TotalRecovery ^® Pro 9

FAQ

1. What is TotalRecovery™ Pro, and what does it do?

   TotalRecovery™ Pro is FarStone Technology's backup and disaster recovery solution for Windows. It allows the users to schedule (or manually create) frequent, image-based backups of their local disks and store them on disk-based or network destinations. The backup images include all files, settings, programs and operating system files on the volume, and are an exact representation of the entire volume at the time the backup was created.

2. What free trial software is available?

   FarStone Technology is happy to offer a free 14-day trial for TotalRecovery™ 8 Pro products. You’ll find a downloadable version on the product page. Once the free trial is over, any backed up images that have been made will be deleted from your system.

3. How do I get help if I need it?

   If you need assistance with any of our products, please refer to the comprehensive User Guide available on our website. If you are unable to find the solution you are looking for, obtain a Support Ticket to get in touch with our Technical Support.

4. How long does it take TotalRecovery Pro to back up or restore a system?

   This depends on the amount of data on your system. However, TotalRecoverytm Pro’s technology minimizes the time it takes to perform a backup.

5. I’ve installed three operating systems on my computer, including Linux. Can TotalRecovery™ Pro protect all three systems?

   Absolutely. TotalRecovery™ 8 Pro protects multiple Windows operating systems completely, and we recommend using the Back Up Computers function to protect the non-windows systems.

6. Can TotalRecovery™ 8 Pro protect my PC from a destructive virus?

   TotalRecovery™ 8 Pro does not prevent virus attacks. However, if you system is affected by a destructive virus, you can restore your PC to its previous health state and remove the virus.

7. Does the TotalRecovery™ 8 Pro conflict with any other applications?

   Please close the following applications when launching TotalRecovery™ 8 Pro: Utimaco SafeGuard.

8. Where may I purchase FarStone software?

   FarStone Technology products may be downloaded from our online product pages or from any of our reseller partners. If you originally purchased TotalRecovery™ 8 from an authorized FarStone Technology Value Added Reseller (VAR), you may wish to purchase any additional licenses through that reseller.

9. What are the latest prices?

   The latest prices (MSRP) for FarStone Technology software are posted on the website.

10. How are your products licensed?

    Each product is licensed per machine, unless otherwise stated (i.e. purchasing a multiple license bundle). If you wish to install and activate the product on multiple machines, you will need to purchase additional licenses.

11. If I purchase TotalRecovery™ 8 software, do I download it, or will you send me official product CDs in the mail?

    You will have the option during the purchase to request a TotalRecovery™ 8 product CD by mail (for a small shipping fee), or you may choose to download the software. The download comes in the form of a small installer to install the software in Windows.

12. Why couldn´t I install 64-bit driver for my RAID card in Pre-OS Recovery Manager?

    Please use 32-bit driver and try again.

13. Why can´t I see computer list in &My Network Places” when I want to back up or restore from a network shared folder within Recovery Manager? What should I do?

    1. We recommend you change the workgroup name of computers to default name “Workgroup”. And then program will list all computers automatically.
    2. Or, if you don’t want to modify existing workgroup name, please map the shared folders by follow below instructions:
    Click “Map Network Drive” on “Network” tab bar.
    b. Enter the location of shared folder, user name, and password on input box.
    c. If the computer you want to connect to is on a domain, you would enter the domain name, user name, and password. For example: domain\username.
    d.If you are connecting to a computer in a workgroup, you would enter the remote computer name an user name. For example: remote_computer_name\username.
    e. After mapping network drives, you can save your back image to a network folder.

14. How can TotalRecovery™ Pro assist you?

    FarStone Technology has developed TotalRecovery™ to be a comprehensive personal safety net for your Windows based PCs and laptops. Leave your data and file worries aside with TotalRecovery™´s renowned backup and disaster recovery solution for your home or office. TotalRecovery Pro provides data security insurance for your important personal files, music, pictures and videos.

15. How does TotalRecovery™ provide peace of mind?

    TotalRecovery™ creates an exact representation of the entire volume of information quickly and easily from the time the backup was saved.  TotalRecovery Pro puts the user in the driver´s seat by allowing you to schedule or manually create frequent image-based backups of your entire local disk(s) and store them on many external media or network shares!

