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Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Professional
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Overview:

Computing is very important in our daily activity. You need the computer for your work, entertainment, playing and many other purposes. With long time use of your personal computer, you will need to do maintenance of your hard disc, backup, protect and recovery of your data. The Hard Disk Manager 15 Professional includes everything you need for reliable data protection and professional PC management!
It includes a great collection of tools and features both basic and advanced that let you manage your computer as a professional. It offers you powerful partition management, full spectrum of virtual and physical migration operations, data safety and disaster recovery, agentless MS Hyper-V Backup, secure data wiping and many more useful features.
In this review, I will try to show you how this program is of great help to many users. I am using the free trial (demo version) of the hard disc manager 15 professional

Homepage:

https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-professional/index.html

30 Days free Trial

Size: 61.4 MB

Download: The download link will be sent to your email address immediately after a simple registration.

Current version:  15

Release date: October 2014

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System Requirements:

Supported Operating Systems:  Windows XP to 10
Supported Computer Bus Interfaces: Complete uEFI support, SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment), External SATA (eSATA), SCSI, iSCSI, USB (Universal Serial Bus) 1.x/2.0/3.0
Supported Storages: AFD (Advanced Format Drive), HDD,  SSD,  CD-R/RW, DVD, BD-R, BD-RE
Supported File Systems: NTFS (v1.2, v3.0, v3.1), FAT16, FAT32, Linux, Apple HFS+
Supported Partitioning Schemes: Windows Storage Spaces Support, MBR (Master Boot Record), GPT (GUID-Partition Table), Microsoft Dynamic Disk
For Windows installation: 300 MHz or higher processor, 512 MB free RAM, 1 GB free disc space, IE 5.0 or higher
For WinPE environment: Intel Pentium III CPU, 1000 MHz processor clock speed, 1 GB RAM, SVGA video adapter and monitor, Mouse

Installation:

After simple registration, you will receive an email including the download link in both 32 and 64 bit versions, depending on your PC. After complete download, double click on the installer to start installation. On the first step, the installer will check for Visual C++ 10.0 runtime library which is required for the program to complete installation. If not present it will be installed by the program. Next steps are very easy and doesn’t need skills. Simply follow on screen instructions and within a few mouse clicks you will have the program installed on your computer
The program offers 30 days free trial which is completely enough for you to evaluate all the features and tools in the app. After the trial is over, if you want to continue using the program you will have to purchase a license.

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Purchase:

There are many purchase options available depending on your needs. You can find all details and complete your purchase here:
https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-professional/eshop.html
You will immediately receive all details in your email address.

Registration:

To register your product please log into your account, and use "Manage products" option to register new product. You must have a serial number which is usually supplied with the product you buy in a box. Please create a new account If you are not registered. If you complete your purchase online  then the product should be automatically registered for you.  Latest software builds include direct link to registration form into the product. "Help" menu - "About" - "Product registration".

User Interface:

The user interface is very friendly, easy to use and intuitive. When you start the program you will see the upper toolbar (Ribbon Panel) which is tabbed depending on the function or feature you are going to use. You can see six tabs with many tools under each one; namely backup and restore, partitioning, copy and migration, archives, schedule and volume explorer.

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Below the upper toolbar there is the visual operation bar then the main program area showing the hard disc partitions (disk map) according to the tool you will use and context sensitive menu and information (properties panel) on the right side. On the upper left side there is the home menu which include help topics, about, file transfer, settings, log file and exit.

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File transfer Wizard:

This tool allows you to transfer any files in an easy fast way. You will select the source and the destination, and the program will use the built-in clipboard to move your files.

