D7's DataGrab vs. Fab's AutoBackup 4 Tech

[FoolishTech]

So there have been several threads on these forums where DataGrab and Fab's have crossed paths, and some questions gone unanswered. Plus I had a guy on my forums recommend Fab's product to another forum member and I was shocked... LOL I also know a lot of D7 users also use Fab's excellent product and have it integrated into D7, but I always figured they paid for Fab's before discovering DataGrab! If that were the case, I'd use Fab's too!

Mostly I'm just bored atm, and thinking about how competition spurs innovation!

So I set out to create a comparison of the two apps. Currently I have a spreadsheet of each app's feature set in side-by-side comparison, however having never used Fab's I only have the information to go by that is printed on his website and it isn't much.

So look over the list and let me know what I have mistaken or left out in Fab's feature set. Back to the competition and innovation theme, let me know what Fab's has that you would like to see in DataGrab. Not everything would I want to include in DataGrab that is in Fab's, (ahem, modem settings, WHAT?!) but I'm already seeing a few things I need to get off my bum and do something about. Mostly various browser profiles and of course get DataRestore.exe fully functional.

Without further ado, Spreadsheet Comparison Here.

EDIT: To note that competition DOES do the trick! Major improvements to D7's DataGrab due to this discussion so far are:

• DataGrab now backs up Mozilla profiles (properly) and Chrome profiles
• D7 now has a 'DataPut' restoration feature which beats Fab's as it can automatically create the new users and log them in automatically before restoring data.
• DataGrab now backs up Wireless Networking Connection Profiles in a manner that allows DataPut to automatically restore them to a fresh install

 

[Parkwaytech]

Glad I found out about yours before I purchased the new Fabs. Time to test out Datagrab this weekend.

As an aside, thanks for all of your awesome tools. I'm planning on purchasing the set next week.

 

[geekhelp4u]

Maybe it's just me - but Fab's simply works and does the job the way I like. The UI is more friendly and easier to use also. Keep in mind this is just my opinion. Also - no offence - but I am kinda turned off by D7. Don't get me wrong, as it looks to be a great product - but I have used it twice for testings and in BOTH cases it rendered the machine no longer bootable. The UI is just too cumbersome and seems to be all over the place.

 

[FoolishTech]

Maybe it's just me - but Fab's simply works and does the job the way I like. The UI is more friendly and easier to use also. Keep in mind this is just my opinion. Also - no offence - but I am kinda turned off by D7. Don't get me wrong, as it looks to be a great product - but I have used it twice for testings and in BOTH cases it rendered the machine no longer bootable. The UI is just too cumbersome and seems to be all over the place.

No offense taken about the interface. I'm NOT a GUI guy and I've complemented Fab himself on having a prettier interface... I do prefer it my way naturally because I don't like the wizard based interface and I no longer prefer to have to select each thing I want to back up, I just want it done with fewer clicks.

About your usage of D7 though and claim that it rendered 2 machines unbootable... I will point out that there was an issue a while back where a few people, and I mean like three, claimed D7 corrupted the registry. Never proved, and hasn't happened in 8+ months either. Granted after the reports I put a lot of safe guards in place just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, D7 is very powerful, and I'm sure there are those out there that have damaged their OS with D7 by simply not knowing what they were doing... I don't believe in the registry corruption bug. But I'd also prefer not to go there right now as that isn't what this thread is about.

 

[geekhelp4u]

The registry was the issue with the new version on one machine, on the other - ComboFix locked up when running and then removed the task bar / start button from the machine (didnt remove - but lowered it down where you could no loner access it. very odd) I will be trying it again so maybe the next run will lock me in .. but like you said - back to the original topic...

A few things that your product does that Fabs does not - that is very useful - is include Unstoppable Copier. Makes transferring files over the LAN much easier than backing up to an external drive then moving again. I also really like the search for .docx, .xlsx, etc... How many times have you had a client unknowingly move their docs to some random location outside of their documents folder? I know I have had a few!

 

[FoolishTech]

I've had more than a few, too.

The Stray Documents options I list as features of DataGrab look for docs in the User Profile directory (NOT in My Documents for some reason) and stray docs in the root of the drive, where I've seen quite a few docs end up somehow. I honestly don't know how these people manage to do these things... but the stray search and entire partition search for documents are a must for me.

 

[PaulRome]

I love DataGrab, it's what got me hooked on D7.

 

[PCX]

I would love to have a version of data grab or fabs that worked on linux, especially for drives infested with viruses.

 

[geekhelp4u]

Foolish,

Instead of "backing up" the data, I assume since it is using unstoppable - can it simply move the data to a new drive / new pc? If so - would you recommend that the user accounts are created prior to the transfer? I am not seeing a way for it to create the user account if it does not exist - perhaps you can include this in a future version?

This may be a starting point to do this:

NET USER username {password | *} /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/251394

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/245009

http://www.pctips3000.com/how-to-add-or-delete-user-accounts-using-batch-files-in-windows-7/

 

[FoolishTech]

Foolish,

Instead of "backing up" the data, I assume since it is using unstoppable - can it simply move the data to a new drive / new pc?