16. How Does TotalRecovery™ Pro protect my data?

    In this fast moving digital age of computing, it is so easy to put photos, music, movies, and more on your computer. TotalRecovery™ Pro can make life simpler by not having to be concerned with lost documents due to a crashed system or accidental erase; you can recover anything easily from your digital life.

17. I have small IDE hard drive and wanted to migrate the entire OS, applications, configurations, folders, and files to a new hard drive with bigger capacity. Can TotalRecovery™ help?

    Yes! With TotalRecovery™ cloning feature, you can simply migrate your entire hard drive to a bigger or even smaller new hard drive with 2 clicks.

18. Does TotalRecovery™ support Windows 32-bit and 64-bit Operating System?

    Yes! TotalRecovery™ supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. You can also convert the Full Backup of hard disk to a virtual machine.

19. Not sure if you´re ready to buy TotalRecovery™?

    Let FarStone Technology help you make your decision by, a free 14-day trial period for TotalRecovery™ products! Utilize TotalRecovery Pro and find out how it serves as a useful tool for your computer today!  After the 14-day usage any backed up files will be removed from your system. If you decide to purchase TotalRecovery™ Pro the full working application will continue to provide effective backup and recovery services. There is also a “14-day Money Back Guarantee” if TotalRecovery Pro does not meet your computing needs.

20. Why are incremental backups so important?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro is smart in the ways it can back up your computer. TotalRecovery™ quickly and efficiently backs up your computer by only effecting the new changes since the last backup.  This speeds up backup times and saves storage space. 

21. How can TotalRecovery™ help me recover data from an accidental format of my hard drive?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro has a Full Backup feature that enables the user to create a complete copy of the hard drive. Once this is established, all your operating system, settings, files, documents and more can be restored at any time.         

22. Will TotalRecovery™ allow me to save recovery data on a CD/DVD than another hard drive?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro is versatile in allowing the user to store your hard drive image on a CD or DVD.  The advantage of this feature provides the user to be able to not only backup recovered data and save to a portable disk, but it can save you hard disk space if you need only specific data to be recovered, or just like having an extra copy.

23. Is TotalRecovery™ able to recover data from all major Windows Operating System?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro supports 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. It provides a total backup and recovery solution for all your, pictures, MP3s, operating system, personal data, and much more!   

24. My MS Office crashed, how could TotalRecovery™ help me recover my document?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro provides unattended backup, “set it and forget it” feature that can save changes made in any application, especially word documents. You don´t have to worry about a system crash or a frozen screen. TotalRecovery™ Pro can recover any changes on your entire system daily, hourly, or specific times during your workflows.  

25. I am unhappy with my backup and recovery software because it is too cumbersome. Is TotalRecovery™ easy to use for non-experienced users of backup and recovery programs?

    FarStone Technology´s Drive Clone Pro 7 software has one of the most intuitive yet simple user interfaces on the market.  The product was designed to let the user be in control of every aspect of the program, with easy to learn features and a simple layout of functions that anyone can understand. Simplicity is provided by backup routine with a new comprehensive scheduler that is active with a single mouse click!  

26. What does cloning do?  Why is it an important component to backup and recovery systems?

    Cloning is a process much like copying and pasting a document.  TotalRecovery™ Pro does this seamlessly for entire hard drives to enable users to mirror complete hard disks to move them from one computer to another, to an external hard drive, or USB drive.  The importance of this allows users to have fully working backups of all data, and applications. 

27. I am working on building a website and I need files backed up as I work in the open application. What solution does TotalRecovery™ Pro provide?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro has got you covered with the ability to backup open files as their corresponding applications are in use. This in turn provides consistency and safety knowing that all your files no matter in use or not will be covered during backup times.   

28. Life can have unexpected twists and turns, such as floods, wild fires, earthquakes, and tornadoes.  How can TotalRecovery™ Pro insure my data is protected?

