Norton Ghost 9.0 review: Norton Ghost 9.0
Introduction
Norton Ghost 9.0 is a powerful disk imaging software developed by Symantec Corporation. Since its inception in 1995, Norton Ghost has been providing efficient backup and recovery solutions for home and business users. In this article, we will delve into the features and benefits of Norton Ghost 9.0, which was released in 2004.
Key Features
1. Disk Imaging: Norton Ghost 9.0 creates full or incremental images of your hard drives/ partitions, making it a comprehensive backup solution. This safeguards your data from potential disasters by creating an exact replica which can be restored when necessary.
2. File-based Backup: Apart from disk imaging, Norton Ghost 9.0 also supports file-based backups, enabling you to choose specific files and folders that need to be backed up.
3. Recovery: With Norton Ghost 9.0, you can easily recover your lost data by restoring the image/backup to your original hard drive or any other storage device.
4. Automatic Backup Scheduling: Norton Ghost 9.0 allows users to schedule backups for complete automation and peace of mind.
5. Compression & Encryption: Norton Ghost 9.0 not only compresses your backup image but also provides AES encryption (128-bit) for extra security while storing sensitive information.
6. Live Update: The feature ensures that the software remains up-to-date with the latest patches and enhancements for optimal performance.
Performance
Norton Ghost 9.0 boasts faster processing speed compared to its predecessors due to its integration with the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). This allows for simultaneous work on the computer while backups are being carried out in the background without any noticeable slowdowns.
Ease of Use
New users can quickly adapt to Norton Ghost 9.0’s interface as it offers a user-friendly environment with wizards guiding users through the process of creating disaster recovery tools and restoring data.
System Requirements
Norton Ghost 9.0 runs on Windows 2000/XP, requires a minimum of 300MHz processor, 512MB RAM, and approximately 400MB of free disk space for installation.
Conclusion
Norton Ghost 9.0 proves to be an excellent backup solution for home and business users. With its myriad features, ease of use, and robust performance, Norton Ghost continues to provide reliable protection from data loss or hardware failure. However, it is essential to note that support for this version has been discontinued by Symantec since 2013. Users are advised to explore new and more advanced versions or other alternatives for continued support and updates.