Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite review

And there’s an unexpectedly configurable secure erase tool, which lets you define your own overwrite mask, including multiple passes of cyclic patterns. For real techies there’s a basic sector editing tool too – though sadly without a search function, or any way to jump to a specific file or table.

You’re even spoilt with the choice of two bootable discs, for occasions when you can’t (or don’t want to) boot from your system drive. A WinPE disc lets you run the full application in a minimal CD-based Windows environment, while the Linux-based disc uses a simpler interface but can be customised with your own files and folders. You can also drop to a bash prompt should you so wish.

There are some things this edition of the software can’t do. It’s not scriptable, nor can it change cluster sizes or work with dynamic or virtual machine volumes. There’s no incremental drive imaging either. If you require these high-end features you’ll have to move up to the Professional edition, available for £60 exc VAT.

And even the standard package offers so many functions that the interface can be a little overwhelming. Right-click on a partition, for example, and no fewer than seventeen actions are offered. Seemingly recognising the problem, Paragon does offer an “Express Mode” front-end, offering single-click shortcuts to various wizards, but its list-based design is arguably even less accessible than the main interface.

A final consideration is that if you’re the sort of person who needs disk imaging software, chances are you already have a system in place. In the absence of a standard format for drive images, this may discourage you from switching into Paragon.

But if you are in the market for a general-purpose hard disk tool, Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite has a lot going for it. For hobbyists or IT professionals performing occasional imaging, partitioning and boot repair tasks, it’s a veritable Swiss army knife of a program, and so comprehensive and convenient it’s easy to justify the price.

Author: Darien Graham-Smith