Jupiter:

After I sent my first e-mail to Acronis, I expected to spend about 15
minutes uninstalling Acronis, and move on to something else. Then I
ran into the Remove/Uninstall problem that I never expected. It is
not uncommon to Remove/Uninstall a product, and find an unusable
Icon for that product remaining on one's Desktop. However, before
this episode, I have never done a Remove/Uninstall of a product, after
which I clicked on what should be an unusable Icon, and then had that
product come up like it did before. In addition, the Windows Process
Explorer Utility indicated that I still had 2 running Processes for what I
had just "removed". After sending a follow-up e-mail to Acronis regarding
my Uninstall problems, I decided to share my miserable experience with
others who might be considering testing or purchasing this product.
Hence, I posted what I did to this list.

There is also an Acronis Forum web page at
<http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=65>, and I made
the same posting there. I am not the only person who is unhappy with
what I just tested.

The first form letter e-mail that I received from Acronis right before my
trial expired stated:

"Please feel free to contact us at support@acronis.com if you have any
questions."

After doing this, I received a second form letter e-mail response stating:

"Thank you for contacting Acronis!

"In order to improve the speed and quality of customer service Acronis
introduced changes in its support practices: new requests should be
submitted via web form.

"To submit a new request, please follow one of the links given below.
If you are an owner of an Acronis product, please click here:
https://www.acronis.com/homecomputin...landka@pdq.net

"If you do not own any Acronis product, please click here:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/company/contacts/request/?t=2&email=ralandka@pdq.net"

This gives me the impression that the proverbial "left" hand of Acronis
does not know what the "right" hand is doing, which does not inspire
my confidence.

I am an ordinary mortal who works during the day. Testing the
Restore function of any Backup product requires several hours of
continuous time, which is usually only available to me on weekends.
First, I have to take (in my case) old Norton Ghost backups, which
consumes at least 2 hours of time, before I can even begin testing the
Restore function of any other Backup/Restore product. Yes, this
does make it difficult to do much testing within a 15 day trial period.

I have never installed or tested any other Acronis product before
this episode, so this is my first experience with Acronis. However,
what I read and heard about Acronis from others was generally
favorable. Consequently, I was very surprised at my miserable
experiences in testing this product.

If I expected anything, it was that the Acronis Restores would
run OK, only to subsequently discover that I could not reboot my
computer afterwards. Hence, I felt it necessary to 1st take (in my
case) old Norton Ghost backups just in case.

It is not uncommon for some vendors to aggressively hype and
promote as a fully functional product what is actually a beta test
product at best. I cannot help but wonder if this is what has
happened in my case.

