Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   Paragon's Backup and Recovery 14 Compact is a functional upgrade from the Backup and Recovery 12 Compact that's been on GOTD previously. It's a slight bit faster IMHO, has better support for win8/8.1, & gives you the option to *not alter* Windows boot setup files when restoring to a new partition. You have your choice of using the same format for backup archives you're used to, or you can use the new pVHD format for smaller archives, & maybe better copying of files after mounting an archive as a virtual disk -- there's one tab in the program window for regular backup & one to use the new format.

   One thing that seems to have improved a lot is Paragon's tech for adjusting a copy of a Windows install to work on different hardware [P2P &/or V2P]. I restored a complete disk backup of a win7 HP 64 VM [Virtual Machine] to a physical hard drive that went into a PC my son had just gotten together. Then we booted to a Paragon WinPE CD, & had the software adjust Windows so it would work with that PC's hardware. Maybe 5 minutes later [if that], the system booted into a fully up-to-date copy of win7, complete with basic stuff like Browsers & Media Players & Security Essentials. Ran the latest copy of AMD's driver setup [for graphics & motherboard] & done. If you plan on doing something like that, IMHO it makes buying a copy of Paragon's software worth the price to get that WinPE disc [& enhanced *nix disc if you'd rather].

   You get pretty much the same express launcher you're used to, but a new full or advanced GUI if you choose that option -- it follows current design or style trends and looks a fair bit different than version 12. Note that the right hand pane of the program window has context sensitive menu options that used to be on the menu bar up top, e.g. Partition Backup. As usual the Compact version comes with the *nix-based, bootable ISO that can be burned to CD/DVD or stuck on a USB stick -- if you're tight for disk space, after creating a boot disc &/or USB stick you can save that ISO somewhere else, e,g, as a ISO file on a DVD, perhaps with the setup file. Note that the 64 bit version comes with 2 ISO files, one 32 & one 64 bit.

   [Note: I always create a boot CD, while I may or may not create a bootable USB stick, because some systems just don't like booting off of some USB sticks -- it depends on the system hardware & the make/model of the USB stick.] [Note 2: *If* you want to play with it, you can use software tools like GRUB [gnu.org/software/grub/] to create a boot menu on a USB stick that gives you a choice to boot into for example the EaseUS boot ISO or Paragon's. Rather than have several bootable USB sticks to sort through you can have one for most everything. Rather than one, set way to do this sort of thing there are several tools to make USB sticks bootable, tools to use ISO files rather than the individual files & folders etc., so Google & research & see what tools/methods appeal to you.]

   Based on the 32 bit version... When you install today's GOTD the GOTD wrapper phones home to verify the offer's good [i.e. that today's the day for that offer], then runs the initial Paragon setup file. That setup file runs vcredist_x86.exe -- properties list "Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable Setup". IOW it's one of the C/C++ runtimes I often mention. Once that's done the .msi setup file will be copied to a folder in the User Temp folder & run. -- afterwards it's deleted. Installing Backup and Recovery 14 Compact you get registry entries for the C++ runtimes, for the Windows Installer setup file [those two account for the majority of new entries], and entries for the Paragon drivers. During install you get the option to install Paragon's Hot Core driver, which I believe is more for XP before VSS [Volume Shadow Copy, i.e. what makes the current System Restore work] -- otherwise the drivers are used for mounting backup archives as virtual disks, so you can for example copy a file or files from your backup without restoring any portion of it.

   If you ever have a problem & want or need to (re)install those drivers go to the installed app's "uim" folder & run "UimSetup.exe" -- you can also try right clicking -> Install with the .inf files, but there are files in that folder than don't normally get installed so be careful. DO Note that the files in that uim folder are different if you use Universal Extractor -- just in case you thought you'd skip the installation routine.

   Paragon software uses Windows Installer [.msi] setup files. Universal Extractor extracts the files/folders in .msi files [legroom.net/software/uniextract for the official version, or there's a mod at forum.oszone.net/thread-81059.html -- you'll likely need Google Translate]. Extracting Paragon .msi files you'll get a System32 folder with usually 3 files inside -- put those 3 files in the app's "program" folder [where you find launcher.exe], & the app will most always work portably, though without any functions that require drivers, since you're obviously not installing drivers.