The destination may be local, network, CD, DVD …

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Program Features:

Backup and Recovery Features: such as sector and file level backups with differential or incremental updates, any backup destination, smart Backup Wizard, backup and restore from VD, incremental backup to VD and many more

Partitioning and Optimization Features such as very strong partitioning engine, basic and advanced partitioning, Split and merge partitions, Redistribute Free Space, boot corrector and manager, HFS file systems conversion and many more

Data copy and migration features: copy a full hard disk or a separate partition, and resize a partition while copying, copy/restore to dissimilar sector size, migrate OS to dissimilar hardware, exclude data you want to exclude from the copy process

Virtualization Features:

Migrate a physical system to a virtual environment (P2V Copy), restore a physical system from a backup directly to a virtual environment (P2V Restore), migrate a virtual system from one virtual environment to another, or migrate a virtual system to a physical environment (V2V / V2P), connect a virtual disk as if it’s an ordinary physical disk (Connect VD)

Data Wiping Features: Destroy all on-disk information or only remnants of deleted files/directories with 10 wiping methods, also it can wipe SSDs of most manufactures with log file autosaved to specified location

Supported Technologies and Operating Systems:
Support for Apple HFS+, uEFI Support, support for AFD (Advanced Format Drive), 2TB+ and non-512B sector size drives, USB 3 and Bitlocker support, windows Storage Spaces Support and User-friendly Interface

New features added in the current release:

Supports the latest Windows 10
Improved Export VD Container Wizard, this helps to burn a VD container to removable media (CD, DVD or Blu-ray disk). 
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) support
System state data backup support
Agentless protection of Hyper-V guest machines
File-level backup/restore for virtual containers (pVHD, VHD, VHDX, VMDK)
Update Refactored P2V Restore Wizard with added use of virtual containers (pVHD, VHD, VHDX, VMDK).
Paragon Recovery Media Builder 3.0 is now embedded into the product. It can boast more options, usability, and stability
Wipe SSDs of most manufacturers very user-friendly and permanently
Automatic saving of the wipe reports to the specified folder
Revised Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Agentless protection of Hyper-V guest machines
Refactored P2V Restore Wizard

Full changelog can be found here:

https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-professional/release.html

Now we can start our discussion about the software.

It offers a large collection of tools and advanced features, in my review I will try to explain and clarify the important features. Full discussion of all the program features is beyond the scope of this review
The program offers you everything you need for professional data management and system administration options which had never before been possible. It depends on stepped wizard system to help you do all complex features in a simple easy way like a professional even if you are a beginner. You can do maintenance of your system within a few mouse clicks

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System & data backup:

Using the program, you can do back up of the entire Windows system, individual partitions or selected Password protection keeps sensitive data safe from unauthorized access.
If you want to keep your data secure, the program supports password protection of your data and even encrypt drives with BitLocker.
You will need to start with the tab: ”backup and restore” then select backup to virtual drive. The stepped wizard will pop up and let you go in steps that are well arranges and self explanatory. You will first select the backup mode (files, email, documents, media, operating system or volumes), then specify the backup objects whether the whole hard drive or certain partition. Next, you will need to specify some details as the name, destination and description of the output image, finally you can either select to backup now or later on. If you select to backup later, you will create a script that will help you to complete your backup later. The scripting engine can be used to automate frequently used operations and benefit from the variety of virtual backup containers which simplify work with virtual environments.

The script generation settings let you add the location to store the script, script comment and script options, that’s all!
You have many built in advanced backup options such as sector and file-based, differential or incremental backups (to include the changes done to your system since the last image or backup is done) or special file complements.

You can save the backup image to many locations. For example local mounted or unmounted partitions, external mounted storage, Backup Capsule (secured hidden partition on the HDD),  external media (CD/DVD), network drive, FTP/SFTP server. The external storage and network options offer better data protection
You can also create a backup or incremental backup of an offline or online guest machine hosted by Hyper-V Server, and restore later when you need.

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The program has many backup utilities that you may need such as manage capsule, check VD integrity, export VD container, and retention wizard for VD (automated backup of entire HDD or partitions).

Export VD container is a useful built in tool that will help you to perform many operations. You can easily convert an existing VD container to some other format. In addition, you can burn a selected VD container to a removable media (for example; CD, DVD). You can also create a container of incremental images.

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Recovery and Restore:

Using the previously created backups, it is very easy do restore in the same stepped wizards. You can do the restore process on different hardware or even in virtual environments (for example VMware Workstation, MS Hyper-V and so on). You can easily restore the entire system, specific partitions or just individual files. All you have to do is to use the restore feature.
The program has a new built in tool called Universal Image Mounter (UIM). This will give you full access to your secured files at all times. Simply map a backup archive as a network drive and the files it contains will already be accessible, just like they would be with a normal hard disk.

