[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.



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.