Today’s Christmas Giveaway is a split review and giveaway of Perfect Image 12 and Partition Commander 11. Both software programs are developed by Avanquest and serve different purposes. Perfect Image 12 is a Windows backup software that can be used to backup data efficiently to be able to restore and access it at a later time.
Perfect Image 12 comes with all the tools needed to perform data backups and data recovery. The main interface displays a sidebar menu with the tasks and options provided by the program and a main area with information about the various hard drives on startup.
The sidebar is divided into the categories Basic and Advanced Backup Tasks, Restore Tasks, Tools and News and Documentation. Each category can be minimized to safe screen estate.
The Basic Backup Task category contains links to backing up a disk or partition, scheduling a backup or backing up files. A click on any of those will open a Backup Wizard that is guiding the user through the backup creation process.
The screenshot above shows the first page of the disk and partition backup wizard. One useful feature is that Perfect Image will estimate the resulting image size which can be very helpful to determine the storage capacities that are needed to store the backup.
Advanced settings like changing the compression level of the backup image, splitting large backup into files, password protecting backups or excluding files or folders from the backup are accessible by making a checkmark in the change backup settings option on the same page.
The backup data can be saved to a local or network drive or burned to CD or DVD. The File backup wizard comes with additional comfortable options to use so called include masks to select specific file types from the selected folders that should be backed up. Four default masks are available including photos, video, audio and readable (documents) files. It is possible to create new include masks for specific needs, e.g. programming files.
Another option are exclude masks that can block certain file types from being included in the backup; Again with the option to create custom filters.
The Advanced Backup Tools offer differential and incremental backups on top of the basic backup options. Differential backups contain only the files and folders that have changed since the last backup. This reduces the size of the backup and the time it takes to create it. Basically a cumulative backup of all changes since the last backup.
Incremental backups on the other hand will only backup files that have not been backed up before.
Here are additional features of Perfect Image:
Perfect Image Features
- Secure Partition – You can create a special secure partition on your hard disk to store disk backup images.
- Real-time Hard Disk Image Backup – Using different hard disk imaging modes, Perfect Image is able to backup any file system you use. For Windows’ partitions you can create complete system backup images with no need to reboot Windows or close any application
- Hard Disk Cloning – You can easily clone your old hard disk to deploy a new one, eliminating tiresome and time consuming operating system and application installation and adjustments.
- USB Recovery Media Builder – The Recovery Media Builder allows the user to create bootable recovery media on a USB flash drive, then boot the PC and perform any operations directly from flash drive in case of operating system corruption or boot problems.
- Blu-ray Disk Backup Support – Burn your backup archives to Blu-ray discs. A single layer disc can store 25 GB, more than five times the capacity of a single layer DVD.
- Verify Image Integrity – Verify the integrity of a backup.
- Create Recovery Disks – Create a recovery disk to restore a backup independently from the operating system.
- Restore Individual Files – Restore individual files from backups.
A list of features is available at the Perfect Image website.
Perfect Image 12 is a sophisticated backup software for the Windows operating system.
Partition Commander Review
Partition Commander 11 is the second program in this giveaway. It is – as the name suggests – a partitioning program for the Windows operating system that comes with additional cloning, migration and backup tools.
The main purpose of Partition Commander is to create, resize, delete and merge partitions in the Windows operating system. Some possible applications include dividing a large hard drive into two smaller partitions or reclaiming unused disk space after deleting a partition that is no longer needed.
What makes this product interesting however are the additional options that are provided. It can for instance be used to migrate data to a new hard disk that can be of the same or a different size than the original (the size needs to be larger obviously than the size of the old hard drive).
Other interesting and helpful options provided by Partition Commander include:
- System Back-Up & Restore – Partition Commander 11 now includes the ability to create a complete backup of your system before applying any modification/creation of a partition.
- Boot Manager & OS Installation Wizard – It’s never been so easy to install a new Operating System on your PC. Partition Commander 11 guides you through the entire process, even if one or multiple operating systems are already running on your PC.
- Mac OSX Boot Camp support – Partition Commander allows you to resize the partitions between the Mac OSX partition, and the Windows on
Partition Commander 11 is an easy to use partition manager that comes with several additional options and tools that aid the user in specific tasks that are related to hard drives (like migrating, cloning or installing a new operating system). Advanced users can switch to an advanced view that provides access to additional configuration options.
Christmas Giveway:
We have five licenses for Partition Commander 11 Personal and Perfect Image 12. Just leave a comment and let us know what you are currently using to partition and / or backup files.
Raju is giving away Sothink SWF to Video Converter licenses today, make sure to visit his giveaway as well.
