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Product: DriveCopy (multiplatform)
Version: 2.0
Developer: PowerQuest Corporation, Orem, UT USA
Review Date: August 1998
Previous Reviews: N/A
(Note: This review was first published in the print magazine Extended Attributes,
published by the Phoenix OS/2 Society, Inc. and reprinted here with their permission.)
Introduction
Upgrading a computer usually involves increasing
both the storage capacity and the processing power of the hardware. While increasing
processing power is relatively easy and transparent, upgrading storage capacity
can get complicated. Having to handle larger IDE hard drives usually causes fits
for FAT-based operating systems. At the same time, adding a second or third hard
drive can cause a great deal of confusion with changed drive letters. The easy way
out is to simply copy the old drive onto a new drive, provided that the partition
type(s) need not be changed. This is where DriveCopy 2.0 from PowerQuest excels.
Whether you use DOS, a Windows flavor, IBM OS/2, or a Unix variant -- or any combination
of these -- DriveCopy 2.0 is an ideal way to transfer the data from one hard drive
to another for upgrade purposes. It is also an excellent way to make a whole-drive
backup onto another hard drive (offline mirroring). The new DriveCopy can even selectively
copy partitions for transferring only part of the drive's contents if that is desired.
The only factors that argue against this product are the lack of full OS/2 installation
routines and the lack of a native OS/2 executable.
The Verdict
Product Score:
HQ Review
Functionality (20%)Summary
A one-shot copying utility should be straightforward and not encumbered by unnecessary tools or distracting buttons. On the other hand, the ability to select which source and destination drives and partitions to use is a useful feature. DriveCopy 2.0 allows the user to select Entire Disk or Selective Partition copying. The selection of source and destination drives is straightforward, just as in the previous version of the product. A list of the available drives is shown for each step of Entire Disk; a list of available partitions is also provided in the Selective option. After selecting source and destination for copying, the program reviews the details of the selections to ensure that the user is doing what he or she intends. A progress report is provided with two horizontal bars, one for the current copy step and one for the entire copy process. This product is limited in that it cannot change partition types during a copy. PowerQuest's Partition Magic product can accomplish this. DriveCopy is somewhat of a stripped-down version of Partition Magic in this respect. DriveCopy also allows adjustment of partition sizes, but only as part of a copying process.
While data was handled flawlessly during both OS/2 system copies and Windows95 system copies, there was one interesting omission: when copying a FAT partition to a drive larger than 2 GB, the partition was resized only to the 2 GB boundary and no message was given to the user to explain the reason for this. An insert in the product packaging does explain why this occurs (an inherent limitation of FAT16). The only error noted during copying was not a data error, but a boot problem: copying a drive containing Boot Manager, PC-DOS 7, and 2 HPFS partitions caused the Boot Manager menu to only display the PC-DOS partition on the destination drive. By booting to OS/2 diskette and running OS/2 Fdisk, this error was corrected. However, this is not the kind of problem that a typical user would know how to fix. Functionality Score: 6
Performance (15%)
The program can be run from a single DOS-boot diskette, which makes system upgrades very easy. There needs to be 400KB minimum free RAM in the running environment, which is simple if no extraneous drivers are loaded during the boot process. The PC needs to have a minimum of 8 MB RAM installed (16 MB for FAT32 or NTFS partitions). Copying an entire 2 GB partition will take approximately 25 minutes from start to finish, using typical Pentium machines and IDE hard drives. The maximum partition size is not given in the documentation, but BIOS limitations may put a limit of 8 GB on the program's capacity. In other cases larger drives may be used. There is no minimum amount of free hard drive space required on the source drive. Performance Score: 9
Usability (15%)