   Running both old & new versions of Backup & Recovery, Noting that this is completely unsupported & mileage may vary... Paragon's drivers & a file called prgiso.dll [normally in System32] can vary with apps & versions. There's nothing to be done about the drivers but prgiso.dll can be moved to the "program" folder as noted above. After moving prgiso.dll to that "program" folder you can copy an older version like Backup & Recovery 12 Compact somewhere else, uninstall it, install version 14, move prgiso.dll for that version, then move your copy of version 12 back into place. That way if they will run side by side.

   Posted 10 years ago #
2. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   #3: "Several months ago I uninstalled previous version. Paragon Backup changed boot menu at the installation and did not restore it back at the uninstallation. Still have backup item in the boot menu and no idea how to fix."

   This is a feature you most likely chose to install if it was a regular backup & restore app -- I think it was also part of the System backup & restore software, which automatically backed up in the background. The idea is to give you a boot option to restore a backup without having to insert a rescue disc/USB stick. As it's installed at a lower level Windows uninstall routines won't usually touch this sort of thing. In fact it can be quite difficult to remove -- why I don't install anything of the sort from Paragon or anyone else.

   * * *

   #5: "The x64 installer required that the old version 12 be uninstalled before the v14 install would complete. Otherwise the install was failing on a Setup.MSI not found error."

   Another reason to hate on .msi files, when you run one they stay running, and files stay in place. Stop any installers still running using Task Mgr. Clean out the user Temp folder. If I remember correctly, the one time this happened to me the error message gave me a location -- went there & deleted the offending .msi that has been run to uninstall the older version.

   * * *

   #7: "I’m a little unclear about the Windows PE issue. "

   There Is No WinPE issue.
   If you buy the software you get a better, more capable boot disc/USB stick.

   Otherwise Windows runs on PCs, & so does *nix. Windows people will tell you Windows is better, *nix folks will disagree. For years you could boot to a very small *nix setup -- Windows only fairly recently got this capability with WinPE. When it comes to Paragon's rescue discs, Paragon software runs on top of either *nix or WinPE, but it's the software that's most important, not the underlying OS.

   Where the whole thing about PE discs started I think is that Paragon [& other companies] only provided the *nix versions free, I think because of Microsoft licensing. You got the WinPE discs with software you bought, & both the WinPE & *nix discs were more capable versions [that's an intentional incentive to buy it]. Somehow the idea took hold that the discs were better just because they were WinPE. There's millions of *nix people 'round the world that will scream Balderdash to that. :)

   * * *

   #12: "What’s the difference between this and “Paragon Backup & Recovery Free (64-bit)” on another site? What are the limitations? I usually like to install software on an external drive to save space on the PC drive and I’m using 2 computers, 32 and 64 bit. Will be moving mostly to the 64 bit at some point."

   I've found Compact is better than Free -- there are more options in the Compact version. You ***might*** get away installing to the same folder from each computer -- most of the 32 vs. 64 bit stuff gets added to Windows as drivers, but safest would be to install to your external drive twice, once from each system.

   * * *

   #13: "regardless of all the hard drive low level support touted in this version/edition does it still have P2P OS Adjust wizard to enable restoration of a system backup to different physical hardware which would ordinarly cause a BueScreen STOP fault due to radical differences in the Hardware Abstraction Layer needed to complete a boot up? If it does not then I’ll be better off sticking with “Paragon Backup & Recovery 10 Home Special Edition” obtained through a long previous giveaway."

   P2P & V2P are improved with v.14, but neither is in the compact version of Backup & Recovery.

   " I won’t uninstal a prior version that has P2P OS Adjust or V2P OS Adjust wizard for a Compact edition without it since when I finally discard an old machine and all its data I will need those wizards to move my OS and data over to a new generation of hardware which will be significantly different from the original host hardware."

