Every computer owner has that awful scenario in the back of their mind that one day their machine will fail to boot up and all those valuable data files, operating systems and applications will be lost forever with little hope of recovery.
Paragon, which has been working in this area for some 15 years, has now provided a comprehensive package that should be able to address and solve almost any disaster situation that might present itself.
Effectively, Backup & Recovery 10 Suite is a combination of three products in one. Drive Backup 10 Professional is the classic system and data protection method which offers a wide range of flexibility in how you go about backing up your precious material and where you want to send it.
The second product, System Backup, is for those who are not so technically minded or just want their protection performed simply, thoroughly and with the minimal amount of user effort.
The last element is a new venture for Paragon: Virtualization Manager, which migrates your physical system into a virtual environment so you can run it in a virtual machine on a different operating system.
Once the disk is installed, you’re presented with a completely straightforward menu with five choices: an instant range of backup and recovery options, the Virtualization Manager, extra Tools either to transfer files or initiate a Burn Rescue Kit, a troubleshooting Log Saver, and links to Support contacts. Every item in the sub-menus contains a brief summary of its function and purpose and a simple click will kick off the process.
The backup process works with Windows XP, Vista and 7 OS computers where there are no more than three partitions on the hard disk, and will automatically source the best place that has enough unused space to store all the data on the main disk. A snapshot of your hard drive will be immediately saved to this location and you can then determine how often you want this to be repeated.
If you choose to follow the Virtualization route, there’s support for popular software like Microsoft’s Virtual PC, VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion.
On the other hand you can also backup to an FTP server, while most system boot problems can be fixed for Linux, PTS DOS and WinPE 2.1 as well. New refinements that will also be welcomed include a more advanced system of filters, better support for Apple Boot Camp and colour indicators in the system tray that warn of possible dangers.
Paragon – Backup & Recovery 10 Suite features – Verdict
For less than $70 you can have a secure piece of software that provides vital backup for your systems and data, that can be as simple or as complex as you make it, in both physical and virtual environments.