[MerleOne]

Hi,
I have a strange issue with the backup mode. I have 2 disks on my PC (running Win7), C: (a SSD) and D: (a HDD). When I perform a D: full backup then differential ones, all seems to work fine, the verification option says the copy is identical to the image. But when I image C:, quite often I get an error message saying the image differs from the source. So I am wondering : is HDClone/W using VSS or an equivalent when performing the image ? It gets stranger when the error doesn't always occur, again in Windows environment.
When I use the boot media, then the full and diff backups are always successful.
Thanks !

[Alex]

Yes, HDClone uses VSS for imaging a running windows.

It knows which files usually get changed by VSS and considers this with the verification, but some files seem to slip through.

[MerleOne]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I also checked that a VSS shadow is created when HDClone starts the image, using vssadmin list shadows from a cmd admin window. Would this mean that the VSS shadows is released before the verification?
Regards !

[Alex]

No, the VSS shadow is not released before the verification. But some files are not "protected" by VSS (see the "FilesNotToBackup" and "FilesNotToSnapshot" entry in the Windows registry.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/backup/registry-keys-for-backup-and-restore

In our experience, for example the BCD (boot catalog) file is changed, simply because a timestamp is changed, or often a temporary file is created and removed, and then there is also a new timestamp in the directory, which might be seen as a verification error.

[MerleOne]

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I misunderstand what the verify option does : it compares source and destination or, like most imaging software, checks the integrity of the image files ? Which should be enough IMHO.