   It may not work nearly as well as you hope. I lost software that was tied to the hardware IDs, only rather than just deactivating it went into revenge mode, taking days [not hours] to get working. And for the hardware end of things, references to the old drivers were so deeply rooted in Windows that years afterward I still haven't got it all out. Every once in a while I'll try again, but to this day if I let win7 choose or update drivers automatically, I'll have AMD stuff pop back up in Device Mgr [I'm now running Intel]. Long story short it saved me from re-installing Windows & most of my software, but comparing total time spent I could have easily gone the fresh install route & might even have saved a day.

   * * *

   #17: "Here is a kind of a “warning message” of which any prospective user should get aware of before using Paragon software."

   This post goes on to describe problems restoring a backup. Rather than quote it all I wanted to put down some of how I do it in case it presents a possible solution for Marek Czerski in the future &/or is helpful for anyone else...

   I don't like to assume that a hard drive is going to be usable, so I've got a small collection of generic mini Windows boot discs that can give me a desktop [see reboot.pro], and a fair collection of portable apps I can use with it. For backup & restore related stuff I've got boot discs going back to Paragon Backup version 8 -- some of the newer discs won't work with older hardware. I keep several backups that were performed at different dates, not just in case one has an undetected problem, but in case the source of a problem, e.g. mal-ware or a bad driver, went undetected for weeks or months. Rather than invest in one more external drive I save some $ & add a hard drive to our PCs just as a place to store a few backups -- one advantage is that backups & restoration happen faster, & another is that transferring large amounts of data to/from external drives can sometimes be unreliable. I store redundant copies elsewhere.

   The sweet spot in terms of HDD cost has been 1TB or more for quite a few years. That means the 1st hard drive can easily afford the space for a 2nd copy of Windows. All of our systems are at least dual-boot -- having a full copy of Windows beats *Any* rescue type disc hands down. It doesn't help of course if there's a complete HDD failure, but all of the restores I've done in the last several years have been to fix a problem with Windows. On this rig for example I've still got XP Pro installed -- I don't use it except for backups & restores of 7 & 8.1. Additionally many newer motherboards have a bios that includes a mini version of *nix itself.

   I keep portable copies of Paragon's apps [see my 1st post today] with my collection of portable software. If I can boot into one of my mini-Windows setups, e.g. LiveXP, it can run those portable copies. It can also run a full copy of Windows as a VBox VM using the portaoble VBox launcher. Knock wood, between the two I haven't come across anything unsolvable.

   Marek had a problem where restoring a Windows system disk/partition failed. Whatever your strategy, try to give youself as many options, failsafe's if you prefer, as possible. Regardless the brand of software you're using, restoring a backup to a system disk/partition will overwrite, destroy the data that's already there. If you've got another PC or laptop, look into ways you can connect the hard drive(s) in one system with the other before you need to, if nothing else using maybe an eSATA or even USB cable & adaptor. Be creative. You could create a rescue USB stick using a microSD card in a USB reader, & if that failed to work, a friend could send another version to your tablet or cell, which you could transfer to the microSD. If Marek was using a bootable CD to restore his backup, maybe a good 1st step would have been to backup the system as-is using that same CD 1st... IF there was a problem running the app on the CD it should show up during the backup, & no harm done. If there was a problem with the backup archive, Marcek could restore the just performed backup if not an earlier backup.

   I like & use Paragon because it works for me with less hassle & impact on Windows than the alternatives I've tried, like EaseUS & Acronis. That doesn't mean anything bad about non-Paragon software. The point I would make is that whatever you use, please realize that stuff happens, or else you wouldn't even be thinking about a backup. And you can't predict it all. So give yourself as many alternative options as you can. Working with partitions &/or restoring backups is permanent in the sense that to go back you have to do it again -- there is no undo. Do not put all your faith in any one thing, be it hardware or a copy of a software program. Stuff can happen to it just like it can happen to anything else.

   * * *
   

   
   #23: When I install this version it asks to install C++, I pressed ok to install it then I get an error 1316 a network error occurred."