Richard A. Landkamer


"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" <jones_jupiter@hotnomail.com> wrote in message news:uO%23MReiKIHA.3940@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> What have you heard from Acronis?
> It can be assumed that since you sent a complaint to Acronis and are now posting it here, there was a response to help clear your
> issues.
> Or have you posted here without giving any chance for Acronis to answer?
> Acronis has a very good reputation even with their latest versions.
> Perhaps there is something wrong that Acronis may help resolve?
>
> Your options may be limited since it seems you chose to actually test the evaluation product so late that a resolution before
> trial expired was nearly impossible.
>
> --
> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
> http://www.dts-l.org
>
>
> "Richard A. Landkamer" <ralandka@pdq.net> wrote in message news:%23DyJOxhKIHA.5328@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> To Whom It May Concern:
>
> I am sharing with this list an accounting of my experiences in testing and "removing" the "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home"
> Backup product on my computer, which are described in detail in the following 2 forwarded e-mails that I have sent to
> support@acronis.com.
>
> Does anyone on this list know of any Backup product other than Norton Ghost that will create a true Image Copy Backup of Windows
> XP Pro SP2, and which takes all of its Image Copy Backups under a basic DOS System where there are no open and constantly changing
> System Files? To my knowledge, only Norton Ghost takes all of its Image Copy Backups under a basic DOS System where there are no
> open and constantly changing System Files. If there is any other Backup Utility that takes its backups in this manner, then I
> would like to evaluate this product. Thank you.
>
> Richard A. Landkamer
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Richard A. Landkamer
> To: support@acronis.com
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 1:25 PM
> Subject: Update RE: My previous evaluation of your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product
>
>
> To: support@acronis.com
>
> I sent you my previous evaluation of your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product before I actually attempted to
> Remove/Uninstall this bloatware product from my computer, which brought on a whole new set of problems. In short, it took me over
> an hour to manually remove most of what I could easily find of this product on my computer after the Remove process for this
> product in Windows XP Pro "Add or Remove Programs" appears to have removed nothing except the entry for this product in Windows XP
> Pro "Add or Remove Programs".
>
> I made the following three attempts to Remove your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product from my computer:
>
> In the first attempt, I simply clicked on "Remove" for this product in Windows XP Pro "Add or Remove Programs. After about 20
> minutes of doing nothing, I clicked on Cancel in the running Remove process, the latter of which actually did work after running a
> few minutes. I then decided to use the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility to "Remove" your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home"
> Backup product from my computer. This took less that 30 seconds. Subsequent investigation disclosed that the Windows Installer
> Clean Up Utility only removed the entry for this product in Windows XP Pro "Add or Remove Programs".
>
> For my second attempt, I first had to reinstall your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product from my original
> download of this product. This reinstall took about 15 minutes. When it came time to Remove this product from my computer, I
> turned off ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite, which I did not do the first time. I then clicked on "Remove" for this product in
> Windows XP Pro "Add or Remove Programs. This time the Removal process did not hang, and ended "normally" after running a few
> minutes. Unfortunately, the results were identical to when I previously used the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility to "Remove"
> your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product from my computer.
>
> My third attempt was to spend over an hour manually removing most of I could easily find of your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11
> Home" Backup product on my computer. I began by searching for files that had "Acronis" as part of their name, and attempting to
> delete these files. I quickly found several modules that could not be deleted, since they were being used. I then used the
> Windows Process Explorer Utility, which is described at
> <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/ProcessExplorer.mspx>, and found two running Processes with
> Acronis on their name. I killed these two running Acronis processes, but I still could not delete these Acronis modules. I then
> used the Windows AutoRuns Utility, which is described at
> <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Autoruns.mspx>, to delete everything that I could find related
> to the Acronis modules that I could not delete and/or the above running Acronis processes that I had found.
>
> When I originally installed my old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost, which I referred to in my following forwarded previous posting,
> Norton Ghost came as part of a bundled product called Norton SystemWorks 2004. This latter product has several other utilities,
> including Norton WinDoctor under Norton Utilities. I used Norton WinDoctor to delete around 200 entries that this utility found
> in the Windows XP Pro Registry for this Acronis product after I had deleted many of the Acronis files that I referred to in the
> previous paragraph. This is in addition to the Start Up entries in the Registry that I deleted with the above Windows AutoRuns
> Utility.
>
> I then rebooted my computer, after which I was able to delete the Acronis modules that I could not previously delete. According
> to the Windows AutoRuns Utility, I still have some Acronis modules and drivers in C:\Windows\System 32 - which I will probably get
> around to researching and deleting eventually.
>
> Bottom line in this whole miserable experience: Not only could I not get the "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup
> product to Restore my Hard Drive from two Acronis Disaster Recovery Backups that I took to DVD-RWS, but I subsequently discovered
> that this Acronis bloatware product is obviously not intended to ever be Removed/Uninstalled from anyone's computer after it has
> been installed. Beware!
