And Symantec continues to expand the range of its backup solutions for the home PC user, as announced today.


Quote:

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Feb 27, 2006 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced Norton Save & Restore, a highly intuitive automated backup and recovery solution for consumers, which is scheduled for wide availability in late March.  With simple installation, setup, and built-in automation, Norton Save & Restore will make it easy for home PC users to preserve valuable digital content, such as photos, documents, music, and financial information.  A recent IDC study suggests that while nearly 60% of consumers are concerned or very concerned about loss of data folders on their PC, more than 68% confess to not making backup copies to protect their data. [1] “Home computer users, especially families, store a wide range of important information on their PCs, from financial data to photos, email, address books, music, and more,” said Rowan Trollope, vice president of consumer products and solutions at Symantec. “At the same time, threats to the safety of that data are increasing, including spyware, hacking attacks, tampering, and theft as well as hardware and software failures, user error, and even natural disasters. By simplifying backup and recovery, Norton Save & Restore helps protect the digital treasures that consumers care about most.” Norton Save & Restore offers users quick and simple ways to save the items they consider most important through pre-defined backups of common folders and file types.  For added convenience, Norton Save & Restore can also perform scheduled, on-demand, or event-driven backups to a wide range of media. Utilizing the disk imaging power of Symantec’s award-winning Norton Ghost, Norton Save & Restore also allows users the option to create an exact image of their entire hard drive without leaving the operating system or rebooting. Offering users the best and most complete coverage, Norton Save & Restore can automatically scan the user’s system and recommend which drives, files, and folders should be backed up.  Norton Save & Restore takes away the guess work by automatically determining the best location to store backups.  When teamed with Norton Internet Security, Norton Save & Restore can automatically initiate a backup whenever it is notified about a virus or worm outbreak. To further safeguard data, Norton Save & Restore enables users to encrypt and password-protect their backup files.

Source:  http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20060227_01

I think Mani must work for Symantec. I asked once but he didn't answer. "Ghost 11" is coming early. Six months before the expected time.

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=Extra_Rad_Forum;action=display;num=1134161875;start=15#23

Thanks Pleo for the heads up and info.

More info:
http://symantec.com/about/news/index.jsp

Also, from their Press Kit link:

Symantec Quick Profile
Norton Save & Restore

Available:
• March 2006

Product Positioning:

• Norton Save & Restore is Symantec’s new, highly intuitive automated backup and recovery solution for consumers. Norton Save & Restore provides consumers the disk imaging power of Symantec’s award-winning Norton Ghost plus new, faster, more flexible backup and recovery capabilities. With simple installation, setup, and built-in automation, Norton Save & Restore makes it easy for users to preserve valuable data and recover from disasters—even if their operating system will not boot.

Key Messages:

Flexibility
• Creates exact image of entire system or disk without leaving the operating system or rebooting
• New file and folder backup capability lets users choose specific files and folders to save, rather than the entire drive
• Wizard-driven interface and integrated search allows easy back up of pre-defined and customizable file types (such as photos, documents, or music) as well as common folders
• Supports system and data recovery even when the operating system is inaccessible
• Provides incremental image backup and restore, and selective file and folder backup and restore
• Allows scheduled, on-demand, and event-driven backup
• Creates an exact copy of the hard drive for fast upgrades
• Supports CDR/RW and DVD+-R/RW drives; USB and FireWire devices; Iomega Zip and Jaz drives

Ease-of-Use
• Provides simple, intuitive interface that enables users to view their backup status and check their level of backup protection coverage
• Wizards and tutorials guide users through important tasks such as customizing scheduled backups
• Verifies backups and provides detailed reports and real-time notifications and status to enhance usability and data protection
• Automatically scans system and makes backup recommendations
• Automatically determines best location for storing backups

Security
• Initiates backup when notified of threat outbreak when teamed with Norton Internet Security
• Enables users to encrypt and password-protect backup files
Target User:
• Consumers using Windows XP Home, XP Pro, or XP Media Center Edition

Contained within the Press Kit found at http://symantec.com/about/news/index.jsp, it is worth looking at the screen images found in the file ‘NSR JPG Screenshots 1-24-06.zip’.