That is the whole Direct Data Migration thing... it is planned for a future version yes.

EDIT: as for creating user accounts, that part is easy. The hard part is you have to login to each user account before putting the data back, else if Windows sees a folder in the user profile directory with data in it of the same name as the user, it will just create a %username%.%computername% folder and create a new profile in there when that user does login. My DataRestore.exe attempts to login to each user automatically before restoring data, but there are bugs with that. There may be a way around logging in all users first but I haven't quite got it down yet.

 

[PCX]

So no joy on that linux version huh?

 

[FoolishTech]

So no joy on that linux version huh?

Not unless you run WINE

 

[PCX]

For some reason when I read that I just pictured your avatar laughing hysterically at me . . . . thats not nice

 

[Jeffreynya]

T

EDIT: as for creating user accounts, that part is easy. The hard part is you have to login to each user account before putting the data back, else if Windows sees a folder in the user profile directory with data in it of the same name as the user, it will just create a %username%.%computername% folder and create a new profile in there when that user does login. My DataRestore.exe attempts to login to each user automatically before restoring data, but there are bugs with that. There may be a way around logging in all users first but I haven't quite got it down yet.

I am not sure that is correct. We use Altiris where I work and there is a tool that will create a user account on a newly imaged PC and we can move all the users data right to it without any login. Works great. Well it works great on XP. I am unsure about vista or 7.

 

[FoolishTech]

I am not sure that is correct. We use Altiris where I work and there is a tool that will create a user account on a newly imaged PC and we can move all the users data right to it without any login. Works great. Well it works great on XP. I am unsure about vista or 7.

No, what I said is most definitely correct - try it and you will see. Your Altiris tool may very well have a workaround, however. I'd love to know the secret. Well, technically I can stop windows from creating an alternate profile path by filling out a certain registry key, however doing so won't trigger all the stuff that windows does when a user first logs in; side effects include no themes, user start menu shortcuts not being created, etc. etc.

 

[iladelf]

My vote is for D7...many more options. It's a Swiss Army Knife for techs that actually works. When using D7, it may be kind of like working on the old Jaguar XK-E my father once had, but once you get the hang of it, the rewards? YEAH, BABY!!!

 

[atlanticjim]

Maybe it's just me - but Fab's simply works and does the job the way I like. The UI is more friendly and easier to use also. Keep in mind this is just my opinion....

I have to agree with this, I had FABs before D7 and got used to the performance and frankly the wizard interface that has just enough data for a tech like me. I have never had it fail.
I did have DATAgrab fail for me on the first time I used it. Frankly it was probably my fault but it resulted in a corrupt HD that I had to use deep data recovery on. The client, my best friend is still rebuilding his music library.

Foolish,

Instead of "backing up" the data, I assume since it is using unstoppable - can it simply move the data to a new drive / new pc? If so - would you recommend that the user accounts are created prior to the transfer? I am not seeing a way for it to create the user account if it does not exist - perhaps you can include this in a future version?

Is anyone else using Windows7 Easy Transfer? I have used it a few times from a XP and Vista machines and found it to be flawless. One onsite client was quite impressed with me when he watched his brand new computer repopulate his desktop with all his various icons. Those home clients really like to have things back to what is familiar.

 

[Kitten Kong]

To be 100% honest, I have hardly played with datagrab. I primarily use fabs, and will continue to use it for the most part in my work. I just love the way it flawlessly puts everything back where it initially was. Datagrab may do this also, but as I have said, I have not given it the time it deserves.

However I do like the way your able to search for docx, etc. As has been previously said, clients do store things in the weirdest of places.

 

[uprighttech]

It will take a lot to get us to move from Fab's. We use it on a daily basis, it does everything we need and it's never failed us.

We have been using D7 for a while and just registered it, but we haven't used DataGrab yet. It will have to offer us new features that Fab's doesn't and that we just didn't know we needed. Data restore is also a must - huge time saver.

 

[FoolishTech]

It will take a lot to get us to move from Fab's. We use it on a daily basis, it does everything we need and it's never failed us.

We have been using D7 for a while and just registered it, but we haven't used DataGrab yet. It will have to offer us new features that Fab's doesn't and that we just didn't know we needed. Data restore is also a must - huge time saver.

Seeing as how you already use D7 you have access to most of the informational features that D7/DataGrab offers over Fab's already, so not much benefit other than the partition and wild card searches...

But I'm not trying to get existing users of Fab's to make the switch as much as I'm trying to improve DataGrab... and you are correct, I'm starting to see that data RESTORE is a must and something that I need to make a priority. In my routine now I manually just copy the files back to where they should be. I haven't made data restore a priority because the manual copy is as simple as copying the users/docs and settings folder over the top of the one on the fresh install... but I'm starting to see that even as simple as that is, it should probably be automated.