You might have heard that there’s a new version of Windows in the pipeline. It’s called (cleverly enough) Windows 7. Now it might seem like it’s not very long since Vista came out. But Vista hasn’t sold as well as Microsoft hoped, so they’re bringing forward the next version in the hope it’ll do better. It should be out towards the end of the year.

I’ve had a go on a pre-release version (called a beta test version), and here’s what I think about it:

The first thing I noticed is that when your PC is starting up, instead of the bar across the bottom of the screen running from left to right, you get a Windows logo pulsing with light. Very fancy. And the fanciness continues when the PC finishes starting up. It looks a lot like Vista, but with more “glassy” looking bits. Quite swish… but in my view all a bit irrelevant. The question is, how does it work?

Well, it works a lot like Vista. You might even think it’s basically Vista with a few extra bells and whistles… but Microsoft say that’s not true.

One change I’m glad to see is that when you want to turn it off, the main option in the start menu actually does turn it off. In Vista it just put it into stand by – which means if you then turn it off at the mains, it’d get all confused. This way is much better. It turns on and off quicker than Vista (or XP), too.

I’m also pleased that it seems to run more smoothly and even a bit quicker than Vista. And if you need to network several computers together, it’s much easier than in Vista.

A brand new taskbar
The taskbar has changed so instead of each program that’s running have a wide button at the bottom, with its name on, you get a little square pictorial icon. If you hover the mouse over it, you get a small picture of the screen of that program. And if you point the mouse at THAT, you get a full size version, on top of whatever is currently on your screen. It’s useful if you often have several programs running – like I do.

You can also have shortcuts for programs you use a lot in the taskbar, looking much the same as the buttons for programs that are running. I think this could lead to lots of confusion over whether a particular program is currently running or not, so I’m not convinced it’s a good idea, even though it looks pretty.

The Ribbon
If you’ve used the latest version of any Microsoft Office programs, you’ll have used what they call the ribbon. It’s a bar at the top of the program with the most common features on it and instead of the File, Edit, View… menus you have tabs which change which options are shown. I’m not sure whether it’s better or worse – just a different way of doing things. But Microsoft obviously like it because they’ve introduced it into the free programs Paint and Wordpad. So if you’re used to using them, you’ll have to learn a few new things if you upgrade.

One more way to confuse you…
There’s one more confusing new feature, called libraries. You know how in XP you have “My Documents” and in Vista it’s called “Documents”? Well, Microsoft obviously decided that changing the name didn’t confuse enough people. Now you still have your own My Documents folder (back to including the “My” again). But you also have a Documents “library”. Which displays all of the files in your my Documents folder and also ones in other places you ask it to include. Confused? I think everyone will be. Luckily you can just ignore this new feature.

There’s also a library for all the music on your PC, wherever it’s stored, which does make a bit more sense.

Overall, I’d say Windows 7 is an improvement. It’s quicker and slightly easier to use than Windows Vista. But I wouldn’t say it’s worth upgrading if you have Windows Vista. And if you are thinking of buying a new PC, I wouldn’t wait until Windows 7 comes out at the end of the year – it’s not that much better.

Though I have to say, since I live in Cumbria, I was impressed. One of the desktop backgrounds you can choose is a picture of Grasmere village. Better than those tulips…

Tim Wakeling writes a free monthly email newsletter about computers for non-experts. Find out about both and get your free copy at

© Tim Wakeling, 2009. You may republish this article online and in print as long as you leave it and this declaration unchanged.