Related Articles:
Backup Hard Drives and Partitions with Self ImageHow to Partition and Un-Partition your Hard Drive in Windows
Partition Manager 10 Personal Review [GotD]
Game for the Weekend Wing Commander Saga
EASEUS Partition Master 5.0.1 Professional Review
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I HOPE I CAN GET THE KEY
Inned this software, please give it to me!
interesant soft, i will try it …
The partitioning program sounds exactly what I am in need of. Please consider this as my request for one of the licenses. Thanks Tom
For backup, I use DriveImageXML ; for partitioning, WinXP Disk Management. Better apps would be very welcomed.
I am using Gparted to partition.
Allway sync to backup.
My brother bought a laptop with 120GB HDD not partitioned so it would have been of great joy if I can win one license of partition commander so that I can help him solve the problem.i.e make more partitions for him.
I need backup… I don’t have a backup or partition program. Thank you.
I am using Microsoft SyncToy.
I would like Perfect Image which provides compression, an easier restore, and (I hope) faster speed.
I can definately use this awesome combination of programs to backup and partion my hard drives.
Currently using EASEUS Partition Manager but I want to check this out.
iI am using Parted Magic LiveCD and Windows Backup.
ibheck says:
“for long time i waiting this sofware please give me ones”
DITTO!!!
Another great giveaway! Please count me in! Thanks guys!
I got my operating system crashed recently and never ever got back my data..i really regret that why i didn’t backup my data and partitioned my harddisk timely ,may be i was not much more intrested in Vista’s default data backup utility..it would be a great software in my store if u would have one of the liscence for partition magic 11…so count me on..
with lots of thanx
I currently use Acronis TI .
Would like to try this software.
Thanks
I am currently using Easeus Partition Master and GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition on my Vista Home Basic,however,Avanquest software is always of the highest quality so I am sure that Perfect Image 12 and Partition Commander 11 would be invaluable additions to any computer system.Excellent giveaways I would love to have!
I use driveimage XL and the windows backup utility for backing up, and use disk manager in Vista for partitions. I REALLY need this.
Currently, I’m using Norton Ghost but I willing to tried this out if I won the license.
I’m currenty using the disk manager built in Windows 7 for partitions and the utility backup built in 7 for backup.
Since, these are very simple and with few options,I would like to win them.
well, at present i’m using the paragon drive… and the easeus part…,i think it will be good to try this and find out which one is better…. thanks alot…..
Please give it to me!
I HOPE I CAN GET THE KEY!
Thanks !
I have just started experimenting with Easeus Partition Master which has performed admirably except for one instance where I unknowingly chose the option to “erase all data” on a delete partition exercise, and it ended up taking 8 hrs..
For Image backup, I use Lenovo Rescue & Recovery….
I am a great advocate of image backups and recently bought a 1.5TB external HDD just so I can make many many of them… Plan to experiment with various Image Backup programs soon and would like to try Perfect Image 12 as well as Partition Commander 11. May I have the licenses please?
Please count me in. Thanks.
It would be great to win both these utilities. I have moved to Win 7 and would like to replace my Acronis Disk Director 10 and Acronis True Image 2009 which is not compatible with Win 7 . No updates for either. What is up with that ?
Thankyou for the Great Offers !
My software for backup is delivered together with Samsung external hard disk, which backups my data at the certain time once a week.
I also use Norton Ghost to quickly restore my primary partition with the fresh installation of Windows XP, drivers and software needed.
I do not use any specialized software for partitioning, just built-in Windows mechanism.
Hi,
Hope I’m one of the lucky winners. Currently using :
EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition for partitioning and EASEUS Todo backup for backup files
Hi ghacks
For partitioning:
I used to use the win98 bootdisk, but it only support FAT. When I switched to XP pro I use the XP cd to format to NTFS, when I need to start a clean install of XP. Then when I need to add a new harddisk to a running XP, I format the new harddisk in the “Disk Management”-tool. This is all i’ve needed so far.
Do not despair if you don’t win. There are some free partition tools like:
1. EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition (has no bootcd)
2. Partition Wizard Home Edition (+bootcd)
3. GParted Live
4. Paragon Partition Manager 2010 Free Edition
For Imaging:
I got an old Paragon Drive Backup 8 Special Edition.
Some free image tools:
1. Macrium Reflect FREE Edition
2. Runtime DriveImage XML
3. EASEUS Todo Backup
4. Paragon Backup & Recovery 10 Free Edition
If you like the GUI from the screenshots, then go for the free Paragon Tools. I think they look the same.
Thanks and merry Christmas to all
PeterB
please add me
Yes! I need Perfect Image and Partition Commander. I currently use the Paragon products and I am not happy with them.