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View Partition/Hard Disk Properties

If you want to get full information about the properties of your hard disks and partitions, the program will help you to obtain in-depth information. For example, you get data regarding capacity, used space or file system type, hard disk geometry, cluster size, exact partition location, etc.
To get properties on a partition/hard disk, the process is very easy. All you have to do is to choose a partition/hard disk on the Disk Map then use right context menu for the selected object finally select properties.  

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Partitioning & optimization

The program has both basic and advanced partitioning functions which allow users to handle any hard disk partitioning task. It will also help you in the optimal use of the available hard disk space. No matter whether you’re preparing a hard disk for use with multiple operating systems or redistributing storage space among several different partitions, you can always get top performance out of SSDs and hard disks with 4 K sectors and RAID volumes thanks to automatic partition alignment.
The program offers you many options which include; basic, express and advanced partitioning tools
The basic partitioning includes features that help you to create partition, delete and undelete partition, format partition. Express partitioning includes the ability to express create , express resize and redistribute free space. Advanced partitioning options are also available and lets you easily merge partitions, split partition, wipe disc or partition, and install new OS.

Resize Partitions:

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Create New Partition Wizard:

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Delete Partition:

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Format Partition:

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Merge Partitions:

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Redistribute Free Space:

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Wipe wizard:

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Copy and Migration:

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Paragon hard disk manager has built in tools that lets you easily copy partition or hard disk, migrate the OS, in addition to virtualization and connect VD

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The program helps you to have an exact copy of your hard disk or partition.  Cloning of hard disks or partitions can be easily completed with the help of this option. You need at least two hard disks to carry out this operation. If you need copy of hard disk, simply select this button under “copy and migration button”.  If you want to do cloning, select copy partition option.  All you have to do is to go through simple wizard which lets you easily adjust the settings including the source, destination, copy options and resize options.  That’s all!

Copy hard disk is very important for many users. For example, if you have a new hard disk that is up to 2.2TB in capacity. It’s faster and of much higher capacity than your current system disk, the program will help you to easily migrate your system to the new HDD.

The latest SSDs are usually smaller in size than regular HDD. However, SSDs offer faster processing speeds over regular hard drives with no mechanical impact. Nowadays, increasing numbers of users prefer to migrate OS to SSDs to get the most out of their systems. The important issue here is how can you migrate a Windows OS and data with huge volume (hundreds of gigabytes) to a small SSD drive (for example 80-128GB). Don’t Panic, with the program built in Migrate OS to SSD Wizard the process is very easy. You can do that with minimal effort thanks to the simple stepped wizard system.

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If you need a virtual clone of your Windows system, the P2V Adjust OS Wizard helps you adapt it to conventional hypervisors (such as VMware Workstation, Oracle Virtual Box or MS Hyper-V). You’ll have a virtual testing system just at your fingertips, this will help you if you want to test a new software or game

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Professional virtualizes your running system (P2V Copy). Also, it can quickly convert an existing backup into a virtual machine (P2V Restore). With just a few clicks, you will be able to copy existing virtual machines and adapt them for use with a different hypervisor (e.g. from VMware Workstation to MS Hyper-V). This works even after an unsuccessful virtualization with a 3rd party tool.

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To understand the importance of virtualization, let’s assume that you’re about to migrate to a new PC with the latest operating system installed. Now the problem you will have is that your current system is quite obsolete and most of the software installed on it won’t work on the new PC system. What can you do if you need this software? The answer is very easy, virtualize your old system is the best method and can be easily completed using paragon hard disk manager.

P2V Restore helps you to use back up image created with paragon software for virtualization. Of course this will help you in case of moving to a new hardware platform and saves your time.

