Minitool Shadowmaker “free” Ransomware

Backup software that won’t restore your image from bootable media - UNLESS YOU SHELL OUT $60 to BUY THE “PRO” version now!!!!
The legal version of RANSOM WARE!!!
STICK WITH MACRIUM REFLECT!!!

mr coffeee

 

You’re reading a review. They have CHANGED the “FREE” version so it no longer will RESTORE images booting the program from a flash drive.
NOW you have to BUY the “PRO” version to get that capability!!!
Boot up your SHADOWMAKER flash drive and click on the RESTORE function and you’ll see. All you get is a table comparing the FREE and PRO versions and wanting your money to restore your image.
I read those reviews before I got Shadowmaker, and I thought it was good, too. THEN they changed it so the free version won’t run from the PE environment any more!!!
Call it sneaky marketing or whatever you want. But if you have been using it to backup your hard drive, you get a rude awakening when you go to restore all those images that you were feeling so secure having.
PAY THE RANSOM TO RESTORE or you are f__ked!!!
Trying to give you guys a heads up before you get stuck between a rock and a hard place.
mr coffeee

 

Test it yourself. Want me to load it back up, re-make a bootable thumb drive, boot it up and post a picture of the screen when you click on restore and all you get is the feature comparison to try and sell you the Pro? Jeez...
I thought Major Geeks would actually check it out to avoid damaging your reputation.

 

I already reinstalled it twice on two machines - and I used Revo uninstaller to clean up between.

CHECK IT OUT

 

Sounds to me like you have downloaded a hobbled version. Where did you get it from?

 

I downloaded the free version from the maker's website and tested it. Both backup and restore ran without issues and I'm posting from the restored system now.

 

Earthling,

Earthling,

I downloaded it FROM MajorGeeks, not some dark site.

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts you didn't make a BOOTABLE version (on a USB thumb drive or Bootable CD\DVD).

It restores IF you can run Windows , i.e., you can restore just fine FROM Windows, but the "Free" version no longer will support a bootable version to restore to a reformatted or replacement blank hard drive.

Get it? It's not a true "RESTORE" function anymore, and people that they have talked into "trying" it when it DID do a restore from bootable media, THINK they have a free version that will restore, got the SWITCHER-OO.

Pretty close to RANSONWARE in my book for anybody that thought this was a "FREE" basic fuctionality, like Macrium Reflect Free is, and finds out they can't restore from bootable media like a real backup\restore WHEN THEY GO TO USE IT, AND FIND OUT THAT THE RESTORE MENU ON THE BOOTABLE VERSION DOES NOTHING EXCEPT GIVE YOU A TABLE AND A PITCH TO BUY THEIR "PRO" VERSION.

Pretty sneaky in my book. Major Geeks users should be told, and that's what I'm trying to do.

And Tim W, that's just a lame response. You assume I'm an idiot who can't work their software and needs to contact MiniTool support because I don't know what I'm doing. If you can be conned because you can't believe MiniTool would do this sh_t to the degree you won't even look, you're in need of an attitude adjustment as a Maj0rGeeks admin.

And Major Attitude, putting "Limitations" in RED is a start, but the Limitations section fails to mention that the bootable media made in the free edition will Backup, but NOT RESTORE.

I'd like to see MajorGeeks step up and let people know it DOESN'T RESTORE FROM BOOTABLE MEDIA IN THE "FREE" VERSION. And the price they advertised in the bootable "restore" drop down wasn't $29 anymore.

That's why I wrote this post - to protect users from getting taken in by all the doublespeak.

mr coffeee

 

Tim W,
MajorGeeks should WARN people in the description that it is NOT a functional Backup program unless you buy the program nowdays. It's like mislabeled shareware, but it doesn't even work for a few days so you can really evaluate it anymore.

People WILL read glowing reviews like the one you cited in your first post to me. They are all too likely to ASSUME that MiniTool Shadowmaker Free is the same program they read a glowing review about in PC World - unless you CLARIFY what the deal REALLY is here.

MiniTool DISABLED bootable restore, but your average Joe will do a restore test in Windows, just like Earthling did, and think the program is fully functional as a Backup/Restore, just like Macrium Reflect Free is.

THEN, when they NEED to restore using bootable media, having ASSUMED that the program is functional like Macrium Reflect Free is, and having TRUSTED MiniTool Shadowmaker and the MajorGeeks inadequate description of its' limitations, (which I believe is the same description as what was posted BEFORE MiniTool handicapped it IIRC), they go to their bootable media to restore their hardrive, and then when they click on RESTORE and WHOOPS... WHAT THE HE__???

Hey, they SAID this was a functional BACKUP and RESTORE program. MajorGeeks said it did Backup and Restore, but NOOOOO...

Don't mean to be critical, but I've always thought I could count on MajorGeeks to be more than a mirror site. Just my opinion, but I think it is your job to warn people about this shady move by MiniTool.

Why WOULDN'T MajorGeeks want to re-write the copy to clear up the OBFUSCATION in the MiniTool -authored description??? It would take 10 minutes tops. I don't get your priorities. FWIW.

It's not my job, but I'm trying to protect MajorGeeks users. Seems like it's just the right thing to do.

mr coffeee

 

TimW,
My issue is with MajorGeeks: fix the description so people don't get screwed by a lame description. MiniTool isn't going to fix "my problem"; they created the problem to try and draw in more paying customers. Wanting more paying customers is legit. It's just a shady way to go about it IMHO, and MajorGeeks should make that clear in the description that it is NOT a free recovery solution.

As your website says in the first paragraph, (emphasis added)

"When a PC disaster hits, you want the ability to act fast with the recovery process without undue issues of an overly complicated solution that requires a ton of extra steps. MiniTool ShadowMaker Free is just that; it allows you to back up your Windows OS, selected partitions, as well as the whole disk. Once you have a copy of your backup, When a PC disaster hits, you want the ability to act fast with the recovery process without undue issues of an overly complicated solution that requires a ton of extra steps. MiniTool ShadowMaker Free is just that; it allows you to back up your Windows OS, selected partitions, as well as the whole disk. Once you have a copy of your backup, you can quickly restore your machine when a disaster like a system crash, hard drive failure, etc., occurs.."

THIS IS SIMPLY NO LONGER TRUE. Without a functioning restore from bootable media, The statement highlighted above,

Once you have a copy of your backup, you can quickly restore your machine when a disaster like a hard drive failure, occurs.."

is a LIE, when referring to the free version.

Yeah, you can restore your computer system to a new hard drive, but NOT in the free version, which is what MajorGeeks description is referring to here.

I repeat,

" Why WOULDN'T MajorGeeks want to re-write the copy to clear up the OBFUSCATION in the MiniTool -authored description??? It would take 10 minutes tops. I don't get your priorities."


Don't you want to run the premier freeware/shareware site and protect your patrons anymore??? Or are you unintentionally encouraging us to switch to other sites that have their patrons well-being more in mind?

Just fix it. That's all I ask. PROTECT YOUR PATRONS. This shouldn't be this much work for us - isn't that what you get paid for?

mr coffeee