   I Really dislike .msi [Windows Installer] files because one coder can screw up creating a setup routine for their software, & then that screwup effects lots of other stuff, both installed apps that also used .msi files & future .msi installation routines. Google 1316 network error & out of the 3 mill + hits .msi related problems shows up, it seems from a quickest look, a lot. Problem is that the tool for fixing [actually deleting] Windows Installer records was never foolproof & Microsoft pulled it from their site downloads, so it may take a bit of time searching on-line. *IF* that is your problem you probably want to fix it rather than just skipping today's GOTD -- it'll likely crop up next time you run an .msi file too. If you know the last software you installed that used an .msi file, & have a backup from before you ran that .msi file, restoring that backup might be the best thing to try. Best Luck :)

   * * *

   #24: "...I’ve had two versions of Paragon Disk Copy. The install scattered files all the hell over my computer. An big irritation, but not a disaster. However, when I copied my C Drive, it corrupted some of the C Drive’s files, and for God only knows what reason, it changed the file type of several files."

   FWIW you might want to check for mal-ware. Paragon software keeps all its program files in a single folder -- drivers are added to the driver's folder just like they're supposed to be -- normally a single file makes it to the System32 folder, prgiso.dll. Windows stuff, like the C++ runtimes from Microsoft may be added, but those aren't Paragon's. Since they use Windows Installer setup files, some installer related files may wind up added to the Windows & Users folders. I like & prefer Paragon software first off because out of everything I've tried it keeps to itself & doesn't add stuff all over [Acronis is a nightmare in that regard].

   * * *

   #25: #8 fireworker wrote: “Giovanni, name at least one feature of AOMEI which is not in Paragon”.
   Here you are: check the backup archive integrity.
   It had missing in all previous Paragon software, which might cause problems... The list of options provided by Paragon to GAOTD seems for orientation purposes and not complete..."

   I started using Paragon's backup software at v.8, & as far as I can remember checking archive integrity has always been there on the archive tab of the program -- make sure an archive's displayed, add it if not, & right click that archive for the context menu.

   As far as having portions missing, not being a smart a**, but Well, Yeah... ;)
   Most all software companies that have free offers on GOTD & similar do so because they want to spread word about their products, but at the same time they don't want to create a situation where their products are forever [illegally] available on-line for free. Many will only register on the day of the giveaway, &/or use DRM that includes communicating with their servers. Paragon instead creates special versions that are a grade above their always free stuff but a grade below the paid versions. Some might say don't complain about the menu when you're getting a free lunch.

   * * *

   #28: "Between backups made ​​with of linux-based recovery media or WinPE no difference. The main difference is the presence of the driver (especially for HDD controllers) in recovery media image, plus WinPE easily add any driver in the creation process. Also on GPT-disk can’t create a bootable backup capsule using a linux-based image, needed WinPE x64 iso."

   An alternative -- not saying it's better/worse -- is to focus on bootable media when/if that'll work. I have a traditional dislike of adding anything to the boot portion of a drive since it's always hard to remove those things 100%. As far as drivers go, you might find some interesting options over at reboot.pro. A lot of folks work with adding capabilities to a generic WinPE setup using the AIK tools. And the latest win8.1 update adds an interesting capability -- you can run 8.1 from a .wim rather than needing proper files/folders [it was developed for devices with very low amounts of storage].

   * * *

   #30: "Yes, but unlike free Macrium and O&O cannot actualy mount image as drive, just work within program, which is more limiting."

   Paragon Backup and Recovery can mount their backup archives -- they then appear as a separate drive in Windows Explorer. According to their ad copy [including at the top of the GOTD page], you can also backup to VHD & VMDK formats, & that might give you some added options, but to be honest I've never tried anything but mounting inside the Backup app because it's of limited use IMHO. To work with raw data stored in an archive as individual files/folders software has to translate that raw data into files & folders. That overhead tends to make it slow, & I'm not the patient sort. So if I need more than a folder or two I generally just restore the backup to a new VHD I create in win7, then copy from that.