Norton Save & Restore certainly looks like Ghost 10 – with the additional capability that the user can select which file types are to be included within the restore point.

Very interesting, indeed.  Could it be the case that the “Ghost” brand is to be replaced by “Norton Save & Restore” for the home market?

Upon further examination of the product’s screen images, it appears that Norton Save & Restore is really two applications bundled as one:  first, a file-oriented backup that can maintain multiple versions of the selected file types in chosen folders; and, second, Ghost 10 that maintains system images.

I do not think that Norton Save & Restore is the next version of Ghost (i.e., “Ghost 11”), nor do I suspect that it will replace Ghost in the product lineup offered by Symantec.

Symantec has posted the following comparison of Norton Save & Restore to Ghost:


Quote:

Key Feature Offers all the power of Symantec's Norton Ghost™ technology, plus faster ways to back up files. New Features (compared to Norton Ghost 10.0) File and folder back up lets you choose specific files and folders to save, rather than an entire drive. Protects all files of a certain type (such as photos or documents) by finding and backing up the exact file types you indicate. Norton Protection Center console integration allows you to manage your Norton security applications from a single easy-to-use interface. Outbreak Alert trigger automatically initiates a back up when Norton Internet Security 2006 is notified about a virus or worm outbreak. (Norton Internet Security 2006 sold separately.)

Source:  http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/backup_recovery/nsr/features.htm

Norton Save & Restore and Ghost 10.0 both have the same list price of US$69.99, which suggests that Symantec may be positioning the former as the successor to the latter (?).

Pleo, you left off the last letter in your url.

http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/products/backup_recovery/nsr/features.html

Acronis True Image 9 has both image and file backup and this has caused a lot of confusion among posters.

From Symantec

Quote:

File and folder back up lets you choose specific files and folders to save, rather than an entire drive.

Some posters in the TI group felt that you could create an image and choose which files to exclude. Not so. Like Save and Restore, TI contains two separate applications.

From Symantec

Quote:

Creates an exact copy of the hard drive for fast upgrades

I am hopeful that this feature (copy the entire hard drive, including ALL partitions) will help with some of the new multi-partition PC's now being sold.  That is, assuming it will also let you resize the target partition sizes if desired.

Brian wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2006 at 5:37pm:

Acronis True Image 9 has both image and file backup and this has caused a lot of confusion among posters. Some posters in the TI group felt that you could create an image and choose which files to exclude. Not so. Like Save and Restore, TI contains two separate applications.

I think there is some danger as applications get so comprehensive, that they lose the focus of what they were designed for.  This could be an example of that.  While file backups are a needed function, having a all-in-one application that does everything (think Microsoft Word or Office) does it still do the basics correctly?

As a person who wants a GUARANTEED sector image backup, that is my first priority.  There are dozens of file backup solutions out there.

I bet all of the Ghost 2003 advocates would agree with this priority as well.  I know this very topic has been discussed extensively in the past -- Do hot backup images really work?  etc.

http://ghost.radified.com/norton_ghost_90.htm

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=1126044747

Ghost4me, it is worth remembering that a user has the option of purchasing a license for Norton Save & Restore or for Ghost 10.  At least for the present, there is no need to acquire Norton Save & Restore in order to have the capabilities of Ghost 10.    Therefore, as a user of Ghost 10, you are not “loosing” anything with the introduction of Norton Save & Restore.  Additionally, I am highly confident that the file backup component of Norton Save & Restore could simply be ignored, if the user wishes to only use the recovery point capability.

On the one hand, I do applaud Symantec for their continued efforts to extend “backup best practices” to the typical home PC user, and for integrating and supporting both image and file backup modes.  On the other hand, if not done well, the increased protection could be more than offset by the heightened complexity.

In about two weeks (i.e., 13 – 17 March 2006), Norton Save & Restore will be released – and scrutinized by all of the Ghost users.