    Remote backup, an essential tool provided by TotalRecovery Pro, gives the user the control to save all your PCs data, applications, and settings to a remote location with FTP offsite backup.  This enriches your backup resources by providing a simple solution for intricate times.

29. My PC is located in an area of my home/business where people may possibly gain access to it.  How well protected is my backup data?

    Using the AES encryption, TotalRecovery™ Pro can prevent any unwanted users of accessing your backups.

30. I want to migrate my existing Windows OS, applications, and files to a laptop with a solid state drive (SSD), how can TotalRecovery™ help me?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro´s cloning technology will compress your hard drive into SSD quickly and by design mount the data in your SSD drive even if the original hard drive is larger.  Taking all the hassle out of transfers at the fastest possible speeds!   

31. My hard drive has had a catastrophic failure. Is there any hope?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro can provide a solution with its Bare Metal Restore feature. Take steps out of what can be a chaotic process. TotalRecovery™ Pro can copy a complete system image onto a new or existing healthy hard drive without having to install the operating system and applications. Restore your PC to its prior working state in minutes!  

32. Does TotalRecovery Pro support virtualization?

    Yes! TotalRecovery Pro is able to support VMware for P2V and V2P.

33. I am upgrading to a new Windows 7 system. Can TotalRecovery™ Pro help?

    TotalRecovery™ Pro can safely and easily move all important personal data from Windows XP/Vista to Windows 7.  

34. Can TotalRecovery Pro search all my backed up files?

    TotalRecovery™ utilized Google Desktop search and allows you to search any information previously saved from any locations.

35. Buying a new PC because you old one is outdated?

    Let TotalRecovery Pro´s Universal Restore move all your data and applications including Windows on to your new machine even with dissimilar hardware.

36. I started TotalRecoverytm Pro in Windows immediately after the installation was completed, but a message says that I have to restart my computer in order to run it. Why?

    You have to restart your computer after installing TotalRecovery™ Pro in order for all configuration changes to take effect.

37. When I restored a partition from an image file, TotalRecoverytm Pro prompted me that “There is not enough space on the Destination Partition”. But I’m sure the free space on the Destination Partition is larger than the used space in the Source Partition. Why am I getting this prompt?

    If data at the end of the source partition cannot be moved, TotalRecoverytm Pro will prompt you with this notice.

38. I created an image for Drive C: on two CD-R discs. Why can’t the disc be mounted as a temporary partition?

    Mounting a partition requires all the backup data of the drive. If you use one of two discs, it cannot provide the complete information. To solve this problem, copy the image files from the two discs to the hard drive and then mount it as a temporary partition. This problem cannot be overcome by using multiple CD/DVD drives.

39. While creating a Recovery CD/DVD, an error message appears.

    This error may occur if the quality of the recordable CD/DVD media is not good, or the disc is incompatible with the recorder. To solve this problem, please try a different brand of CD/DVD media or upgrade your CD/DVD recorder.

40. Do I need to do anything before installing TotalRecoverytm Pro?

    We recommend running Windows CheckDisk to scan for hard drive errors.

41. Bad Sectors have already been detected on a hard drive. How does this affect my backup and restore options?

    TotalRecoverytm Pro will try to copy all used sectors when performing a Complete or Incremental backup. You may be prompted to skip a bad sector or a job could fail due to bad sectors. Therefore, it’s recommended to run Windows Check Disk command to detect and repair hard drive errors, or use utilities provided by your hard drive manufacturer, when attempting to resolve this type of problem. 

42. Can I use disk tools such as Fdisk, PartitionMagic and Norton Speed Disk after installing TotalRecoverytm Pro on my computer?

    There is no known resource conflicting with those utilities.

43. Does TotalRecoverytm Pro work in Windows Safe Mode?

    TotalRecoverytm Pro does not work in Windows Safe Mode.

44. Does TotalRecoverytm Pro Provide support for Windows^® advanced power management?

    TotalRecoverytm Pro supports all Windows^® advanced power management features (Standby, Sleep, Hibernate).

