Delaying Data Doom With RestoreIT Pro 7

RestoreIT Pro 7, billed as a disaster-recovery product, works as a silent backup sentinel that automatically backs up a PC in the background and stores information to hidden partitions on the hard drive. The product's biggest claim to fame is the ability to restore a system in minutes, even if the operating system won't boot.

The software accomplishes that task by becoming part of the boot process. Once installed, users are prompted to hit a function key to launch the restore process during the boot process, even before the operating system loads. (The feature adds a few seconds to system bootup, but can save countless hours if the operating system crashes.)

The product proves to be quite easy to install, configure and operate, and system builders can preinstall it on new PCs as an inexpensive disaster-recovery option. RestoreIT Pro offers several must-have features, including incremental backups, remote device support, USB drive/key support, automated backup events, drive cloning and password protection. That feature set makes the software an ideal backup application for the typical desktop PC.

System builders will find that bundling RestoreIT Pro with their PCs will offer them a rapid method to resolve technical support calls, potentially reducing support costs. By pre-installing the product and creating a "factory" backup state, a problematic system can be quickly reset to "as shipped" condition. System builders also can preinitialize backup schedules to fit a customer's needs—the product readily supports daily, weekly or other time-period-driven backups.

FarStone's RestoreIT Pro proves to be an excellent example of how consumer software can help the channel and create additional opportunities, while still offering a valuable capability for the end user.