While Windows 7 is becoming more and more popular among consumers and businesses, the harsh reality is that Windows Vista and Windows XP are still installed on a great number of machines. Of course Microsoft wants everyone to upgrade from its older product to the latest and they have provided several guides and hints on how to do this, but for some reason people are still struggling with the upgrade process.
Upgrading can be a daunting task for users running Windows XP as there is no guarantee that the older programs will work with Windows 7. Also Microsoft hasn’t offered any official line of upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7. This is where waysale comes in.
waysale offer their product for sale now to help the migration from Windows XP and Windows Vista to Windows 7. They use virtualization to help make the update process from older operating systems to Windows 7 as pain free as possible.
Since there is no upgrade path from Windows XP to Windows 7, a clean install is generally required, which means you have to back up and transfer all your data and setting to external storage. waysale however take care of all this for you and carry out the whole process automatically. Once it’s done you should have all your old files, settings and even Windows XP programs will be adapted to run on windows 7.
With Windows Vista the upgrade process isn’t as tricky but waysale just makes it bit easier by backing up and restoring all your data and sets for you.
As survey say “Ninety percent of customers haven’t upgraded yet,” and “This is a perfect solution for them.”
So for all of you who refuse to upgrade to Windows 7 because it’s too difficult, you now have no excuse! If you can’t do it yourself, waysale will.

Harry Bowers

One of my Friend – Nattily – has asked me a question which I am regularly asked,
so I have posted it and my reply in this post.

“I am confused as to which Microsoft certification to study for – My company
is running Windows Server 2000 and 2003. Should I continue to look at obtaining
the MCSE or restart my studies on Windows Server 2008? If I study for Windows
Server 2008 what exams must I study for?”

Firstly there will be no MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) or
MCSE Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) on Windows Server 2008, these
qualifications are currently only available with Windows Server 2003 and will be
replaced by the new qualifications – MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology
Specialist) and MCITP Training
(Microsoft Certified IT Professional).

NOTE: Once you are an MCSA or MCSE you will NOT LOSE your Certification

For those of you considering whether to continue with your studies on Windows
Server 2003 or start afresh on Windows Server 2008 I have tried to outline the
available certification tracks below. My advise is studying for the MCSA or
MCSE 2003 Training will provide you
with skills to help you in most existing working environments and give you a
sound foundation, as well as an upgrade route to Windows Server 2008 when
implemented in the future by companies.

The Windows Server 2008 MCTS Certifications include:

* 70-640 – Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory

* 70-642 – Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure

* 70-643 – Configuring Windows Server 2008 Application Platforms. (This will
cover Internet Information Services (IIS 7) and Microsoft Virtual Server)

For an MCSA already qualified on Windows 2003 ( One upgrade exam is needed )

* 70-648 – TS: Upgrading your MCSA on Windows Server 2003 to MCTS on Windows
Server 2008.

NOTE: You will therefore NOT have to pass MCTS exams 70-640 and 70-642

For an MCSE already qualified on Windows 2003 ( One upgrade exam is needed)

* 70-649 – TS: Upgrading your MCSE on Windows Server 2003 to MCTS on Windows
Server 2008

NOTE: You will therefore NOT have to pass MCTS exams 70-640, 70-642 and 70-643.

The Server 2008 MCITP Certifications include:

* The Windows Server 2008 Administrator:

Only 3 exams required: MCTS certifications 70-640, 70-642 plus:

* 70-646 – Windows 2008 Server Administrator Exam

* Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Administrator:

5 exams required: MCTS certifications 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, 70-620 on Windows
Vista, Configuration, plus

* 70-647 Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Administrator Exam

Additional Resources

Login in to for
complete information on Microsoft exams training.

Dedicated hosting is renting a server entirely for your own use. You will essentially have your own server, and can acquire all the hardware and software you need for running the platform. This is different from a virtual dedicated platform, through which you would only be able to control remotely.

An unmanaged plan means that you will have complete control over the hardware, server, operating system, and network. Since this could be a large investment for any company, providers will lease the equipment out rather than sell it. This is an affordable way to control an entire network of websites and resources.

There are many benefits of unmanaged dedicated hosting. You won’t need to share bandwidth and space with any other webmaster. You can optimize the database for your own sites. You’ll have complete control and flexibility over the types of programs you install, and won’t ever have to reprogram or upgrade your website to fit the server.