Pleonasm wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2006 at 10:33am:

Therefore, as a user of Ghost 10, you are not “loosing” anything with the introduction of Norton Save & Restore.

I agree with you there.  However, I would bet money that in 2007 version 2.0 of Norton Save & Restore will be available, but NOT Ghost 11.0.

Ghost4me, I fear that your prediction is correct.  The fact that the retail pricing for both Norton Save & Restoer as well as Ghost is the same suggests that - in the future - it may not be possible to purchase only Ghost per se.

The Norton Save & Restore 1.0 User's Manual is now available for downloading and viewing.

Some observations based upon a quick read:

• The user needs to uninstall Ghost 10 before installing Norton Save & Restore (NSR), implying that the version of Ghost embedded with NSR may be different from the existing version 10 (page 24).
  
• Copying one hard disk to another is still done one partition at a time (page 128 ).
  
• Norton Save & Restore can restore backup images created using Norton Ghost 10.0, Norton Ghost 9.0, and Norton Ghost 2003 (page 25).

Symantec says (17 MAR 2006) "The download file for Norton Save & Restore will be available the third week of March....  Packaged product will begin shipping the first week of April."

Norton Save & Restore
CNET Review

Reviewed by: Robert Vamosi
Review date: 3/21/06
Release date: 3/1/06

CNET says "Symantec intends to keep Norton Ghost a separate product on the market."

Good to know.

wrote on Mar 27^th, 2006 at 8:54am:

Norton Save & Restore CNET Review Reviewed by: Robert Vamosi Review date: 3/21/06 Release date: 3/1/06

The review is right about the lack of support. I have been trying to get online support for a week now and have sat at the you are next in queue screen for up to 2 hours before closing the window.

PC World declares (27 APR 2006):


Quote:

The popular Norton Ghost imaging and backup program is dead.  Long live Norton Save & Restore -- a direct successor that completes the degeekification that Symantec initiated with Ghost 10 a mere six months ago.

Based on this report, it appears that the successor to Ghost is in fact Norton Save & Restore.

Greetings all,

I have several high end desktops with NVIDIA Raid 0  (stripping) had to have for speed.  With Raid 0.. ghost 9 and ghost 2003 don't seem to work. Also Ghost 10 has note on the symantec site that it does not support raid...as with other versions.  So I was very suprised that norton save and restores supports raid 0 and raid 1.

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/powerquest.nsf/docid/2006032908034562?Open&src=con_ols_nam

Another problem is my maxtor USB drive had no DOS or Safe mode drivers...guess what I am told norton save and restore now works well with Maxtor...even uses one touch button...from Symantec marketing.

However, I am too old to believe everything I read.  Has anyone tried to do a restore with Raid 0? If so what happened? Any hints?

One of our desktops is a Dell XPS 600 (which we don't like)
it has Nvidia Raid 0....has anybody had success imaging hard drives with this configuration...each drive is 250GB.

In theory nice to see Symantec support raid as most desktop users are getting more advanced and want this config.

Thanks!!

idig,

Thanks for that information. From the web page...


Quote:

Supported RAID levels Norton Save & Restore and Norton Ghost 10.0 support the following hardware RAID levels:    * RAID level 0    * RAID level 1    * RAID level 5 Norton Ghost 9.0 supports the following hardware RAID levels:    * RAID level 0    * RAID level 5 Norton Save & Restore and Norton Ghost 10.0/9.0 do not support any software RAID levels or nested RAID levels, such as RAID level 0+1.

I have no experience with RAID.

Can somebody tell me how Symantec packaged the ability to back-up individual folders in/with Norton Save & Restore.

Is it coupled into the same user interface as that used by Ghost? (more elegant option, offering multiple options) .. or is it included with a separate utility that you launch separately? (piecemeal approach, 2 prgms bundled in one box).

