Tag Archives: computer

Hard Drive Hero

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Laplink has solved another major problem that technology advancements have created, it goes by the name of PCmover Image Assistant, and we just released it. To date disk imaging software has fallen short. As technology has advanced, more operating systems (Including Windows 7) have arrived. When Windows 7 was released and integrated into nearly every new PC on the market, everyone’s old disk images were rendered useless. This is because if you use imaging software to restore say an XP image to a Windows 7 PC, the software will overwrite your new OS with the old one making your purchase a complete waste of money (Who wants to explain that to their spouse?…). Not to mention, you have now lost all of your programs, files and settings on the new PC. PCmover Image Assistant solves this dilemma and will calm the worries of many PC users.

The software has two key abilities that cannot be found elsewhere. First is what we call Operating System Independent Restore (say what?). Second, it will rescue your hard drive from a non-working PC. Let’s talk about the Operating System Independent Restore first shall we as it sounds the most confusing (but I assure you that it’s not)?

All computer users need an image or complete backup of their computer. PCs get stolen, lit on fire and get run over every day and yours could be next. Creating an image protects you against these unforeseen data loss scenarios. However if you try to restore an XP image to a Windows 7 PC, your new OS will be overwritten by the old one. Using PCmover Image Assistant you can restore XP images to a new Windows 7 PC without overwriting it. All you do is mount your XP image to your new Windows 7 PC and use PCmover Image Assistant to suck out and restore the programs, files and settings you want. Not quite as confusing as you first thought eh? There is one caveat though; the programs you wish to restore must be compatible with Windows 7. If you happen to be running Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate or Enterprise you’re in luck, you have XP mode. That way you can still run programs that aren’t compatible on your new PC. Sorry Home Premium users, that feature is not available to you, so take extra care in checking for Windows 7 compatibility.

PCmover Image Assistant will also rescue a hard drive from a non-working PC. We are human, by nature we can’t predict the future, and PCs ultimately decide when they want to turn against us. We also never know when a catastrophe will strike. Thanks to the advancements in hard drive technology, when a PC crashes the hard drive is usually still readable. Even if the OS has been corrupted and will no longer boot, PCmover Image Assistant can access its programs, files and settings and restore them. All you have to do is attach the hard drive to your PC and Image Assistant will do the rest. Just make sure to keep your drives away from large animals, they have a tendency to step on things.

These two abilities qualify PCmover Image Assistant as the ultimate PC recovery tool aka Hard Drive Hero. No longer are your past, present and future disk images rendered useless and your hard drives will live forever. And it’s really something you can’t afford to miss out on, unless that is,  you want to lose all of your data.

Sounds pretty cool huh? We think so too. Leave a comment and tell us what you think about it and we will email you a coupon code good for 25% off Image Assistant.  (Must add a valid email address to the comment. Offer Expires 6/9/10)

Demystifying The Disk Image

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There is little that rivals the mystique of disk imaging. If you perform an internet search of the term “disk imaging,” you’ll find that though imaging products may be large in number, there is very little information available on how they work.

Is it the fate, then, of PC users everywhere to remain in the dark, ceaselessly wondering just how products like Laplink DiskImage, Acronis True Image and Norton Ghost magically create images of their PC, which they may save for later restoration?

Nay.

After scouring the internet and picking the brains of Laplink’s finest software engineers, this Laplink copywriter has put together an explanation of the disk imaging process and publishes it now, here on this very blog, to spread the purifying light of knowledge to the far reaches of the PC user community.

Unveiling a Mystery: The Disk Imaging Process

A disk image, as it turns out, is just that – an image of your hard drive. It is a single file containing the entire contents of a data storage device, such as a hard drive, optical drive, etc., ending in a .dmg, .iso, .cue, .bin or .img file extension. This file can be stored either a compressed state, to save space, or a “raw,” uncompressed state. Whether the file of a disk image is compressed, along with the size of the hard drive, determines how large the file will be. Images that appear as a separate hard drive to the computer are called virtual hard drives, and end in .vhd.

Though there are many different disk imaging software products available all the market, they all essentially do the same thing (though some may do it faster and better than others). By creating complete sector-by-sector copies of a hard drive, its structure and all its contents, the average imaging product constructs a perfect replica of an entire drive – a replica that can be safely stored in case of catastrophe.

For those at all familiar with disk imaging, the terms “forensic imaging,” “differential imaging” and “incremental imaging” might ring a couple bells. Aside from having an intimidating amount of syllables, these terms describe different imaging methods.

Forensic Imaging: Creating a forensic image of a hard drive means that the imaging software will read each sector of the hard drive, rather than just the files themselves, to produce a complete image. Because a forensic image picks up and copies whole sectors of a hard drive, the image will contain all the hard drive information – this may even include deleted files and partial data.

Differential Imaging: A differential image is created to add changes to a previous general or forensic image. This kind of image identifies and makes copies of differences made to the hard drive since the first imaging, and adds those changes to the complete image. So rather than having multiple complete images, you have one complete image – a very large file, and then a image of only what has changed – a much smaller file.

Incremental Imaging: Similar to the differential image, an incremental image also takes note of changes made to the hard drive. However, an incremental image picks up changes from the last incremental image. In this case you have one very large complete image, and multiple smaller images of what has changed since the last incremental image. Incremental imaging is often performed regularly by users who wish to maintain a recent image of their hard drive.

Once an image of a hard drive or other storage device has been created, it can be used to restore to a computer to its former glory. Like some shining combination between an angel of mercy and the ultimate “undo,” imaging gives users the opportunity to resuscitate a PC from the edge of oblivion and start over with a clean slate. And really, what more could you ask for than a new beginning?

Want an Ultimate Angel of Merciful Undo for your very own? Try ours – New Laplink DiskImage with PCmover Image Assistant: For fast, easy and powerful hard drive imaging and restoration.