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#1 I seem to have to reactivate with the serial number each time I run the program, that’s a new software behavior, is it intentional?
#2 I want to clone, mostly. Here, from MiniTool’s website: “… MiniTool ShadowMaker is the best free cloning software developed by MiniTool Software Ltd. to help clone a hard drive Windows 7/8/10. It provides a wide range of disk backup services including file backup and restore, partitioning, and most importantly, cloning. It can even clone a system drive to make a bootable Windows 10/8/7 OS. We highly recommend this safe and free solution for disk cloning. Now, download a free MiniTool ShadowMaker Trial Edition for 30-day … ( You can use MiniTool ShadowMaker to clone a bootable hard drive in Windows 10/8/7. That is, if you clone a system disk to SSD, the SSD will be bootable after cloning as long as you set it as the first boot order in BIOS. ) …”
So … this looks usable for cloning, and the options in the program seem to allow us to point to any 2 connected drives, presumably the operating system boot drive will not be the target.
Probably NOT UEFI ( good, I hate UEFI, and remove it whenever I find it ).
#3 It promises to make a WinPE bootable backup, but just for restore, not for cloning? In other words, how do I copy the clone BACK into a crashed or blank-drive computer ( instead of swapping the good clone drive for the presumably failed boot drive, or can we use the clone drive as a master to “restore” a series of computers to be the same, or to restore the same computer over and over as a clone of the clone, or do we need a working computer to clone the clone for subsequent use, leaving the master available for re-cloning )? Those are big, complex tasks, but MiniTool has been useful in the past, so I presume it’s up to it.
The instruction manual is on the web as HTML with no search, OUCH! How do I use the software during a crash recovery?
It offers a PXE-server for network booting for computers with no bootable drive of their own, and then supposedly that drive-less computer can … or the working PXE-server computer can … well, somehow, MiniTool ShadowMaker promises to clone TO the unbootable computer’s blank or crashed drive, and then that formerly dead or formerly blank computer can boot up – all on your own network.
This appears very powerful, but without a PDF instruction manual for local reference, this seems to REQUIRE at least ONE working INTERNET connected PC as your dedicated owner’s manual reader from their web site. Weird. Simply weird. Maybe I’ll find a web-grabber program to download the instruction manual to be local. Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Note the 30-day trial, so we can use MiniTool ShadowMaker to clone on demand after the license expires, or use a new version, just within a 30 day window on a particular PC. Bbuutt … how long is this license for, and for what versions? It does not say anywhere how long or if updates or upgrades are included in the serial number or not. Forever license for one version? Updatable forever or for a year or never?
Who knows?
Seriously, who knows?
.Woah, you have to register each clone at the web site using cut and paste text license files and machine codes.
Has anyone READ the instruction manual on the web?
Quote:
Register
Online RegistrationAfter installing and launching MiniTool ShadowMaker Trial, a register window pops up. At this time, you need to copy the license code you received and paste it into the text box, then press Activate. By doing these, you have finished online registration.
register MiniTool ShadowMaker online
Note
For a successful registration, please make sure no blank is left in any location of the license code.Offline Registration
If your computer is not connected to the internet, by entering the license code and pressing Activate, you will definitely receive the Offline Registration window. At this time, you should make your PC network connected. Otherwise, you will have to go through the offline registration shown below.
Step 1. Connect a removable drive to your machine on which you need to activate MiniTool ShadowMaker.
Step 2. Create a Text document on your removable drive, copy the License Code as well as Machine Code and save them to the Text document. After that, please safely remove the removable drive and leave the registration window there.
copy the license code and machine code to a text document
Step 3. Connect the removable drive to a computer which has internet access, and then go to [ https :// www. minitool. com/guid2. 0/active. php ].
Step 4. Copy & paste the License Code and Machine Code from the Text document to the offline registration page, and then click Activate to get the Activation Code. After that, copy the Activation Code to the Text document in the removable drive.
generate the activation code
Step 5. Connect the removable drive back to the machine, copy the Activation Code from the Text document and paste it into the textbox of the registration window, and finally click Activate button.
use the activation code to activate MiniTool ShadowMaker offline
After that, MiniTool ShadowMaker should be activated successfully.
Whaaa?
And there tons more separate web pages to the instruction manual ONLY ON THE WEB!
C’mon, MiniTool, PDF please. It’s a new thing, this PDF, but it’s learnable, even easier that your own software!
.@ Peter (or anyone really)
While I like, use, and think MiniTool has some nice offerings for cloning and recovery for years nothing has been able to beat Macrium Reflect and it can be had for free or paid. I use the paid version and it is worth it without question plus it is simple to use.
Oops, accidentally clicked on “up vote”, so consider the percentage of positive votes tainted.
Thanks to the commenters for their reviews. The comments are very enlightening.
[@Anon Y Mous] AGREED! Reflect has saved my kosher bacon many time over!!
Don’t get me wrong, I respect MiniTool ShadowMaker ( horrible name considering Shadow Copy being part of the perating system, and this has NOTHING to do with tuning existing Shadow Copy ).
I just think their presentation is equally horrible and overwhelming, and their licensing is STILL unexplained.
WinPE, PXE server and booting ( ! ), cloning, AND backup and restore, including compressed backup and restore to their own ( large ) files is an incredible suite of complex capabilities that MUST be explored carefully on a high level, intermediate level, and digging down deep into the minutiae of a detailed set of instructions.
I do not believe MiniTool has done much in terms of presenting their savvy programming skill, and especially not their overview, concepts, decision making, or instructions.
If anyone gets into this, they might be well rewarded, but it is off-putting on many levels, especially licensing.
Is MiniTool out there to respond?
.Peter/James
+1 on Macrium Reflect. Their free version will do most anything you need. Their paid version (which I use) also has Image Guard, to mitigate ransomware attacks.I just want a simple tool to clone my laptop hard drive to an SSD. I will pass on this one. Far too many hoops to jump through. Thank you to those that posted and saved me from the time needed to try this.
Thanks for your review Peter Blaise!
Thanks you !
Thanks for your review, Peter Blaise.
To fart ,
your analysis is very correct with regard to Minitool.understanding the use of software is not always easy for everyone and if the applications are not sufficient the software loses all its value. This is the case for Minitool with a less good presentation and help of their products while the products are good.
No ! Minitool will not answer you because they have a marketing department that places promotional operations but without managing and monitoring them.
This explains that I will not download this software.We all want to find our “old” Minitool with good products and good communication.
Bernard
