Secure Zone-essential or optional?
Secure Zone-essential or optional?
I have started to use Acronis TrueImage Home 2009 as I needed a mirror image backup system with differential backups and the recovery of individual files when necessary. I am a simple soul, and do not need (nor understand) many of the Acronis options.
I have used Acronis ‘One Click’ to create my first full backup, and can access files from it, and have created a Recovery Disk. Fine.
However, I must now ‘graduate’ and create my own full backup specification so that I can run it, and then run Differential backups subsequently.
I keep coming across the apparent need for a Secure Zone. As I only make backups on an external hard disk, do I need this Zone?
In the Manual, paragraph 9.1 warns that Acronis do not recommend the Acronis Secure Zone on external media. It seems to me that it is only used for backups on the original C drive or for subsequent editing (not something I would dare to do).
Nowhere can I find a clear answer, neither in the manual nor in the Forum (sorry if I have missed it somewhere). If the Secure Zone is essential for me, please let me know. I would hate to run all my future backups on the external hard disk without a Secure Zone only to find I cannot restore the computer’s hard drive if that event occurred (and it has in the past, and I do not want to have to go through the hassle it created).
Guidance would be appreciated.
Fredrick1

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Fungus,
Thank you for your reply. I feel reassured.
Fredrick1
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Hello Fredrick1 & Fungus,
Thanks for this. Your comments on this topic are very helpful and relevant to my own position. Like Fredrick1 I am not an advanced user and have just installed ATI Home but with 2010 version. The essentiality of the secure zone is not made clear in the instruction manual. I could'nt see the need for it when using a separate/external hard drive for backups. In fact their knowledge base article 1655 says "Save data to special partition on your hard drive, the Acronis Secure Zone. There is no need to purchase an extra hard drive, CDs, or DVDs to protect your data. This is especially useful for notebook computers". I asked Acronis support about this before seeing your views and am awaiting reply.
Rgds,Derek
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Derek, the SZ has outlived its usefulness. It came in handy when external drives or a second internal drive were expensive. Nowadays this is not the case, even for a 2.5 portable drive.
And you will avoid potential problems by not using the SZ.
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Hello DwnNDrty,
Thanks for your comment, confirmed my suspicion. Looking at the problems on the forum that some people have I will be pleased to avoid it.
Rgds,Derek
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