Rad, I do not have a copy of Norton Save & Restore (yet).  But, you'll find a collection of screen images here that ought to give you a good feel for the user interface and integration.

thanks, pleo.

slow download.

got it. lots of screenshots.

from the looks of this one, it appears they've incorporated a more elegant, all-in-one user interface.

http://ghost.radified.com/screens/nsr_main_backup.jpg

Rad wrote on Aug 9^th, 2006 at 11:37am:

Can somebody tell me how Symantec packaged the ability to back-up individual folders in/with Norton Save & Restore. Is it coupled into the same user interface as that used by Ghost? (more elegant option, offering multiple options) .. or is it included with a separate utility that you launch separately? (piecemeal approach, 2 programs bundled in one box).

Norton S&R adds a file/folder (or just extension like .doc) backup capability all within the same umbrella.  It is coupled into the same user interface.  You can basically define either an image backup or a file/folder backup.  As long as Norton S&R manages the backups, then (in theory) you could restore a document by a given date, and Norton S&R will figure out which backup (image and/or file/folder backup) has the version you desired and then restore it.

File/Folder backup can also be triggered by events.  Here is info from the manual:

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/products/norton_save_restore/1.0/manuals/user_guide.pdf

Norton Save and Restore can run a backup when:
Any application is installed
Any user logs on to the computer
Any user logs off from the computer
The data added to a drive exceeds an amount (in megabytes) you specify (unavailable for file and folder backups)
The Maxtor OneTouch external hard drive button is pushed
An Outbreak Alert occurs (only if you have Norton Internet Security 2006 installed)

If you are using Image Recovery Points and taking incrementals every night then you would be protected for the most part, in my opinion.  But the event triggering can provide some additional critical file/folder backups if that is your issue.

The bottom line, as should be obvious from the title Norton Save & Restore, is that this release (which I call Ghost 11) is clearly marketing to the "average" user who doesn't want to think about backup.  I guess it could be used also as a data-backup methodology so that all your pictures or videos are backed up to one drive and your full images are backed up to a different drive.

What did concern me is that the data backups were in a Ghost format that I couldn't read myself.  That's why I like data backups to be in the same native (or zip) format as the original data.  Just my personal paranoia.  And again, the average user may not care about this.

Thanks Ghost4me. It looks like you are one of the few to have used this app.

With the Files and Folders backup. Does it create a new single file each time it backs up or does it append to a master file? What is the Ghost file extension?

Brian wrote on Aug 9^th, 2006 at 5:27pm:

With the Files and Folders backup. Does it create a new single file each time it backs up or does it append to a master file? What is the Ghost file extension?

No, it is not a new single file.  You tell it where to store the file/folder backups ( e.g. f:\mydatabackup ) and then in subfolders are some really strange file and folder names, nothing like the original.  I can't remember the extension, but I do remember I couldn't figure out what was in there.  It wasn't appended to a master file, but additional file names that created.  I assume it mapped into the Ghost master database directory (wherever that is).

Don't forget that you can tell S&R to keep backups of ALL your .jpg or .doc files, so for that I assume Norton monitors or scans your pc looking for them.

It was too mysterious to me, so I abandoned Ghost Save & Restore file/folder backups.  I had originally intended to use it every day in addition to weekly image backups, but abandonded the Save & Restore data backup approach.

Maybe someone else has a different/better experience.

The more Symantec try to simplify Ghost, the more difficult it becomes to understand.

Brian wrote on Aug 9^th, 2006 at 5:43pm:

The more Symantec try to simplify Ghost, the more difficult it becomes to understand.

I do like the idea of presssing the Maxtor One Touch backup button and taking a backup, although I never tested that feature myself.

“The more Symantec tries to simplify Ghost, the more difficult it becomes to understand.”
As Ghost4me noted, it would be wise to remember that most forum members are not representative of the target or typical audience for any of the Norton products – including Norton Save & Restore.  At the risk of hubris, this forum attracts readers who are “above average” in terms of computer literacy.

Ease of understanding, I believe, is not a goal that Symantec is seeking to achieve in the Norton series – in the sense of allowing transparency or visibility to the ‘behind-the-scenes’ working of the product (e.g., how backed-up files are stored, cataloged, etc.).  Rather, Symantec is (properly) focusing upon ease of use in an attempt to make the complicated and convoluted world of backup more broadly available to the PC community.