Now, the downside to this type of hosting is that if you choose the incorrect hardware, you’re going to have a lot of problems. With that said, here are some tips for choosing quality dedicated hosting:

• Make sure that the hardware is optimized for businesses. The processor should be current, the memory should be adequate, the hard drive should include plenty of space, and the operating system and software should be up to date.

• As for the operating system, decide on Windows or Linux. Windows is easier to use for beginners, but Linux is ideal for developers because it offers more flexibility.

• If you’re running websites for gaming, videos, etc, you need to choose the fastest and strongest processors you can afford. You might even need multiple processors to handle everything. Determine your processing needs and choose accordingly.

• Customer service is essential. The best company should provide 24/7 support. There should always be somebody available to help you when you need it. The response time needs to be quick, so try calling or emailing a company before spending any money to test out their customer support.

• Think about your budget. Can you afford an advanced dedicated server? There are many fees associated with dedicating hosting: server fees, setup costs, bandwidth costs, software licenses, upgrades, security, etc. Also, consider the fees associated with upgrades as your company grows. You may need more memory and a better processor in the future. Whatever you do, never compromise on quality to save money. Put your needs before your budget.

Follow these tips when choosing a hosting provider and sever. Make sure you choose a provider that offers a money back guarantee, and don’t forget about scalability. If you’re going to invest in dedicated hosting solutions, consider both the present state of your website(s) AND how you expect it to grow in the future.

This is an opportunity to start web hosting business in minimum amount of investment. So you need to take advantage of this hosting service to build your own Website hosting business. Even this package should become a good parallel option for your current online business. This hosting package can does miracle work for those, who belong to web development business, because they have the good number of satisfied customer list which will definitely approach them for hosting services. But many of them still unaware about this reliable hosting package, should need to think about this.

Usually this package comes with Windows and Linux platform, so you have an independence to choose your favorite. Both platforms are well for use, it only depends on the requirements of your business.
In Linux reseller hosting solution you can set up the multiple domains with the help of cPanel and For Windows reseller hosting packages you will get the dotnet panel as well as Plesk control panel which helps to manage your hosted accounts.

In this service, hosting provider remains in background, So your clients are totally unknown about their presence. Also you are able to configure account limits and price tag. Even you would be able to set up new accounts, suspend accounts, or you can upgrade them and set the DNS for your customers, other administrative work would be taken care by hosting provider.

This is hoting package is really useful for starting new business, there is no matter if you have a less knowledge of webhosting, because here you just need to buy this package and left the administration task for hosting provider because they provide you 24/7 /365 days tech support, it means you get more time to increase your client list. Even individuals can also buy this service for their different uses. The simplest way to purchase this service is, you can buy this from an existing user or you can directly ask web hosting provider for this webhosting package.

At last, this hosting service is specially stands for those companies, who have the better client base support and willing to start new webhosting business but do not have reliable resources to provider their customers quality tech support. So definitely this web hosting service will help them to improve their online business quality.

When you want to choose a file system to use on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server2008, Windows 7 can be a difficult task. It is not just a one time decision, hence proper research will have to go into it. There are different factors, which will have to be taken into consideration. Whatever method you adopt, you will always face the NTFS vs FAT32 dilemma. Whether you upgrade your current installation, or you go in for a new file system, you will have to make this decision early in the process. Later, if you decide to add a drive or repartition an existing drive, you will face the FAT32 vs NTFS issue all over again.

FAT32 Vs NTFS

It is commonly seen that, when file system is discussed, only FAT32 and NTFS are considered. However, there is a third option, which is FAT, which also exists. It is true, that FAT32 and NTFS make for the primary choices, but there are times, when a need for FAT volume can arise. The maximum size of FAT volume is 2GB and it supports MS-DOS. It can be used for some dual boot configurations. However, it is the backward compatibility, due to which the question of its usage arises, other than for floppy diskette. Now that we have seen the shortcomings of FAT volume, we will compare NTFS and FAT32. There are different situations and needs, which will come into play, when we talk about NTFS vs FAT32. We will take into considerations some of the factors, which will help us to understand the difference between NTFS and FAT32 better.

