Greetings,

     After many years of NEVER backing any of my data, I've decided to do so and shop around. It seems that ShadowProtect is the right product for me. I currently have ShadowProtect Desktop Trial Edition v3.2.0.2 and have ran into a problem. I backed my HD, which has two partitions - primary "C" partition is 136 GB in size using 15 GB and secondary "D" partition is 11 GB using 10 GB. When I attempt to restore the "image" onto an external SATA HD with a total capacity of 75 GB, I get the error, "The selected free space is not large enough for the backup image. Select other free space or create more free space to restore the backup image". I don't understand.  The backed partitions are cumulitatively 25 GB in "used" size. Is the error due to the fact that the external SATA HD is not the same size as the partitions' native disc? Am I supposed to shrink the backup file's native disc size? I'm confused. I thought I could restore an image within Windows onto an external HD. Can someone please help?

Thanks!

PS: I don't have an Environment Recovery CD; this is a trial version.

 

The destination partition must be as large or larger than the partition the image came from, regardless of how much actual data there is.  The ability to shrink so that you can restore to a smaller partition than the original will be included in the next release of ShadowProtect.  In the mean time, the best work-around is to shrink the original partition prior to creating the backup via a partition editing tool such as Paragon Partition Manager.

I bought Shadow Protect Desktop last week and have been very pleased with it so far.  Am mucking about with my Boot Camp installion on a 20" iMac and have already restored the partion twice.

 I'm having this problem, too. In Boot Camp Assistant I made a 145GB partition for Windows XP. Then, after months of adding stuff etc. I made an image with SPD and it's 145GB!  I have, in fact, no more than 35GB of programs and data on the partition.

 Do you happen to know whether Paragon Partition Mgr (or any other program) can successfully shrink the partition long enough for me to make a new backupup image?  If so, then I can redo the partition in OSX using Boot Camp Assistant, and restore, and be right where I want to be (a 60-80GB Boot Camp Windows partition)?

Thanks--

Yes, Paragon can shrink partitions.  But it is a little strange that ShadowProtect was unable to exclude the free space when you backed up your XP partition.  Did you take that backup live from within Windows or by booting to the recovery CD?  I haven't done much testing with ShadowProtect on multi-boot systems using BootCamp, but I know we have other customers who are experimenting with it.  Please feel free to post your experience with it when you are done (what works, what doesn't, any pitfalls).

It is entirely possible that SP can exclude free space, but I saw no option to do so. On other hand, I didn't read the manual, or even look in the manual. In fact, I don't even know if there is a manual. I bought online and downloaded after good reviews. The speed of product impressed. Then I did a couple of restores (same machine, different times) which worked well, but in each case required a partition the same size as the one from which the backup was taken.

Both backups were made live from within Windows. Both restores were from the SP Recovery Environment. Both restores were done with item (2) on the menu, the "legacy" setup, which I chose because I'm running XP not Vista and the first item said something about Vista.

With the exception of SPD not making a backup of only the data on a drive, everything about SPD has worked perfectly so far.

  

Hi! Thank you and the rest for your prompt responses. Let's see. I don't have a recovery CD as I haven't received approval, yet, of obtaining one on a trial basis. I did back up live from within Windows though. I don't know. It's a real shame that this product seems perfect for my needs yet doesn't have the capacity to back off on the extra free space. If and when I get the opportunity to try it with the recovery CD, I'll make up my mind on purchasing SP.