   Posted 10 years ago #
3. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   #38: "The advantage of a Win PE is, that you can start other window programs"

   There are WinPE setups that function like a mini-OS, with a desktop etc., but in this case, like every other rescue disc I've seen, it's simply a platform to run the Paragon software on top of. The software starts automatically & you're given a menu of different functions.

   * * *

   #39: "However I can’t find an option anywhere to create a boot disk of any sort."

   It's there in Backup and Recover 14 Compact too. You can also just burn the .iso file in the software's "iso' folder -- ImgBurn works well.

   * * *

   #40: "Aomei BACKUPPER is FREE and BETTER than this GAOTD edition, simply because it enables you to create a Winpe bootable media... Just tell me what this tool can do if Windows no longer boots up!!"

   I don't want to get in the middle of an argument, but to answer the question, the difference between WinPE & *nix boot discs/USB sticks is the underlying OS that the software runs on. The *nix boot discs are actually better if you've not got a lot of hardware resources, e.g. on an older PC or laptop. The software running on top of that OS may be better on one than the other, but that's mainly an issue of the coder or coders being better or worse on one OS than the other. Since Microsoft came out with their WinPE tools, it can be easier for Windows-only coders to use WinPE.

   The Paragon software you pay for creates more capable WinPE & *nix boot discs/USB sticks -- the Compact versions only creates a less capable *nix version. The difference in the paid version isn't that the disc is WinPE, but that it's a more capable version of Paragon's software running on top of WinPE or *nix. A quick way to check boot disc images, if you don't want to just burn a CD/DVD & reboot to try them, is with VirtualBox -- just add the ISO to the storage for a VM & set the boot order. Don't want to install V/Box? There's a portable launcher. Don't want to bother setting up a VM? For this use you don't have to -- just create a new VM but don't add any OS. Or just spend the 20 cents or so & burn a disc.

   * * *

   #41: "I downloaded the program, installing went smoothly until at the end it said Not for Win 7 64bit version. That surprised me."

   The big difference between 32 & 64 bit versions is the drivers -- they're exclusive to the OS version, so 32 bit will never install in 64 bit Windows. Paragon's software runs a separate install routine for the drivers [see the uim folder], & that just apparently ran last.

   * * *

   #45: "I had used Paragon software before, but stopped since it was annonying to see the program made a series of files to bakup data, not a single file like many others do."

   Preferences -> Split backup Archives.

   "I use Macrium Pro since it gives:
   1. Fast backup and restore.
   2. media backup verify
   3. Backup/Restore scripting
   4. Custom Boot Disk creation with HD driver inclusion
   5. Full HD Restore by Win XP/7/8 Boot Menu Entry
   6. ISO and USB boot media"

   Pro shows as costing $58.99 USD. If you want to compare it to Paragon, at least use Paragon's paid version. Then you can check off every one of your listed criteria -- IOW Paragon does that same stuff too.

   * * *

   #46: "I’ve had MBR issues with Paragon – they rewrite it and don’t restore it on uninstall. Totally irresponsible. No regard for clients systems. Have not tried Paragon products for yeas now, likely never will. Love to vote them down on every chance."

   I've never let any software muck about with the 1st disk track, including Paragon's stuff, & Paragon's software hasn't done anything unasked. In fact one of the things I really like about Paragon Backup & Recovery is it will back up just that first track. The archive takes up all of 171 KB.

   * * *

   #48: "Also, on that page only WinPE is mentioned as the OS for the recovery medium, but not Linux. All very confusing."

   Yes it is... You can't do the WinPE discs unless you buy one of the Paragon apps, & then the email you get has all the links & such you'll need. Unfortunately much of the help files & docs refer to the paid version of Backup and Recovery. Adding to the confusion, there are two types of WinPE type discs you can create I think -- one is more heavy duty than the other.

   It might be easier to use Imgburn for the ISO on CD/DVD, something like rufus for the USB stick, or, I have used the USB media builder in earlier versions of Paragon software with new ISO files.

   Posted 10 years ago #

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