14 DAY TRIAL // Data loss scenarios are usually accidental or occur due to various system anomalies. The Windows built-in feature that specializes in disk imaging backup and recovery is often unreliable, which makes investing in a professional product look like a safer call.
DiskImage from O&O is a professional data security application whose primary focus is backing up and restoring files, folders or entire partitions by creating data images. It is able to build complete, incremental and differential images, and includes a wide array of useful options such as Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format conversion (supported by Microsoft Virtual PC and VMWare Workstation).
Installation and price
The setup operation can be run in typical, custom or full mode, depending on the user's level of experience. The full package includes a filter driver (consistent drive imaging without locking it), user interface, system tray icon (shows active tasks), shell extension (e.g. mount image drives), and virtual disk driver (allows drive registration from images as virtual disks).
The trial edition does not allow system partition restoration and runs for 30 days, after which the full version can be purchased for $29.95/€29.90.
Interface
The main application window has a well-structured design. Although DiskImage is filled with numerous options which primarily cater to advanced users, these are broken down into the "Start," "Edit" and "Tools" menus for fast access. One-click imaging of the entire computer is available for less experienced users through the Start page.
When starting a task to create a drive image, a list shows some information about each partition present on the computer, including file system type, total and free size. More details are accessible through the context menu of a selected partition.
Besides specifying the saving directory and file name, information regarding applied options is displayed, such as compression and encryption mode, and split size. Comments can be added to the images, sounds can be triggered on task completion, while the computer can be set to either shut down or restart afterward.
The upper right corner of the main application window shows a button for configuring imaging options. Some profiles with preset settings are available (e.g. Express," "Multimedia," "Archive"), while new ones can be user-defined and saved.
VHD image files can be created, edited and mounted on a drive for compatibility with virtual machines. Meanwhile, base images are needed when creating complete, incremental or differential images, as they will be used as the point of reference for data comparison.
Incremental images record only modifications made since the last base image, and their restoration requires the last complete image and following ones with any changes. On the other hand, differential images compare actual data with the last complete image and saves only changes. Both complete and differential images are needed to restore it.
It is possible to either compress the image file to save storage space (LZNT or BZIP2) or split it into smaller parts with fixed sizes, as well as to encrypt it using the AES-128, AES-192 or AES-256 algorithm. Settings can be exported to file for further projects with an identical configuration.
DiskImage supports task scheduling. Multiple jobs can be added to a list, with details revolving around the scheduling mode (once only, daily execution, one or more times a week, on device connection), email notification, imaging process (e.g. cancel when errors occur), pre-task and post-task command execution, specified user account for running, and so on.
Program settings
The start page of DiskImage can be switched to any of the main features (disk imaging or restoration, drive cloning etc.), and the tool can be set to minimize to the system tray area. CD/DVD drives and floppy disks may be included in the imaging and restoring tasks.
Testing drive imaging and recovery speed
During our evaluation, DiskImage was tested on an Intel Core 2 Duo 6420 2.13 GHz with 4GB RAM on Windows 7 Professional, in order to measure speed for drive imaging and recovery tasks. The targeted drive had 10GB of used space, and default settings were applied (used sector imaging method, no compression or decryption).
The Good
The data security tool sports plenty of useful options, like drive cloning, task scheduling, VHD format conversion, image burner, and virtual disk emulator. It has minimal impact on system performance and rapidly carries out a task.
The Bad
The application does not provide an option for scheduling standard file backups (just like copying files from one location to another) without resorting to images, a method that would have come in handy for accessing files on a device normally, in case DiskImage is not installed.
The Truth
NOTE: We have 20 licenses to give away for O&O DiskImage Professional. In order to win one of them, you are expected to come up with a smart post, positive or negative about the application in the comments section below.
The campaign ends on Tuesday, November 19. Winners will be notified by the end of the next week; needless to say that we need valid email addresses in order to contact you.
The giveaway campaign has ended. Congratulations to the winners!
