Powerquest Drive Image 7

Rating:
Summary: the best disaster recovery software
Review: a great upgrade from drive image 2002
under the last version, a backup would take hours and had to be done in a DOS environment. Now it can be done in 15 min and in windows. WOW!! This is the software I've wanted for a long time. I"ve used norton ghost too, and this is better than that. save yourself any hassles and just get this. it ships with drive image 7 (windows xp users only) and also the 2002 version for those people who don't use windowsxp

You need the CD to do any restoring of images.

Rating:
Summary: Software is a junk
Review: Because of this software I have to rebuild my computer. Nothing works. Even the basic user interface changes size everytime I reopen this software.
I paid to get this headache.

Rating:
Summary: Money down the drain
Review: Bought Drive Image 7 and 2002 bundle, as I used to run Windows 98 with the intention of upgrading to XP. 2002 worked fine, but now that I am running XP DI7 hangs after completing the first backup CD. No response from the email help after 2 weeks.
They won't speak to you unless you pay them. The support web site is one of the worst I have come across.
Thinking of sending this back and getting a refund as it doesn't do what it says on the box.

Rating:
Summary: Better have a backup!
Review: Drive Image 7 has a defect in one of its modules that caused my computer to crash on installation during the reboot. I was able to salvage it by using the "System Restore" CD from my vendor and a recent emergency disk. This with Windows 2000 Professional.

PowerQuest told me that they were very aware of the problem but don't know when - or if - this will be fixed!

Rating:
Summary: Dangerous, poor quality software. Be careful.
Review: Drive Image 7 is potentially excellent software with at least two absolutely show-stopping bugs that make it impossible for me to recommend.

1. Under some circumstances, DI7 makes an un-readable backup. Attempt to open your backup in the Backup Image Browser (DI7's image reader) and get the message "Invalid Backup Format." This situation does not become obvious until you attempt to read your backup, something you normally don't do until you try to restore information you thought you had backed up. The knowledge base articles for the error indicate that turning on a backup verification switch in the software will cause the backups to be unreadable. The solution they recommend is to make another backup with the switch turned off. Obviously this is not an option unless you know about the problem before you need to use the backup.

2. If DI7 encounters an error during a regularly scheduled backup, it aborts the backup and remains silent. The only way to know that something has gone wrong is to look at the date of the last backup image, or to view the log information buried deep in the DI7 console. Errors that abort the backup occur more often than you might think. One common scenario is to run out of storage space on the target volume. What this means is that a periodic backup that has been working for a while can one day stop working, and Drive Image 7 will never tell you that this has happened. For a product that sells itself on convenient peace-of-mind, this is unacceptable.

3. Symantic tech support is non-responsive. I have waited more than a month for a response to my questions about the Invalid Backup Format problem. I have received nothing but an automated acknowledgement that I submitted the question.

Based on these fundamental problems, I cannot recommend the regular use of this software.

Rating:
Summary: A great program, a terrible upgrade
Review: First let me say I have used the Drive Image product for a number of years (since version 2 I believe). It has been a great program and has saved me countless hours when I have experienced hard drive failures and loaded software that corrupted my machine. It is highly recommended, but beware of version 7.

There is a bug out there in version 7 waiting for Windows XP users. I received my version 7. Upon loading I promptly received an error message when requested to reboot that I had an unmountable drive. I tried to use normal "last good confirguration". Na da. Basically, I had to rebuild my operating system to save my data and then used Drive Image 2002 (version 6) to reimage my system. It was not pretty, but it worked. When I informed the folks who produce Drive Image (Powerquest) I was told after two weeks that my problem had been encountered by others and that they were working on a patch. Last time I checked the problem and the patch still were unloaded. I cannot afford to have a machine that is not backed up completely. I live in Florida the lightening capital of the world. Powerquest did refund my money and I have gone back to using version 6 with my Windows XP operating system.

FYI - Version 6 comes bundled with Version 7. I wonder why. So... if your are upgrading from version 6 to 7 beware. If you don't have version 6 or 7 you can't lose. One is sure to work for you. Again, basically a great program, better than Norton Ghost.

Rating:
Summary: Good product, easy to use
Review: Have been using it for several months after I lost my c drive. The install cd doubles as a boot disk which has the utilities to allow you to restore from the drives. You can also click on the somewhat compressed backups and extract a single file. No problem seeing my USB backup that has 173 gigs. Automated scheduler works with no problem. You can set the times and how many copies you want to keep. Works while you sleep. Pretty easy.
If you are like I was, and think it will be no big deal to go back and rebuild your c drive from scratch - think again. It's a major pain and 2-3 weeks later you will still be finding stuff you haven't reinstalled yet. For a few bucks you can avoid it.