45. How can I restore without having a DHCP Server on the network?

    If the DHCP service is not running on your network, you’ll have to manually enter a static IP address to access the network through Network Adapter Configuration in Pre-OS.

46. What happens if my PC misses a scheduled backup?

    TotalRecoverytm Pro will start the missed backup automatically at next boot up if you select the checkbox in the setting interface saying If the computer shuts down, run the missed tasks when it boots next time. If you don’t select that checkbox, TotalRecoverytm Pro will start the next scheduled backup at next boot up.

47. Which partition types does TotalRecoverytm Pro recognize?

    A: NTFS, FAT, FAT32, Linux Ext2 and Ext3.

48. Why is my backup image larger than the source partition or hard disk?

    The source partition or hard disk may have too much of fragmentation. Defragment it and then run the backup again.

49. How can I access the computer outside the Workgroup through the network under the Pre-OS?

    Click on the Tools tab and select Map Network Drive. And then map the directory on the remote computer as you wish.

50. How can I get SDK download location correctly before I use the Convert Backup to Virtual Disk feature?

    VMware Home Page (www.vmware.com) ->Download ->VMware SDK&APIs ->Virtual Disk ->VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit

51. How can I convert image backup from VMware format to VHD format?

    Please download VMDK to VHD file converter from here. This file conversion tool allows you to convert image file from VMware format to VHD format.

52. How do I convert a backup image to VMware file format?

    In the "Tools" tab in the main UI, select "Convert Backup to Virtual Disk". Using this tool allows you to convert a saved full-image to VMware file format. Once converted, it can be used in your virtual application. Here are the steps to convert:
    1. Login to the VMware office website and download and install VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit: http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vddk/
    2. Click "Tool" from the left side navigation in the main UI and select "Convert Backup to Virtual Disk".
    3. Select the image backup that you want to be converted. The file extension of the image backup is .sco.
    4. Select a converting type (a partition or the entire hard drive).
    5. Select the destination path where you want to store the converted VMware file.
    6. Once the converting process is complete, a VMware file with .vmdk extension can be found in your selecter folder.
    7. You can reference the VMware user guide for inserting virtual disks in the VMware machine, or you can follow the steps below:
    Select a "New" VMware machine from its menu. File > New > Virtual Machine.
    b. Select "Custom Advanced" when asked what type of configuration you want.
    c. In the "Guest Operating System Installation", select "I will install the operating system later".
    d. In "Select a Disk", select "Use an existing virtual disk", then browse for the converted .vmdk file by selecting "Select an Existing Disk".

53. In Pre-OS environment, why I cannot access some complete backup images stored in hard drive?

    Computer cannot read hard drive images in NTFS compressed disk, please copy image file or remove to other uncompressed disk in Windows environment.

54. How to do disaster restore to computer?

    You need to enter Pre-OS first, and there are two ways to enter Pre-OS:
    1. Click Tools, and activate Recovery Manager. Restart your computer and select Recovery Manager before starting windows.
    2. Boot into Pre-OS through creating bootable disk.
    Connect network in Pre-OS or search in local hard drive, select complete backup image to restore.

55. Universal restore succeeded, but I cannot start computer properly, and the computers which restored with the same image were all going well?

    Universal Restore succeeded, Windows will set drives for recognized hardware. But, if the hardware(e.g. Special SCSI or RAID device) relied by Windows in initiating stage and cannot be recognized automatically, the system maybe cannot boot properly.

56. After completing universal restore, why the interface of install driver occurs in windows?

    After finishing universal restore, Windows will recognize hardware and install drivers automatically during booting process. But if Windows comes across unrecognized hardware, this interface will popup, it is normal. Install drivers according to the prompt, the computer will work properly.

57. Why I can connect to network drive in Vista environment, but I cannot backup this network drive with TotalRecovery Pro?

    Please check whether you have opened User Account Control (UAC) or not. If it was opened, please close UAC or modify following registry keys manually to solve this problem.
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
    EnableLinkedConnections = 1 (DWord)

File Backup

58. Will someone be able to view my photos, emails or sensitive information from my backups?

    You have the option to encrypt your information. Total Recovery supports Advanced Encryption Standard encryption to your backups. AES is a symmetric-key encryption standard adopted by the U.S. government. This is comprised of three block ciphers standards, AES-128, AES-192 and AES-256. Total Recovery supports all of these 3 standards. Total Recovery is well protected with the AES which will give you a peace of mind for your private information.