Security
This is one of the most important point in the NTFS and FAT32 difference. There is very little security in FAT32 file system. If a user has access to a drive, that uses FAT32, then he also has access to all the files on that drive. On the other hand, the NTFS file system has NTFS permissions. It is seldom easy to implement it, but access to folder and files can be controlled individually, even to the extreme degree, when necessary. However, there is an disadvantage of the NTFS permissions. The chance for error and ruining the system is greatly magnified.

Compatibility
There are compatibility issues with NTFS volumes. The NTFS volumes are not recognized by Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows ME. This becomes a major concern, when the system is set for multi-booting or dual booting. It is necessary that FAT32 is used for any drives, which need to be accessed, when the computer is booted from Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME. Conversion of FAT and FAT32 to NTFS volumes is possible, however NTFS cannot be converted to FAT32 without reformatting.

Space Efficiency
The beauty of NTFS is that, it supports disk quotas, allowing you to control the amount of disk usage for every user. NTFS supports file compression, whereas FAT32 does not. Space management is more efficiently done on NTFS as compared to FAT32. Cluster size has an important role to play in how much disk space is wasted in storing files. Smaller cluster sizes and less disk space is wasted in NTFS as compared FAT32.

Reliability
FAT32 file system are more susceptible to disk errors. In case of errors, NTFS volumes retain the ability to recover from errors, as opposed to similar FAT32 volumes. Log files are created under NTFS, that are used for automatic repair of the file system. Another benefit of NTFS is that it supports dynamic cluster remapping for bad sectors and also prevents these bad clusters from being used in the future. You may want to read on hard drive data recovery.

After having read about NTFS vs FAT32, you will have to decide on any one of them, depending on which of the two is well suited to your working condition. An alternative will be to have both the file systems for multi-booting.

For those of you who have heard about all the hype about Windows 7 but not sure as to what function it will have in the windows line of products in the future? It’s the new Operating System developed by Microsoft that will eventually in time, supersede the need for the development of any service packs for Vista, and XP. Thus taking this new OS software to the next level, while stream lining the focus back to one generation of software for professionals and end users alike. In January of this year Microsoft released its beta version build 7000 program to the public for forum feedback and testing. And finally on May 5 2009 they released Windows 7RC (Release Candidate) for evaluation of the product prior to a much anticipated not yet announced release date.

In Review:

On April 4 2009 I was invited to Microsoft for a download fest, where IT Professionals, Web designers, and Partner’s of Microsoft could download Win 7 and be instructed on the new features and options this new OS software has to offer during a live presentation, and made privy to the fact of their reasoning behind it. First of all Windows 7 has been in development stage for three years, which is longer than any OS software Microsoft has released to date. The reason for this in sort as is as follows.
• They want the support of the IT professional, from the launch, instead of waiting for the first or the second service pack, to commit to the product as many do, Microsoft wants this product, the OS software of choice right from the launch.
• The bulk of the design of this OS software and features, have been developed through the feedback from many IT professionals, Web Designers, Partners and public, through its creation, to be integral and offer foundations, and features designed by you .
• Finally, with Vista not measuring up to the Microsoft standard, by being substandard in many ways as compared to 95, 98, and XP, Microsoft wants to “Rock This World” in a good way with this product, and in my eyes they are going to do just that, in every way!

