Review: Don’t waste your money on Acronis True Image

I am always on the lookout for a GOOD PC cloning software. I was turned on to Acronis True Image, so today, I am going to let you know my experience with Acronis True Image, a type of software that lets you make a copy of the hard drive.

I could have gone with Norton Ghost, but I couldn’t really find any unbiased reviews that really tell you what it’s like to use the software without any hidden agendas, so this is my attempt at letting you know how much I hated this software for any of you out there who are thinking of buying a disk cloning software.

Acronis was NOT free, it cost me $60 or so but I figured I needed something like this because I had such a great experience with a FREE software application for the Apple MAC.

The MAC equivalent of what I am talking about, is the absolutely fantastic software called CARBON COPY CLONER by Bombich Software.

It’s free, and hands down, THE BEST disk imaging/cloning software, EVER.

I am still on the hunt right now to find a similar CCC for the PC.

Short Answer:

I actually really, truly hate Acronis True Image software but I’m going to go over how it works, while making notes about what I hate about it and what I like.

It is NOTHING like Carbon Copy Cloner (of course), and it was between this or Norton Ghost, which I think I should have paid for instead.

Long Answer:

So you run it:

And this is the main page. I like how it’s clean, easy to understand (sort of), and the thing I want to do is to do Disk Utilities which is essentially making a copy of my hard drive.

There is is: Clone Disk. So far, so good.

I set it to Automatic.

IRRITATION #1 (IDE or USB? Can get confused here)

This is where I can see people getting a bit confused. I hate it because it doesn’t tell you that my hard drive (which I have named LILY), shows up on here as Lily.

You have to be careful and look at the very right column that says “Interface”, and choose the IDE Secondary Master as your Source Hard disk (essentially, your laptop’s hard drive).

And naturally, the second disk is by USB because I plugged in my Western Digital External Hard Drive to do the copying.

I always set it to delete partitions.

Then it gives me this summary…..

Irritation #2 (info lacking, both disk drives look the same and you doubt yourself)

This sometimes throws me off because they’re EXACTLY THE SAME without telling you enough information about which one was IDE Secondary Master (your laptop) or the USB.

So sometimes I get nervous and back out until I can see that I chose the correct Source & Clone disks.

That, and the information is all squished in the columns. WHY? WHY!!!! The software designer for this clearly did not use it with a clear mind.

So then it tells you what it does.

Irritation #3 & #4 (needs 2 reboots without telling you it needs to do ’em so you just have to guess when it’s dead and cold)

Pay attention to where it says REBOOT REQUIRED, because that’s a real pain in the ass. What happens is that your computer will have a very unsexy black screen with white letters, showing you with the “#” symbol what portion of what operation has finished.

Then your computer may go on standby or some crap like that, and end up shutting off on you.

You WILL think your computer died or something, or the software killed it.

Then you realize it needs a reboot, so you have to press on the Power On/Restart button.

But does the software tell you that? NOoooooooooooooo you have to find out on your own!

Then after you press on the Power On/Restart Button, it goes straight into a black screen but you can see your hard drive blinking.

Now you will think: WTF? Is it working? Dead? Do I need to do a hard reset on this bitch?

And you will realize that it’s thinking. For 3 hours you will see the black screen.

Then it will shut off itself again and you will have to hit the Power On/Restart button again.

But does this summary screen tell you anything about all that BS?

No. Of course not.

It just gives you a slight warning “GUESS WHAT? REBOOT REQUIRED! But we won’t tell you when, how or why. BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA“

Then when you click proceed, be prepared to wait about 6 hours before the first reboot is required (and it doesn’t tell you when it needs one, you just have to guess when your laptop feels dead and cold).

And then you click reboot, you’re in a black screen (as mentioned), but your hard drive is still running, and 3-4 hours later, when your laptop feels dead and cold, it needs the second reboot.

Can’t they work this crap into the actual software?

Why do I have to keep pressing the Reboot button?

In contrast, CARBON COPY CLONER by Bombich Software (ONLY FOR THE MAC) (*huge heart*), does it all for you without wondering, doesn’t require reboots, and even has a cute little striped status bar to let you know when it is going to be finished, without ever shutting off or needing 2 reboots.

*sigh*

If anyone can offer up any other software that is either free, or under $40 and is reliable, please let me know. This is really, truly a piece of crap.

It does the job, but then when I go to check on the hard drive, I am not sure it did it correctly, if that makes sense. It doesn’t show me a second hard drive or the copy of Windows when I go into it.

I dunno, seems fishy to me.

Verdict:

I HATE THIS SOFTWARE.

I only use it now because I bought it and paid for it thinking it was good when in fact, it sucks.

DO NOT waste your money on this, or try Norton Ghost first.