The user menus are activated either by mouse-clicks or by keystrokes, which makes this product very convenient for all types of users. The user menus are organized in levels to push the detailed information out of the way, making the interface simple and uncluttered. A pictorial showing the source and destination drives by drive letter, partition type, and partition size helps remind the user of what is about to take place. The process can be stopped at any time using Previous or Cancel buttons. The one nagging limitation is the lack of an OS/2 executable, which would make real-time backups much easier. For straight upgrades involving physical drive installation, the need to use a boot diskette is not a signficant problem. The overall simplicity and providing just the right mix of options on each screen make this product a joy to use. Usability Score: 9
Reliability (15%)
A variety of source and destination drives and partition types were used during testing. No crashes or data loss occurred during any copying procedure. The resultant partitions worked flawlessly, except for a glitch with the OS/2 Boot Manager menu mentioned earlier. Reliability Score: 10
Compatibility (10%)
Here is where the penalty for Boot Manager problems must apply. While FAT, FAT32, and HPFS partitions were copied with ease, a Boot Manager menu error occurred. While not as severe in nature as a data loss or corruption would be, this is nonetheless a significant problem for OS/2 users and others who like the Boot Manager. Interestingly, Boot Manager is now bundled with PowerQuest's Partition Magic product, so this kind of problem should not have occurred. Additionally, using the product with OS/2 is not straightforward; the process required to make a bootable DOS diskette from OS/2 did not function as designed, so a boot disk had to be made manually. Compatibility Score: 6
Installation (5%)
Since the product operates from a DOS diskette, installation should be straightforward. However, as mentioned above, the OS/2 installation procedure needs to be fixed. The other operating systems seemed to accept the installation commands correctly. The whole issue of a installation diskette under OS/2 involves OS/2's limitation of not being able to build a one-diskette bootable fileset. More work is required by PowerQuest and IBM to get this one right. Installation Score: 7
Documentation (5%)
From the screenshots and line-by-line explanations of operating steps to the real-world examples provided, the printed manual is superb. A list of error message explanations is provided, as well as contact information for major drive manufacturers. There is also built-in online help. Not much else is needed for a simple utility program. However, the OS/2 instructions for making a boot diskette are not printed in manual, but are only in a Readme file on the program CD. Documentation Score: 9
Technical Support (5%)
PowerQuest offers a website (http://www.powerquest.com/) with technical support areas, as well as free toll-call support for 90 days after the first incident, a faxback number, and a BBS. I checked out the website tech forum, which had plenty of good Q&A. However, after finding 57 articles on OS/2, the CGI directive failed to work past the first 15 documents. As a result, I was not able to find any particular information on DriveCopy 2.0 and BootManager menus. Technical Support Score: 7
Upgradeability (5%)
PowerQuest seems to live by the Gospel of Incrementalism: always make the next version a little bit better, but don't give away the whole gizmo. By watching the progress of their three flagship products (Partition Magic, DriveImage, and DriveCopy), it is easy to imagine a single utility that encompasses all three packages. I believe that is where PQ is heading. Recently, a ruckus occurred about whether PQ would continue supporting OS/2. With the massive support of the OS/2 community, PQ has been seriously considering further OS/2 enhancements. Considering that OS/2 users statistically are more likely to be the power users who make up the core customer base of a utility developer, this would also be in PQ's own best interests. Upgradeability Score: 6 (NOTE: PQ has recently decided against an OS/2 upgrade -- for now.)
Overall Value (5%)
With a street price in the $35 range, DriveCopy is not a throwaway package. The license agreement specifically points to a one-PC-per-copy arrangement, which implies that homes with two or more PCs need to buy multiple copies. I doubt PQ intends to enforce the license to that extent. Overall Value Score: 6
Contact Information
DriveCopy Category Raw Score Weighting Net Score Functionality
6 0.2 1.2 Performance
9 0.15 1.35 Usability
9 0.15 1.35 Reliability
10 0.15 1.5 Compatibility
6 0.1 0.6 Installation
7 0.05 0.35 Documentation
9 0.05 0.45 Technical Support
7 0.05 0.35 Upgradeability
6 0.05 0.3 Overall Value
6 0.05 0.3 THE VERDICT
low 6, high 10 1.00 7.75