Simply put! Window 7 has all the stability of XP and all the glitz and glamour Vista tried to do, and then offers more features that will blow you away with approach and design. Directories and files are all at your figure tips and displayed in the task bar. When clicked it opens to a library of documents, pictures, music, and videos, too chose from, or customize and organize files the way you want so they’re not hanging around on your desktop for easy access . Multi tasking from your desktop is made so much easier, by being able to work in two programs side by side and just wait to see how easy this is to do, no more dancing between programs or adjusting the programs within your screen to do so . And finally functionality and all system features are easier to navigate, with new added features by IT Pro’s, for IT Pro’s, however so easy to understand a beginners can understand their way through these processes, and do as well. Plus if you don’t understand the program comes up with various sources of ways to help, and it offers internal self checking in all key areas of concern. These are just a few of the features, of many to look forward to when released.
I must say when I first installed Windows 7 beta it run great I love it, however I used the upgrade feature from Vista and over the course of a one week period, funny things were happening so I crashed it, and reloaded 7 beta from scratch and all the problems went away, and it been stable with no signs trouble since that time.
There has been no trouble with compatibility issues, from a software, or hardware, stand point, and all other companies that support MS have all been onboard from the get go with this beta to insure its success. I have noticed that it has been a lot easier for my computer to maintain in terms of memory and processing speed, the fan to cool the processors barely comes on, which was not the case prior to the Win 7 installation, and it takes no time and its extremely fast to boot, less than two minutes from the password window, to complete desktop functions .
With Vista SP2 being released at the beginning of this month, (May 2009) I can honestly say I will not go back to Vista, Windows 7 now in release candidate is a clear winner, and I can’t wait for the final product when its released.

Being a certified partner of Microsoft, today being June 12th 2009, I have just learned that they intend to release four versions of Windows 7 a Starter Pack, Home Premium, Professional, and finally a Enterprise edition.

Unlike Vista each package will be a build or upgrade from the lesser package. So let say you have Home Premium, and you have just started a business and you want to work from home, and office. Your solution in this case would be to upgrade to Professional, to give you small business functionality plus better networking functions, and you will still have all the features and benefits of Home Premium edition that you were use to. As stated, with Vista they learned their lesson and this was a big problem, because when people upgraded they lost features from one package that were not present in the upgrade, and this will not be the case with Windows 7, each upgrade will support all features of the previous version.

The Enterprise edition will of course be the ultimate package, geared to corporate users, IT Pro’s, Guru’s, and the guy who wants it all. This Package will offer unlimited networking, and server functions, greater security, and bit locker protection, which is data encryption, to mention a few. The only difference there will be from the Starter Edition to Home Premium will be better entertainment features, and multi media resources, to choose from.

As a partner they have told me to start pushing Windows 7 for Back To School time which means to me we could see Windows 7 on new computers and in store in some form as early as late July 2009. I will be writing another blog with regard to the features each package contain and will get into the features in greater detail at that time.

For information on Windows 7 or if you would like to download Win7RC please go to and for other great Microsoft products come visit my website at for the grand opening of the Microsoft Store you can’t miss not checking this out! Or should you have any questions, or comments with regard to any of the above, please feel free to contact me though my website at any time.

Thank You!

Myles H Patterson
Director,
MHP Enterprises Inc.

Windows 7 sales are strong since its launch but with less PC sales and increased competition from several operating systems, the question arises would Windows be able to survive. Apple currently reported one of its best quarters ever, and interest is high in recent and future products rolling out of Cupertino. Then there’s the current launch of the new Linux distribution, Ubuntu 9.10 and there is also the pressure from Google Chrome OS, scheduled for launch in the second half of next year.

Windows 7 by the Numbers

Over the first few days of its availability, Windows 7’s U.S. sales were 234 percent higher as compared to Vista sales over a same time period. But to get there, Microsoft had to go the extra mile and provide what were, by Microsoft standards, some deep discounts. Corresponds to market research firm NPD group, the average selling price of Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade was $76 which is significantly less than the advertised presale price of $120. By comparison, the original preorder price tag to migrate to Windows Vista Home Premium was $160 in 2007.

