. Ever. Okay, you're done, free to go, don't need to know more. Or do you?
















For many years (many years ago) I used to think Acronis True Image had something to do with Adobe Photoshop. Well, let's just say I don't believe ignorance is bliss anymore. True Image basically takes a snapshot of your hard disk or partition (snapshot = image. Got it?). The snapshot, in turn, is a compressed backup of your partition or hard disk which you can uncompress and roll back to. So if you've saved a snapshot, you can always restore it whenever viruses or any sort of muckamuck is making your life miserable. Voila! All problems solved.

Don't worry about document files or your Outlook configuration. You can actually exclude/include folders to restore. And: you don't need to make complete backups all the time, you can make incremental backups; you can clone hard disks; you can schedule backups; you can restore certain files; you can restore from a boot disc; you can even have a secure zone on your computer, and much, much more.

It's also geared at novice to intermediate users. The latest version of True Image (v11) has new privacy tools and virtualization capabilities, and even supports 64-bit PCs. (I actually use a much older version! v8.0. Henceforth: if you do come across older versions of True Image at a bargain price, by all means go for it. Just remember to check whether it supports your operating system, since it might not support Vista if it's too old.)

Of course, operating systems have their own system restore mechanisms, and there are alternatives around like Norton Ghost. But True Image has more features, and performs far better than everyone else in its field. I ought to add that it's wise to stay clear of any product with Norton in its name. Enough said! It's really useful.

Hop off to Acronis to know more or download a trial. The home edition costs $49.99, but you might get it for cheaper online.

For: Provides a diverse range of options to save and restore backups of your drives, certain folders or entire hard disks.
Against: Some people have reportedly suffered from installation issues.