Rating:
Summary: Problems with Windows 2000!!!
Review: Having used Powerquest products before, I thought this would be great. However, I have tried it on 2 Windows 2000 machines with near disasterous results. I couldn't even get it to install on the first machine. The second machine installed it ok, but when I tried to create a backup, it got about 1 minute into the process and shut my machine down - BOOM! - no shut down proceedure, nothing. It was as if I had hit the restart button. I don't have to tell you how dangerous this is to an operating system; could have wiped it out, ruined the registry, etc. Fortunatly, no permanent damage was done. However, I guarantee you I won't be trying it again. I'm sending this back for a refund!

Rating:
Summary: Version 7 is not stable
Review: I am using PQ products almost 5 years and agree with all previous reviewes version 7 is bad. I had problem with XP Home edition. There is no dicent support for current product. (...) Symantec blaming PQ and PQ are diluted in the Symantec - endless loop.

Rating:
Summary: Forget Drive Image 7.0 or 7.01, minus 5 stars
Review: I bought Drive Image 7.0 when it first became available in July 93. I did not attempt to install until mid-October due to travel and work. First few attempts to install were un-successful. Could never get the program to start up after install. Removed, re-installed many times, with no luck. Complained to PowerQuest, they sent the upgrade 7.01 disk free except for shipping charges. Replacement disk arrived with a crack across one side. Reordered, paid 7.95 shipping again. Still no luck on getting it to run. I requested another disk, again for a fee since the disk I received did not have version 7.01 anwhere on the disk or sleeve and there was no way to tell if it was 7.01 since I could never get an opening screen. Third disk did have 7.01 on the disk sleeve but the CD does not show anything other than 7.0, on any of the copies. Same story, installed o.k but will not run. No support from my last email request to support over two weeks ago. I provided all the error codes, etc. They did not even acknowledge the email. Up until the last email, they always acknowledged. None of the error codes I received,nor the FAQ's or other database codes even listed the codes or problem I was having. I have loaded, removed, reloaded DI7, many times. I have also removed/reloaded .NET Framework, upgraded that, disabled all start up programs, except Norton Internet Security and made at least 50 reboots plus hours of wasted time. I did not remove Norton Internet Security, although it was disabled on during all my installs and attempts to run the DI program. Reinstalling NIS is not a problem but getting updates downloaded requires a lot of time. Not removing NIS may have actually saved me from a hard disk wipe out based on the reviews I have read which mentions disk wipe outs and having to reload WinXP and all programs again.

The only thing that works with DI 7 on my computer is the CD will boot my computer, nothing locks up during installs or attempts to run. All I get is an error message stating: "V2I console-common lanquage runtime debugging service". "Application has generated an exception than can not be handled. process ID=0xbe0(3040, thread id=0xfb8 (4024)" (The codes change for each start-up attempt. Also on the same page "Click O.K to terminate or cancel to debug" which, if you click "Cancel" then produces another message about no debugger attached asks for a manual attachment of a debugger I do not have and would not use, shouldn't have to!

After almost six months of ownership, I have never seen the opening screen for DI 7 and have never progressedto the point where a serial number or requested is requested.

I am running a very stable Toshiba 2.4 MHZ system with one gig of ram, WinXP-SP1 and all updates from Microsoft. It has never locked up or glitched!!.

I bought DI 7 to use, not test or trouble-shoot. Maybe I am truly fortunate DI 7 never gets past the error message point. Based on all the high number of error codes mentioned by PQ in the support and help documentattion plus all the negative reviews I have read, I should be glad DI 7 doesn't run on my computer.

One should not have to pay almost 100.00 (original price + tax + upgrade to 7.01 plus shipping and tax X 2)and then have to beg for help, or worse yet be asked to pay for help on defective software. Support the product or get out of the business!!!

I have been working with computers since before the first IBM desktop became available and have always been able to work around a problem without ever asking, even once, for help from any software developer. DI 7.0 and 7.1 is the worst piece of software I have encountered thus far. Second worst ia a tax program for 2002 tax year, name not mentioned.

Now PowerQuest has dumped DI 7 into Symantec's lap for support, which is non-existent at the moment. I suppose DI 8 by Symantec will be out soon. Until this point I have always had good results with PowerQuest products. But PowerQuest has lost me as a customer.

There is no "negative 5 star" rating, which is how I rate it. If it works for you, wonderful! I truly wish it worked for me since it sounded like the perfect backup solution when it first became available.

I have not and will not remove any program from my computer to enable any purchased software to install or run, unless it was advertised as being non-compatible and I decided to take my chances. If it can not coexist with other normally used software-----it is not good software!

I have now removed all traces of DI7, VI2 protector, plus .NET frame work from my computer since no longer need that. I edited my registry and WinXP files to get all traces of PowerQuest out of my computer and am finished with all PowerQuest products! I have also asked PowerQuest to take me off their mailing list for future news, upgrades, and new products.

Hasta La Vista, PowerQuest---I won't be back