Paragon ConnectVD is an is an important function for anyone who uses virtual environments. It allows you to easily work with virtual hard drives. Using this tool, you can easily manage virtual drives for anything from partitioning or MFT defragmentation to data exchange.
Create VD option helps you to easily create an empty virtual disk in a few steps using the same wizard system

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Archives tab:

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This tab offer you many features including archive databases, manage archives and mount options.
The window in this tab is divided into three parts; properties panel (show properties of selected image), volume explorer and archive list
Archive databases lets you add or delete files from the archive databases, view changes, reload disk info. Manage archives lets you restore VD archive, convert to virtual machine, hyper-v restore, file complement to VD, export VD container, and check archive integrity. Mount options allows you to mount or unmount archives

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Schedule:

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The program has a built-in scheduler that is of great help for you. It allows users to schedule hard disk copy, or partition copy to be done at a specific time. You can also manage tasks such as script generation or save to scheduler

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Volume Explorer:

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This is a special tool designed to help you easy browse and export contents of the local mounted/unmounted volumes. These volumes are formatted to FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, Ext2FS, Ext3FS, Ext4FS, and reFS file systems. In addition, it lets you access Paragon backups as regular folders so that you can easily explore their contents or retrieve certain files. To use this feature, simply click the volume explorer tab on the Ribbon Panel.
 
Paragon Recovery Medium

Do you ever have the bad experience that your operating system won’t boot up anymore? What will you do to recover your system? Don’t panic, now you can start your PC with the help of bootable Paragon recovery environment. Next, you will be able to load in an existing backup which will allow you to correct booting errors and secure important data.
The new Recovery Media Builder 3.0 makes it extremely easy and flexible to create your own personal recovery environment. And thanks to the latest WinPE technology, the recovery environment is also intuitive to operate.

Paragon Recovery Media Builder is a wizard that helps you prepare either Linux or WinPE-based bootable environment on a USB thumb drive or in an ISO image format. Containing a set of utilities corresponded to the purchased product, it will allow startup of your computer for maintenance or recovery purposes when OS is corrupted or cannot be used.
Unlike Boot Media Builder, Recovery Media Builder add-on doesn’t require to have Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) or Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) installed in the system. However, it can only be used under Windows 7 or higher (latest Windows Service Packs should be installed), and its functionality is rather limited.
A WinPE environment offers excellent hardware support with a familiar Windows interface.
Are your backups available on a network drive? Then use the advanced options and already add your network configuration and network drive while you’re still creating the recovery medium.

BitLocker support

 The program lets you do many operations on drives which were encoded with Microsoft’s encryption BitLocker technology. This is only possible if they are unlocked otherwise the program will recognize these volumes as unformatted. This feature offers a big plus for everyone who manages sensitive data on their PCs!

Boot management:

With the help of the program built in Boot Manager Setup Wizard, you can easily manage several operating systems on one computer. Up to 16 operating systems on one PC can be supported. The process is simple. Click Home Button, then select Setup Boot Manager then use the settings in the wizard to updates the original record in the MBR to get control of the booting process
 
  
Program Settings:
 
The program settings are located under home menu and divided into many parts according to the program features. The settings are adjusted to the default position that suits most users. You can change the settings according to your needs
 
Application:
 
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Backup:
 
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Partitioning:

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Wipe:

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Include and Exclude:

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E-mail notifications and logging:

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Pros:

Data backup and restore
Data protection
Wiping of hard disk
Support Bitlocker
Easy migration to new system
Hard disk partitioning
Recovery media builder
And many more

Cons:

The program has many difficult options that needs more explanation specially for beginners

Conclusion:

Paragon Hard Disk Manager professional offers you a professional set of tools which help you to easily do any optimization and maintenance tasks for your system, create new partitions, move to new platform and backup and restore of your data in a secure way. In addition, it supports virtual drive and bitlocker.
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#2
Thank you, Tarek, for the good review
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#3
Very good review, thanks Thumb
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#4
very well review thanks Heart Heart Heart Heart Heart
Reply
#5
Big Grin  Thanks Tarek for the very good review for a very good software!  ;)
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#6
Thank you for the detailed review.
Reply
#7
Thank you Tarek for the great review for a very good software! Enjoyed 
Reply
#8
I'm so enjoy reading this review. So great! Thanks a lot dear Admin Tarek!
Reply
#9
Thanks you for all your hard work on the review
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