NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, February 2012
Acronis True Image Home 2012
By Herb Goldstein, Editor, Sarasota PCUG, FL
http://www.spcug.org
pcugedit (at) verizon.net (click to email author)

In order for a computer to work it needs software, the primary basic and necessary of which is its operating system (e.g. Microsoft Windows). That being satisfied, your computer becomes a storehouse of data and information you provide to it in a moment by moment basis. Unfortunately there are a multitude of pitfalls and quagmires that can easily destroy all that vital and irreplaceable data in the blink of an eye. Consequently, the second most vitally important item that belongs on your computer is safe, competent, reliable software capable of backing up and replacing everything on your computer. Number one and most popular in that category is Acronis True Image Home that provides a bit for bit totally complete image of everything residing on your computer.

If you have never suffered the loss, in whole or in part, of what resides on your hard drive, you are very lucky. Secondly, you can be certain that one day you will. Be prepared for that day by making regular backups of your computer and using flawless imaging backup software, making Acronis True Image Home a must-have!

Most of our members have already heeded this advice, making Acronis True Image Home their most popular choice. I can tell you unashamedly that on several hard drive failure occasions over the years it has saved my life.

Acronis True Image Home has blossomed over the years into a comprehensive multi-faceted utility which in its latest release, Acronis True Image Home 12, is not only the leading backup, but currently contains a variety of essential utility components that make it an industry leader. Here is a quick rundown on some of what's new and improved in the currently available upgraded product:
* Disk Imaging - Backup the entire system on the fly with our patented disk imaging technology. It ensures the recovery of your operating system and applications without reinstalling any software.
* Clone Disk - Copy your entire hard drive and replace it with a new one without reinstalling operating systems and applications, saving hours of effort.
* New! File Synchronization - lets you replicate important data between multiple computers, files or devices. Sync files with friends, family or colleagues over the Web. Or sync with local folders, including USB sticks or external hard drives.
* Exclusive! Try&Decide® - lets you take a test drive first to see if you want to keep or discard the changes to your system. This is also very practical for browsing potentially dangerous websites. * Improved! Ease of Use - Acronis True Image Home 2012 allows you to delay the start of a backup at computer startup so that it doesn’t impact your system. It also restarts the backup if any task fails.
* New! Enhanced NAS Support - Acronis True Image Home 2012 now supports Acronis’ award winning Nonstop Backup technology to a network share. A Network Attached Storage (NAS) device is also suggested as a backup place when attached to the network.
* Set&Forget™ - lets you configure your backups just once and then the software does the remembering for you. And one-click protection gives you a single-click shortcut to launch a pre-configured backup whenever you feel like it.
* Improved! Acronis Nonstop Backup - Automatically starts incremental backups to multiple destinations, including Acronis Secure Zone®, allowing users to roll back their system, files and folders to any point in time.
* Acronis® True Image™ Online – provides 250 GB of secure Online Storage to save your precious data.
* Live Backups - allows you to keep on working with no interruption during backups.

Other key features and technologies:
* Windows-style interface - The improved sleek interface of this product works on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.
* Acronis Startup Recovery Manager - Boot and restore an entire PC system quickly without using an additional boot medium.
* Time Explorer - Add comments to any backup and take advantage of Time Explorer screenshots that show exactly what your desktop looked like at the moment of the backup.
* File Backup - Back up individual files, folders or file categories.
* Privacy tools - Protect confidently private information with a thorough system cleaning and reliable data destruction of files, partitions, or volumes.
* Set & Forget™ Backups - Once configured, backups can be performed automatically.
* Incremental and differential backups - Choose backup types, which both capture the changes made since the last backup, and with Acronis data compression, both save disk space.
* Image Encryption with AES - Protects your backup data with industry standard encryption security tools.
* Enhanced! Extreme Media Versatility - Back up your files or system to almost any type of media imaginable, including DVDs, USB keys, external hard drives, GPT drives or NAS.
* Virtual Hard Disk support - Convert Acronis’ backup images (.tib) into virtual hard disk files (.vhd) and vice versa, allowing users to mount an image as a virtual disk and explore it. Windows 7 Ultimate users can also boot from .vhd images.
* USB 3.0 standard - Gives you high-speed data transfer for all your critical safeguards, whether file backup or full PC backup.

One of the most outstanding features of Acronis True Image Home is its automaticity. Using this feature, I have it set to make a backup automatically every day at a given time every morning. I am never more than 24 hours behind a complete and full restoration of my complete hard drive or any of the individual files or folders thereon. I have elected to back up my drive by the differential (vs. the incremental) method and have it set to perform a differential backup daily and a complete full backup every two weeks. By whatever method you select its easy and automatic unattended with Acronis True Image Home. Of course, using Acronis True Image Home 12, you can also elect to use the continuous incremental backup feature which keeps you up-to-date all the time!

In the event of a total hard drive failure or booting problem, Acronis True Image Home has provided for you to create an emergency disk at the very outset that you can use to get your hard drive booted and then restore its backed-up contents. I can also transfer the entire contents of the drive on to a new drive in case I want to scrap the old. Acronis has spared no effort or function to get you operational in the event hard drive problem or disaster.

True Image Home 2012 is available to user group members at discount from Gene Barlow at http://www.ugr.com.

To order Acronis True Image Home 2012 from Gene at a user group discount, go to his secure web site at http://www.ugr.com/TrueImage.html and click on the appropriate Buy Now button to start the purchase. He offers single or multiple copies of the products in either download form or on a CD. A single copy of True Image 2012 can be purchased from him for $25 as a download or just $5 more (for shipping) on a CD. This is less than half the normal list price of this excellent product. Visa, MasterCard, and Discovery credit cards are accepted. If you prefer to mail him a check for the products, you can place the order on his web site and indicate you will mail him a check. His special discount order code is UGTI2012.

Click here to return to top



==================================================================