Software that restores and protects personal computers
By Subashini Selvaratnam
29th October 2001 (Computimes)

PERSONAL computers (PC) are one of the most powerful technology tools around. But as we all know, from time to time, things can go wrong. A program that has operated flawlessly for months can suddenly crash, or worse, the system might be invaded by viruses like Code Red or Nimda.

More often than not, you'll need to reinstall programs into the system. Alternatively, you can use a recovery software called pcShadow from Std Communication Sdn Bhd.

Its director P. Guna said pcShadow restores and protects critical programs and data effectively and efficiently.

The software takes a "snapshot" of the hard disk drive (HDD). It stores this piece of information in the boot sector or a protected area on the HDD. The size of the "snapshot" is no more than 4MB.

"The software, which can be installed from a bootable floppy disc, allows the user to take a snapshot of the system any time, depending on their needs," he explained.

"PcShadow takes just a few seconds to fully restore the system. The software also works on formatted HDD."

Another advantage of pcShadow is the auto-mode feature. Each time the PC is switched on, the original "snapshot" will be restored without any user intervention. This feature comes in handy in a classroom or exhibition environment.

Developed by Comjoa Inc, which is based in Korea, pcShadow only runs in Microsoft Windows 95/98/ME. It will be available by the end of this year for Windows NT and Windows 2000.

Guna said the target markets for pcShadow are offices, schools, cybercafes and computer-based training institutions. The company has appointed a reseller in Kuala Lumpur, and is looking for more to cover other States.

The price of pcShadow is RM149 per user licence.