>
> Richard A. Landkamer
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Richard A. Landkamer
> To: support@acronis.com
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 2:11 AM
> Subject: Re: Evaluation period of Acronis True Image 10.0 comes to the end
>
>
> To: support@acronis.com
>
> Actually it was Acronis True Image 11 Home at <http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/features-backup.html> that
> I tested. Unfortunately, your product failed my testing.
>
> I tested two "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backups to Ativa DVD+RW 4.7 GB Disks on a new DVD-RW Drive that I recently
> purchased. The System Information name of this drive is listed as "Name TSSTcorp CD/DVDW SH-S182D". The sales receipt that I got
> lists this drive somewhat differently as "DVDRW+- 18X Samsung Drive". Both times I used "High" compression, since this was one of
> the options available to me. The first backup was just a regular complete backup. The second backup was a Sector by Sector
> backup if I recall your Acronis terminology correctly. I encountered no difficulty in making these backups, which I also put
> through your "Verify" process with no errors.
>
> However, when I attempted to Restore these alleged "True Image" Backups to my Hard Drive, both times I got a pop up window
> informing me that these Backups were "corrupted", and could not be restored. So what good is an alleged ""True Image" Backup of
> any kind if it cannot subsequently be Restored? Also, just what does your alleged "Verify" process attempt to verify???
>
> For the past few years, I have been using an old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost for my Image Copy Backups. Incidentally, before I
> tested your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product, I took two Image Copy Backups of my C: Hard Drive with this old
> 2003 Version of Norton Ghost. The first backup was to my D: Drive, which is a separate internal removable device of 120 Gig. (My
> C: Drive is 80 Gig.) The second backup was to my above new DVD-RW Drive. I expected my old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost to give
> me some kind of device error on this new DVD-RW Drive, but that did not happen. I was even able to Restore my C: Drive with my
> 1st test Backup to this new DVD-RW Drive with this old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost, and I used High compression in this Backup.
> If an old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost can do this, then surely your latest "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product
> should have been able to do the same. I was hoping to be able to replace my old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost with some version of
> Acronis, but it now appears that I will have to upgrade to the current version of Norton Ghost instead.
>
> I believe that there is a fundamental design flaw in your Acronis Backup products. Before I tested your "Acronis [alleged] True
> Image 11 Home" Backup product, I never thought that you would attempt to take an alleged "True Image" Backup of any version of
> Windows XP while actually running Windows XP with all of its open and constantly changing System Files, particularly in the
> Windows XP Pro SP2 System Restore System. I think that you are attempting to do the impossible. As I presume you are aware,
> Norton Ghost takes all of its Backups only under a basic DOS System where there are no open and constantly changing System Files.
> I find it difficult to believe that any other kind of Image Copy Backup could possibly work and not be corrupted.
>
> Another problem that I had with your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product was that I could not get it to
> recognize my internal removable D: Drive as a Backup Device for Disaster Recovery purposes. I was able to take some kind of
> logical Backup to my internal removable D: Drive with your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product, but I could not
> use this Backup as an Image Copy that can be Restored in a Disaster Recovery situation. My old 2003 Version of Norton Ghost can
> Restore any of its Image Copy Backups on my internal removable D: Drive. Why can't your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home"
> Backup product do the same?
>
> For some additional background information, you might want to look at a recent issue that I have opened in the Microsoft
> Sysinternals Forum at <http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12723>. You will note that Microsoft's own
> RootkitRevealer Utility hangs on "Scanning C:\System Volume Information\catalog.wci" every time that I attempt to run
> RootkitRevealer. Since both RootkitRevealer and the System Restore System are Microsoft products, I think that Microsoft should
> be able to fix this problem. To date, Microsoft has not responded to my November 11, 2007, posting at:
> <http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12723>.
>
> At least your "Acronis [alleged] True Image 11 Home" Backup product did not hang attempting to Backup any files in my Windows XP
> Pro SP2 System Restore System. Or does Acronis even attempt to Backup any of these constantly changing System Files???
>
> In conclusion, if Acronis ever develops a real True Image Backup that can actually be Restored, let me know. I think that you
> will only be able to do this if you take your Backups under a basic DOS System where there are no open and constantly changing
> System Files.
>
> Richard A. Landkamer
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <support@acronis.com>
> To: "Richard Landkamer" <ralandka@pdq.net>
> Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2007 12:03 AM
> Subject: Evaluation period of Acronis True Image 10.0 comes to the end
>
>
>> Hello Richard Landkamer,
>>
>> Your evaluation period for Acronis True Image 10.0
>> will expire tomorrow and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you
>> for letting Acronis Inc. be your computing partner. We invite you to visit the Acronis online
>> store at http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/sales/online/ , where you
>> can place your order for the full version of this software. If you
>> prefer to buy from a local reseller, you can find a list of U.S. and
>> Canadian resellers on our Web site http://www.acronis.com/ .
>>
>> Please feel free to contact us at support@acronis.com if you have
>> any questions.
>>
>> Once again, thank you for your confidence and consideration.
>>
>> Happy computing!
>>
>>
>> You received this message because you downloaded a trial copy of Acronis True Image 10.0.
>>
>>
>> The Acronis Team
>> http://www.acronis.com/
>>
>> Compute with confidence...
>