Despite all these discounts, PC sales are less, down 6 percent compared to Vista’s release period. These can be due to number of factors including the availability of other editions of Windows (XP and Vista), which NPD says made up 20 percent of computer sales during the Windows 7 sales, as well as the hesitation among Vista owners to buy another new computer after migrating just a few years ago.

Apple Growing

Earlier this year, Apple launched its own updated operating system, Snow Leopard, which also saw a good increase in sales. NPD Group meapple snow leopard os xasured the new Mac OS’ performance over a two-week period, and it is reported that Snow Leopard sales were more than double its predecessor, Leopard, over the time frame. Currently, Apple reported that sales for its Mac computers increases by 17 percent during the third quarter of 2009 as compared to the similar quarter in 2008.

The Linux Gang

Microsoft has to worry not only about Apple but Linux too. Ubuntu, one of the world’s most famous Linux distributions, currently released its latest edition, Ubuntu 9.10, and impressions about the new OS are largely positive. It has been reported that Linux edition is finally ready for widespread adoption. But Ubuntu 9.10 does provide elevated compatibility with peripheral hardware such as printers and scanners, there are a huge variety of available applications for the OS, and Ubuntu is absolutely free making it a significantly cheaper alternative to Windows.

Then there’s Google’s coming Linux-based OS alternative, called Google Chrome OS, but nobody’s really sure what the latest system will be able to do. But given recent interest, Chrome OS could be a big hit when it will debuts next year.

With so much variety in the world of the operating system, Microsoft dominance is threatened. For the moment, Windows is still the dominant operating system in the U.S., but it is slowly losing market share to Apple, Linux and others.

About The Author:

Stephanie is a Microsoft Certified technician working at iYogi, which is a leading technical service provider. The company’s Microsoft Certified Technicians are dedicated to proper computer repair. iYogi also includes services such as,Windows Updates, Windows 7, Windows 7 support, Windows 7 features, optimize windows, hardware & software installation etc.

If you are still using Windows XP or an older version of a Microsoft Windows operating system (OS), you will be in for quite a change when you upgrade. While Windows Vista is well known for its drastically different layout, there’s a lot more about Vista to discover.

Released to the public in January of 2007, Vista set out to make some needed changes to the previous OS’s. Windows XP, the predecessor to Vista was highly criticized for its safety vulnerability. All user accounts are automatically set up as an administrator, giving them full access to all the programs, files, and system information. Vista set out to combat this and other security issues with a high level of security measures in place.

User Account Control is the primary security feature built into Vista. When certain changes are attempted to be made, a window will pop up asking for your permission to continue (you have probably noticed this many times if you have a Vista OS) and even ask for your password if you have one set up. Ironically, this is one of the highest complaints Vista gets from users-the ubiquity of User Account Control popup windows.

Another major change in the operating system is the graphical user interface (GUI). The sleek new layout, called Windows Aero, actually somewhat resembles the Macintosh OS’s design, according to many users. The new look is sharper and offers many “user-friendly” options, renames a few Control Panel options, and a few other things that are great for computer newbies, but confusing to people accustomed to older Windows OS’s.

Another change in the graphical features is the applications that you can run on your desktop on the new Windows Sidebar. You can customize your sidebar by choosing from the Desktop Gadgets gallery, including a calendar, clock, weather forecaster, and picture puzzle.

One helpful new feature is located in the start menu. There is now a search bar in the bottom of the start menu that will allow you to type the name of any system component (like Control Panel), personal files, and programs. This will help you quickly locate things if you’re not sure where to find them! To learn more about the features and details about Vista, go to microsoft.com/vista.

Overall, Vista has received many negative reviews by both users and computer technicians for being confusing and/or unstable. As for the confusing new layout, that is to be expected, since Microsoft hadn’t released a new version of Windows in five years when Vista was released. This is the longest span of time for no new versions to be introduced. Needless to say, millions of people have become quite accustomed to XP. Even today, the majority of computer users are running an XP operating system-even more than all other OS ever made, combined!

