Memeo Backup disables Windows 7 Backup

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I had been using Windows Backup to a mirrored internal drive pair with no problems. I purchased a Seagate 2 TB drive that came with Memeo Backup. After I purchased and installed the Memeo Premioum Backup, it worked well.

But I then tried, for additional insurance, to do another Windows Backup. The program displays the initital dialog screen of Backup and Restore. But when I click on the Backup now button, the pointer briefly changes to a ‘busy’ icon, then returns to a pointer. Then nothing happens.

I was able to get Windows Backup to operate normally only after I uninstalled Memeo Backup. But since I feel safer using the external drive, I reinstalled and run Memeo. But I would like the security of Windows Backup as well. Any suggestions for getting both to work?

Tech background: Win 7 Professional, new PC from an Asus motherboard. CPU G6950 2.8 GHZ.

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Maybe Memeo does ‘naughty things’ with the HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesVSS Providers key, and the GUIDs under it?

You should find a key for the GUID {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5} with “Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0” in the Default key below it.

Is there any other GUID key there also?

Because of the flakiness of Microsoft’s VSS component, or just naff programming, you can’t run Macrium Reflect as well as Shadow Protect (for example) on the same box – both use the VSS API. Maybe Memeo is in a similar boat?

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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The first time I saw 3rd-party software disable the built-in Windows backup was in the days of Windows 95 and server 3.01 (not 100% sure about 3.which, but anyway).
And the sad thing was, the fancy 3rd-party stuff would not do what we wanted, but the built-in backup would.
Nowdays my backups are with free microsoft stuff like ntbackup/backup and xcopy, reinforced with batch files & task scheduler.

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Maybe Memeo does ‘naughty things’ with the HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesVSS Providers key, and the GUIDs under it?

Because of the flakiness of Microsoft’s VSS component, or just naff programming, you can’t run Macrium Reflect as well as Shadow Protect (for example) on the same box – both use the VSS API. Maybe Memeo is in a similar boat?

This is quick question that is off-topic, and I hope it’s not intrusive to ask: That is the first reference to ShadowProtect that I have seen in this forum for a long time (if you mean the imaging program), and I would be interested to hear of its current status and any current opinion of it.

As for Memeo, I have that as well and I think we can just turn it off to perform a backup, can’t we? (I haven’t tried it, I don’t think.) One phenomenon I have noticed that seems to have come with Memeo is that many desktop icons won’t work, and the programs have to be started from the Start menu, but that may be unrelated to Memeo unless you have run into the same thing.

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This is quick question that is off-topic, and I hope it’s not intrusive to ask: That is the first reference to ShadowProtect that I have seen in this forum for a long time (if you mean the imaging program), and I would be interested to hear of its current status and any current opinion of it.

I use Shadow Protect on two PCs, and it has saved my bacon on a couple of occasions. There are a few others who use it here! It is fairly expensive, but works.
I was put off Acronis TrueImage because of several posts on flaky updates, occasional inability to restore, poor customer service, and the like. (YMMV…)
If you’re looking for alternatives, there is Macrium Reflect and Easeus’s BackupMyPC.

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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I use Shadow Protect on two PCs, and it has saved my bacon on a couple of occasions. There are a few others who use it here! It is fairly expensive, but works.
I was put off Acronis TrueImage because of several posts on flaky updates, occasional inability to restore, poor customer service, and the like. (YMMV…)
If you’re looking for alternatives, there is Macrium Reflect and Easeus’s BackupMyPC.

ShadowProtect was the source of endless admiration at one time but it may have lost the price war, and I heard nothing of it when Win 7 was released. I still have my CD for version 3 and qualify for an upgrade if the latest version is compatible with Windows 7, which I presume it is from your reply. Thanks, I’ll look into it.

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If you’re looking for alternatives, there is Macrium Reflect and Easeus’s BackupMyPC.

The EaseUS program is called Todo Backup, currently at v.3; highly recommended, especially at this price (free).

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As for Memeo, I have that as well and I think we can just turn it off to perform a backup, can’t we? (I haven’t tried it, I don’t think.) One phenomenon I have noticed that seems to have come with Memeo is that many desktop icons won’t work, and the programs have to be started from the Start menu, but that may be unrelated to Memeo unless you have run into the same thing.

I don’t have that problem with Memeo.