Clone disk

59. Can Total Recovery make an exact copy from my current hard drive to a new hard drive?

    Yes, you can even do so with just one click. Total Recovery can copy everything on your current hard drive to a new hard drive; including Windows, drivers, photos, emails, music, and documents. If your new hard drive is bigger than your current drive, Total Recovery will automatically enlarge the partition size before the files copy to a new hard drive. No matter how big the new drive is, it will only take 1 click to completely move everything to new hard drive.

60. How do I clone my files to a new hard drive with Total Recovery?

    There are 2 ways:
    1st solution
    1. Connect both source hard drive and the destination hard drive to your system.
    2. You will need 2 slots for the hard disk cable.
    3. On Total Recovery main user interface.
    4. Select "Clone”
    5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
    2nd solution: If you are unable to connect the second hard drive to your system, (most laptop users are unable to connect both), you will need to follow these 2 steps.
    1. Select "Backup My Computer" from the Total Recovery main user interface. It will make a complete backup on a selected storage, such as USB hard disk or network drive. 2. Select "Restore My Computer", then choose the backup you made in Step 1 to restore the selected hard drive.

61. How do I upgrade my hard drive with a new bigger one?

    There are 2 ways to do this with Total Recovery.
    1st Solution: If you can connect new hard drive to your system along with the old hard drive as a secondary drives in your system.
    1. Run TotalRecovery and select the clone feature.
    2. Choose the old hard drive as the source and the new hard drive as a destination.
    3. It will prompt if you want to resize the partition but it is optional.
    2nd solution: If you are not able to connect the new drive to your PC.
    1. Go ahead and backup the old hard drive to an external hard drive.
    2. Once complete shut down the computer and replace the new hard drive.
    3. Proceed to boot the computer system into the recovery manager (reboot able rescue disk or hotkey)
    4. Once in the recovery manager, select restore computer and choose the image you created from the old drive as the one to replace for the new hard dive.
    

Backup Anywhere

62. Where can I backup my files?

    You can backup your files to a local hard drive, USB drive, network share, CD/DVD, NAS, iSCSI, or remote FTP server with a friendly user interface providing a "set it and forget it" unattended backup.

Open file backup

63. Will a particular file be backed up even though I am working on it?

    While the applications are running (i.e. Outlook), the files will consistently be backed up.

Quota Management

64. Will I have to worry about having enough space for the backup?

    No more “Disk is Full” error messages! You can create and enforce quota limits for the storage usage of each workstation. TotalRecovery will automatically reuse the oldest backup space for new backups.

Intelligent Schedule

65. I am working on a project and I need files backed up as I work. What solution does TotalRecovery provide?

    TotalRecovery has got you covered with the ability to backup open files as their corresponding applications are in use. This in turn provides consistency and safety knowing that all your files, no matter in use or not, will be covered during backup times.

Google Desktop search incorporated

66. What is Google Desktop Search and what does it do?

    Google Desktop Search makes data recovery as easy as searching the web with Google. The Google Desktop Search utility allows you to search for users’ e-mails, computer files, music, photos, chats, search history, and other "Google Gadgets" in TotalRecovery backup images.

Email Notifications

67. What does the email notification feature do?

    The Email Notification feature emails the administrator every time backups and restores are made, along with their results.

Advanced script (Pre and Post Command) function

68. What is the Advanced Script function?

    This function allows you to execute pre-defined commands (scripts) before or after a scheduled backup takes place. This is highly useful for complicated disaster recovery requirements because you can customize the commands based on your system’s unique situation.

FileRescue-911™ capability

69. What is FileRescue-911 and what does it do?

    The FileRescue-911 is a powerful file rescue utility that allows you to boot into a crashed system using its built-in pre-operating system. This function would help you to retrieve your precious files from a non-operating drive.