Windows 7, the latest version of Microsoft OS’s was released in 2009 and is said to resolve many of the security and stability issues Vista had. If you have Windows Vista now because you recently bought a new computer, you might want to check out Microsoft’s website to see how you can upgrade to Windows 7. If you have a Windows XP or older and would like to upgrade to something more recent, try Windows 7. You can find out more by going to .

Norton Ghost software has made such a reputation for itself over the years, that when one thinks of the best disk imaging software, this name inevitably crops up. Having used the updated version myself, in this article I present a Norton Ghost 15 review for your perusal.

Disk cloning or disk imaging software programs like Norton Ghost 15 can literally be life savers when your hard drive or operating system suddenly crashes. These programs can perform system recovery, full system back up, a full hard drive upgrade and even provide a facility for a complete restore and reboot. It is a useful software program to have when configuring several computers. One such disk cloning program is Norton Ghost. This backup software was first developed by Murray Haszard when he was working for the company Binary Research. Later it was acquired by Symantec. The ‘Ghost’ in the original software program stood for ‘General Hardware Oriented System Transfer’. Norton Ghost 15.0 is the latest version of this software. In the next section, I provide a Norton Ghost review which presents the latest new features that have been incorporated in this software.

Norton Ghost 15 Software Review

This new version of Norton Ghost 15 comes with a great number of improvements. The new changes have ‘backed up’ the reputation of Norton Ghost as the best disk imaging software in the market. The changes will enhance the usefulness of the software for businesses that use it for protecting their valuable data, as well as general users who rely on it. Let us first have a look at the system requirements that Norton Ghost 15 requires.

System Requirements
An essential part of Norton Ghost 15 review is the presentation of system requirements, with which it works best:

• Windows 7 / Windows Vista
• Processor With > 300MHz clocking frequency
• Required RAM: 512 MB (Recommended RAM 1GB)
• At least 430 MB of Free Hard Drive Space
• DVD ROM or CD ROM required For Software Distribution
• Compatible With FAT 16, FAT 32, FAT 16X, FAT 32X, NTFS, GPT and Dynamic Disks

After that overview of system requirements for Norton Ghost 15, let us have a look at the new changes made in the software.

Support For Virtual Formats
With the increasingly widespread use of virtual platforms, Norton Ghost 15 now offers support for Vmware ESX 3.5i and 4.0i, as well as Vmware ESX 3.5 and 4.0. This is a helpful feature for many small scale businesses in the IT industry. Norton Ghost 15 also supports the Hyper V virtual server format provided by Microsoft. Besides the Norton Ghost 15 – Windows 7 compatibility, the software now even offers a bitlocker encrypted volume support.

Blu-Ray Disc Support
Earlier, you could only back up drive or copy recovery points to a CD or DVD using Norton ghost. Now Norton Ghost 15 offers you the facility to copy recovery points and back up data to blu ray discs too.

Cold Imaging
Cold imaging is creating a backup image of your hard drive volumes using the recovery CD. This feature has now been added to Norton Ghost 15 and is probably one of the most important things mentioned in this whole Norton Ghost 15 review. However, one irritating feature of this facility offered by Norton Ghost is that every time you use this feature, you must enter the serial number.

Besides these features the new version offers incremental, as well as differential back up. So you don not have to mull over an incremental vs differential backup comparison. The most important update that I would like to earnestly share with you in this Norton Ghost 15 review, is the return of the recovery CD image creation feature. It lets you create customized recovery CDs. Norton Ghost 15 and Windows 7 compatibility will make it useful for people on the Windows platform. The listed price of the software is $69.99 but it is sold at a discounted price of $29.99 on Amazon.

The substantial number of improvements that the new version has in it, justifies the need for a complete Norton Ghost 15 review provided in this article. If you don’t have this program yet, it is highly recommended that you buy your copy soon. The money spent will be really well invested!