Setting Image Options for a Raw Disk Image

Configure the compression settings and image splitting and enter a description for the archive.

Compression

The effectiveness of compression depends on the type of data in the files you are going to back up. Text documents can be reduced in size significantly. Trying to compress picture files or data that is already compressed, (for example, ZIP files) will yield a small file size difference.

There are three compression settings indicated here by the affect each one has on the speed of the operation:

None is in many cases the fastest option but will consume the most space
Normal (standard compression) is a compromise between a smaller file size and a faster operation speed
High provides the smallest file size and takes the longest time to complete

When you compare the size of an image created using Normal and an image created using High options the difference in file size is not significant. Because high compression takes significantly more time, use it only when you need to get the smallest possible image and when speed is not important.

Image splitting

All image contents can be written into one file, depending on the size of the partition. When a disk image can be written into one file, the image file and the archive are the same thing. When Image splitting is set to Automatic (try single file), the resulting archive may be written into one file.

Archive backups can be written to multiple files. Here are the situations when it is necessary to split the image:

Burning an image onto CD/DVDs
If you plan to create a disk image and then subsequently burn the created image onto CDs or DVDs, you must split the archive into files that can fit onto the media. Select the Fixed size (MB) check box and either type a file size in megabytes or make a choice from the drop-down list. Choices are:
- 100 MB (ZIP)
- 650 MB (CD)
- 700 MB (CD)
- 4GB (DVD)
Saving image onto a FAT disk
You cannot create a file greater than 4Gb on a FAT partition. In some situations, even 4Gb files cannot be handled properly. To provide the best data integrity on a FAT disk, select 2GB (FAT) from the drop-down list or enter a smaller number manually.

If you select the Automatic (try single file) option, the archive will not necessarily be written into one file. If the system runs out of free disk space on the disk where you are saving the backup or if you are storing an image file on disk with a FAT file system, Active@ Disk Image automatically splits the archive into multiple files and prompts you for the path to write the next file.

Image description

You may give a short description to the contents of your image. Enter descriptive text (maximum 1,024 characters) into the Image description text box. In this text box, you may use the Enter key to make line breaks.

If the data that you are saving is confidential, be aware that the text that you enter into the Image description text box is stored as clear text. You are not required to use a password to view this description, so do not place confidential information here.

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