Built-in VMware™ P2V support

70. What is P2V?

    P2V stands for “Physical to Virtual”

71. How does the built-in VMware™ P2V support benefit me?

    VMware™ P2V support would allow you to backup a VMware host machine in an image or convert a TotalRecovery image file to a VMware image file format (VMDK) to run it on a virtual machine.

Max Speed with Solid State Drive (SSD)

72. What is a Solid State Drive?

    A solid state drive is like a hard drive without disks. A solid state drive runs significantly faster than a standard hard drive. Solid state drives are also energy-efficient. TotalRecovery can clone your hard drive to SSD in minutes so you can avoid spending hours or weeks on reinstalling all programs.

Crashed System Restore with Bare Metal Recovery

73. My hard drive has had a catastrophic failure. Is there any hope?

    TotalRecovery can provide a solution with its Bare Metal Restore feature. Take steps out of what can be a chaotic process. TotalRecovery can copy a complete system image onto a new or existing healthy hard drive without having to install the operating system and applications. Restore your PC to its prior working state in minutes!

FTP Remote backup, offsite backup duplication

74. How can TotalRecovery ensure that my data is protected from natural disasters?

    Remote backup, an essential tool provided by TotalRecovery, gives the user the control to save all your PCs data, applications, and settings to a remote location with FTP offsite backup. This enriches your backup resources by providing a simple solution for intricate times.

AES 256 bits encryption

75. How well protected is my backup data and can anyone gain access?

    TotalRecovery offers the highest encryption standard (256 bit AES), similar to US Defense Department, to prevent anyone from accessing your backup without your permission.

Recovery CD/DVD or Restore Image File Creation

76. Can I create a recovery CD/DVD?

    You can easily make a recovery CD/DVD, or an image file with a few click. TotalRecovery is versatile in allowing the user to store hard drive images on a CD or DVD. The advantage of this feature provides the user to be able to not only backup recovered data and save to a portable disk, but it can save you hard disk space if you need only specific data to be recovered.

Advanced incremental backup technology

77. How does the incremental backup technology differ from others?

    TotalRecovery backs up only changes to your files (by sector). Other products back up files in its entirety. For example, it takes only a few hundred kilobits to incrementally back up your Outlook (.pst) file, whereas other products back up the entire Outlook .pst file, which takes several Gigabits, each time.

Log View

78. Is there an easier access or ways to view all activities backed up on all workstations and servers?

    Yes, TotalRecovery consolidates all activities for all workstations and servers into a centralized log view.

Windows PE support

79. Can I recover my files from outside of Windows?

    WinPE recovery environment provides 100% hardware support in the Recovery Manager environment. For example, RAID 0/1/5/10/JBOD, software RAID, network and iSCSI are fully supported in pre-OS Recovery Manager.

PXE support

80. What is PXE?

    PXE stands for Pre-boot eXecution Environment. PXE allows any client to be remotely booted up into Recovery Manager from the PXE server, enabling you to restore a crashed PC or non-operational workstation.

Rescue bootable media

81. What type of bootable media can TotalRecovery support?

    TotalRecovery supports all types of bootable media, such as CD/DVD, USB flash/USB HDD, USB Key, diskless PC and PXE server. It allows you to boot into Recovery Manager when your system has failed to start.

Experience NO Business operation downtime!

82. Will TotalRecovery incremental backup slow down my computer or interfere with business operation?

    Creating a backup image does not waste any of your time. While the computer is performing backups, it will not disrupt any applications or prevent access to your database.

Free Technical Support

83. How do I get help if I need it?

    If you need assistance with any of our products, please refer to the comprehensive user guide available on our website. If you are unable to find the solution you are looking for, obtain a Support Ticket to get in touch with our Technical Support Staff via email.

Designed for Peace of Mind

84. How does TotalRecovery provide peace of mind?

    TotalRecovery creates an exact representation of the entire volume of information quickly and easily from the time the backup was saved. TotalRecovery puts the user in the driver´s seat by allowing you to schedule or manually create frequent image-based backups of your entire local disk(s) and store them on many external media or network shares.

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