Cannot create spanned volume.
Ok, I'm starting to get really frustrated here. I was using DD10 (Build 2160) for over a year with Windows 7 without a single hitch, hiccup, or hint of damage (currently running Win7 Home Premium, 64-bit). Didn't have to force the install, either. Just ran the installer and off it went.
I upgraded to DD11 yesterday, for one reason alone, dynamic discs. I want to span volumes across multiple drives. Windows can do this on its own, but at the time I was more comfortable with DD.
Needless to say, this has been nothing but a nightmare so far. Used the program once, to create a new partition on a brand-new hard drive, and it failed. Could not assign a drive letter. I rebooted, and discovered to my joy that it had also corrupted my system, causing a BSOD during boot. Safe mode wouldn't work, the built-in Windows Startup Repair couldn't fix the problem, and the repair setup from the Win7 install disc couldn't fix the problem. I had to roll back to my last backup, made before installing DD11 to recover. (Backups done by a competitor's product. DD is the only Acronis software on my system.)
I come on here, and find out there are hoops to go through to try and get DD11 in and working. I've tried my best, it seems to be in and functioning, but half the functions are missing. I'm not talking about the half everyone else is complaining about, I'm talking about half of those the program still has.
There is no way for me to create a spanned volume. None. I can convert disks between 'basic MBR' and 'basic GPT', and I can create 'Basic' volume types only. There is no option to create spanned volumes. I can't even convert existing volumes to spanned. The option there is greyed out and unselectable.
I've about had my fill with this program. I'd either like help getting it working, or details on how that 30-day guarantee works.
That's amazing, considering Windows disk management has no issues creating spanned volumes. In fact, DD11's own user guide says simple, spanned, and striped volumes are supported by the program, on Windows 7 Home Premium (Page 15). The only thing I shouldn't be able to create is a mirrored partition. In fact, I just successfully built and took apart a spanned volume using the built-in disk management.
This table might be incorrect at least for Vista - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232463 says that there is no dynamic disk support in Vista Home. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927520 says the same for Windows 7 Home.
Well, I've just checked again, and yes I am running Windows 7 Home Premium x64.
Attached are two screenshots taken within minutes of each other, showing that Disk Management can indeed do dynamic discs, and a spanned volume, with my operating system.
You should also be able to keep the free space after the before image by deselecting the first disk before adding the partition on the second drive - it depends on what you want...