PC Answers

July 1, 2007

Back up Your Entire Hard Drive

Use Acronis True Image 8.0 PE to image your disk

Backing up data is something that many computer users don't bother with, partly because of the amount of time that usually has to be spent deciding what needs to be archived. Acronis True Image 8.0 PE makes it possible to back up everything on your hard drive in one go. As such, there's no risk of forgetting to include a particular folder or set of files in a back-up job.

When creating an image you can opt to split it into a number of chunks so that it can be copied onto optical media such as CDs or DVDs, or you can use the Automatic setting if you'd prefer to leave the image on a hard drive or partition. To save space it's possible to compress images, with three different levels of compression available. During the image-creation process, you'll be told how large the image file will be, along with an estimate of how long the back-up process will take.

To protect your image, password protection can be added along with the option to include a description that enables you to differentiate between different back-up files. 0nce an image has been created, it can be checked to ensure that it's been formed correctly.

When you need to restore data you can do so in one of two ways. You can either opt to restore a complete image, or you can use the Explorer Image option to browse through the contents of an image file and restore individual files. For more information about usng the program, take a look at page 28, which is part of this month's cover feature.

Upgrade and save

PCA readers can upgrade to the full version 0f Acronls True Image and save 40 per cent off the normal selling price. The full version enables you to restore the entire contents of an Image and also makes It easy to restore data to another PC. To upgrade, click Help > Upgrade Now from within the program and then click Upgrade Now.

Register Now

To use Acronis True Image 8.0 PE, you'll need to register it free of charge. Pay a visit to http://www.acronis.com/mag/pcanswers-ati8pe. Enter the details requested of you and you'll be provided with a serial number to enter during Installation.

Software must be registered by 31st August, 2007.