The demo version of the program came with the Seagate Goflex drive, and I purchased and use the full version before I started this thread. I’ve read that, because Memeo and Windows Backup use the Volume Shadow Service, both won’t work on the same PC. In order to revert to Windows Backup I must uninstall Memeo. Stopping it does not enable Windows Backup. If anyone has an alternate way to allow Windows Backup to run while Memeo is installed, I’m anxious to see it.

Thanks for everyone’s help.

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I would get rid of the Memeo app. Most apps that come with Ext HD are trade offs of the full app. I would grab one of the excellent 3rd party apps available, either for free or fee. Any of the excellents apps mentioned in these forums will serve you well, IMO better than the less than full featured Win 7 Backup and Restore.

You will see many threads in this forum on these 3rd party apps.

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I would get rid of the Memeo app. Most apps that come with Ext HD are trade offs of the full app. I would grab one of the excellent 3rd party apps available, either for free or fee. Any of the excellents apps mentioned in these forums will serve you well, IMO better than the less than full featured Win 7 Backup and Restore.

You will see many threads in this forum on these 3rd party apps.

I have Nero BackItUp And Burn as well, if I choose to use that, but I think the Memeo is the front-runner. To come to think of it, BackItUp and Burn is bundled with Verbatim drives. I will admit that I haven’t actually tried a Windows image with it on the computer yet, but you have given me an excuse to test it. I, too, use third-party software for that purpose, but you must remember that the Memeo is for real-time data backup. Another example of a program for this purpose is HP SimpleSave, which is bundled with HP data backup drives.

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I have had great results with both Acronis 2010 and 2011. My 2011 has never failed on a restoration. Before that 2010 was equally as impresive for me, but as stated YMMV. I have read of negative results, so who knows.

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I was able to get Windows Backup to operate normally only after I uninstalled Memeo Backup. But since I feel safer using the external drive, I reinstalled and run Memeo. But I would like the security of Windows Backup as well. Any suggestions for getting both to work?

You likely won’t be able to get both to work as they are utilizing the same service (VSS).
Memeo also requires it’s own service to be active while it is running in the background.
If dogberry is correct in his assertion that you can turn off Memeo temporarily, you should be able to use Windows Backup. You will need to confirm this by trying it.

If not…

Get yourself a 3rd party imaging program that will alow you to create an image based backup from a bootdisk environment independant of the VSS service.
[create and restore your images from a bootdisk while your operating system is not running, as in a boot environment]
You could then continue to use Memeo for your convenient on the fly jobs.

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I have Acronis TrueImage 8, TrueImage 10, TrueImage 2010 (Plus), TrueImage 2011 (Plus), TrueImage 2012 (on order), Privacy Expert Suite (long discontinued), Disk Director Suite 10, Disk Director 2011, Cloud storage, Drive Monitor (freebie), some of which I haven’t even used (such as cloud storage). You might say I am overinvested in Acronis (and not a happy customer in one non-technical regard). I also have ShadowProtect 3.5, which I remarked upon in the thread, and I have Win 7 Ultimate, which means full Microsoft imaging. I made a successful restore a day ago using TrueImage 12.

External hard drives now usually come with software, but it backs up data, not systems. It is not designed for imaging, and I am happy to have it. A good example I happen to have is HP SimpleSave. In the Options you have File Types and Locations, and you can choose Photo, Video, Music, E-mail, Documents, Finance, etc. and perform a global search or specify folders, and you can filter by extension. Your initial backup may take some time, especially if it is global or extensive, but after that the device just monitors the drive and backs up the data changes whenever the computer is inactive for five minutes. It’s a 2T drive, so there is plenty of storage for other uses. Memeo has the added advantage of having a sync program, so that if you have folders on different computers that you want to keep in sync, then you can use that.

If your computer goes up in a puff of smoke, you will still have your data on the external drive, and if you are a $500 per hour consultant or a CEO or a columnist whose job depends on meeting a deadline or a photographer fresh from a major shoot, or something either more or less respectable, then data is everything. You can connect your drive to another computer and simply carry on. This is elegant if you have a pocket drive and a laptop computer. You can also transfer data between computers securely by using the drive without either computer having to go online or carry the computer itself.

Systems are replaceable – data is not. Data backup is not inferior to system imaging, and I use both.

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