5 replies to this topic

[darren39]

hello forum.
Has anybody tried the toolwiz system care program at all?
It contains a virtualisation program called time freeze.
I have heard that these virtualisation programs are harmful to your hard drive in some way.
Any truth in this?

Kind Regards,

[Tom AZ]

Tried it out real briefly under another virtualization app, but it contained way too many components for my taste.

They also have a stand-alone version of TimeFreeze that works quite well. However, as of the current version, it uses only a HDD cached sandbox (as opposed to the RAM option in Returnil 2008). Each time you use the program, it creates about a 4GB cache on the HD, which is supposed to be removed on a reboot -- but it isn't (at least not on my XP system). This appears to be a known problem that is supposed to be corrected in the next version and has already been fixed in the "Care" module (I think).

Don't really know much about the "harm" factor of virtualization programs -- sorry..

[DennisD]

Hi darren.

I'm sure some of the members have given Time Freeze a whirl, and if I recollect correctly, without any particular issues. But don't rely on my recollections, as I can remember things which never even happened.

I've been running a similar application, Returnil, for a long time now, and if you're not careful in following installation instructions with this type of program, you can cause issues.

For example, I once tried to update Returnil without removing the previous version first and rebooting, which was my bad as that point was clearly laid out at the time as a no no, and the only solution I found for the screw up I caused myself was to restore a Macrium Image.

I also stayed with Returnil 2008 version, as the program became more complex with built in Anti Virus software which I didn't want.

Used and installed correctly, Returnil is a first class virtualization application, and runs problem free for me with my XP SP3 system, and for anyone interested there are very few downloads out there for the 2008 version, but there's one in my signature. It's a free version of course.

Regarding your hard drive, I have Returnil set up to use memory cache and not disk cache to clone the operating system, so it's actually using very little hard drive space. Maybe a little of the Paging File, but I think XP does that regardless of how much memory is available. (Unless you disable the Page File)

Virtualization is great, but installation has to be followed exactly, and I wouldn't try any of them without the protection of a System Drive Image to fall back on.

Hope that helps.


EDIT: Ninja'd by Tom.

Edited by DennisD, 24 May 2012 - 06:07 PM.

[Tom AZ]

By the way, there is another virtualization program out there by the same name (TimeFreeze), but it's from Wondershare.  Version 1.0 also seemed to work quite well, but the 2.0 version was a bummer -- at least I thought so.

As I remember, this was a hard drive cache only app.

[Alan_B]

The free trial of Wondershare timefreeze is a 7.5 MB download
http://www.wondersha...ime-freeze.html

Toolwiz somehow packages this and 40 other tools into a 5.8 MB download.
http://www.toolwiz.c...s/toolwiz-care/

I suspect the same name is used but the performance will differ.
Not so much comparing Apples with Oranges but Grapes with Pomegranates.

[DennisD]

Tom AZ, on 24 May 2012 - 03:33 PM, said:

By the way, there is another virtualization program out there by the same name (TimeFreeze), but it's from Wondershare.  Version 1.0 also seemed to work quite well, but the 2.0 version was a bummer -- at least I thought so.

As I remember, this was a hard drive cache only app.

Thanks Tom.

This is the TimeFreeze I was alluding to. I forgot it was Wondershare.