When we use our Windows computer intensively and on a daily basis, on occasion we may have had to face the task of partitioning the hard drive or having to make backup copies of it.To help us do this, we can use a suite like Paragon Hard Disk Manager , a feature-rich partition manager and backup software.
In the market we find several solutions that we can find to administer and manage our hard drives. One of these tools is the one offered by Paragon that brings together a set of applications within the same program to have all the necessary resources at our disposal to have our hard drive to our liking.
Paragon Hard Disk Manager is a complete high-end suite consisting of a set of tools for managing partitions and performing backups, with special emphasis on data security, disaster recovery and partition management. With this suite we can carry out all kinds of operations such as creating, managing and resizing partitions. We can also convert between FAT and NTFS, install a multitude of operating systems, defragment, make backup copies, etc.
Applications that are part of Paragon Hard Disk Manager
- Partition Manager : it is a partition manager that allows us to optimize the use of the capacity of our hard disk.
- Backup & Recovery : allows you to create backup copies of all the data on the hard disk and restore it if necessary.
- Drive Copy: allows data migrations to be carried out quickly and safely.
- Disk Wiper : allows you to safely delete data by destroying it, being able to choose different types of speed and security
Main features
- Basic partitions : create, format, delete / restore, hide / show, active / inactive, assign / delete drive letter, change volume label, file system conversion, file system integrity check.
- Advanced Partition : Split / Merge, Redistribute Free Space, Resize Cluster, Convert to Logical / Primary, Edit Sectors, Compact / Defrag MFT, Convert to MBR / GPT, Change Primary Slots and Serial Number, Connect Virtual Disk, Check Surface .
- Clean disk : sector algorithms, shell integration, SSD TRIM, wipe HDD / partition, clean free space, cleanup reports.
- Data migration : copy partition, copy entire disk, migrate operating system.
- Backup and Restore – Restore data from backup copies, including an entire hard drive or its partitions, and separate files or folders. It also allows password backups and import of any backup to restore in WinPE.
- Recovery Media Creator : Hybrid (uEFI and BIOS compatible) x32 / x64 recovery environment, WinPE bootable USB / ISO, optional Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK), Automated Installation Kit (WAIK), Driver Push , network connection pre-mounted during setup.
Navigating the Paragon Hard Disk Manager Menus
Once we start the program, its main menu will appear completely in English , the only language available at the moment and that can be a handicap for some users. In the left column we find the Backup & Recovery, Disk and Volumes and Setting & Tools functions.
Backup & Recovery
From this function we can make a backup copy of our hard drive. If we click on Backup source, a new window will appear where we can select what we want to make the copy of. We can choose the entire system, individual disks and volumes or files and folders. Once selected, just click on Destination to choose the destination. A new window will appear where we can select a local folder, an external drive or a network location where the backup will be saved.
Disk and Volumes
From this section we can perform different operations on our hard drive, such as Copy disk (Copy disk), Wipe Data (Delete data), Properties (Properties), View / edit sector (view and edit sectors).
The possibility of editing sectors of our disk is interesting . This operation allows us to modify sectors of a complete disk or of an individual volume, such as saving and restoring sectors of specific files, as well as navigating the system metadata.
From the Properties section we will find all kinds of information about our hard drive such as the type of internal hard drive, its status, GUID, model, serial number and total size
From here we can also perform other actions related to our disk such as the possibility of Copying the volume, cleaning the free space, giving it volume, deleting the partition, deleting the drive, changing the drive letter and changing the volume label.
Setting & Tools
This section is the configuration and tools section , from where we can configure the application and email and establish notification settings. We also find the Recovery Media Builder function , which will help us create a WinPE-based boot environment on a USB drive or an ISO file.
Download Paragon Hard Disk Manager
Paragon Hard Disk Manager is a commercial application so it will be necessary to pay for its license in order to take advantage of all its advantages. We can also download a trial version from here . The application is compatible with Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The total price is 79.95 euros and includes the four tools Partition Manager, Backup & Recovery, Drive Copy and Disk Wiper. By purchasing the license we can install and use them on up to 3 computers , intended only for home use. It has versions for 32 and 64 bit systems . The installation file is 191 MB in size. The installation process is done quickly without trying to get us to install additional third-party programs.
Alternatives to Paragon Hard Disk Manager
If you need a program with which to manage partitions on your hard drive, you can choose some of the following alternatives to the Paragon suite.
MiniTool Partition Wizard
It is an application that will allow us to create and delete all kinds of partitions on our hard drives, as well as to eliminate strange partitions from our hard drive in a very simple way. It also has the ability to revive a RAW hard drive by converting it to NTFS. In addition, we can easily move non-adjacent partitions to merge them, and even change the size of any partition to make it smaller and create a new one. We can download MiniTool Partition Wizard for free from its website.
Ultradefrag
With this application we will obtain a tool that will provide us with many options to improve the performance of our system. With it, we can carry out a complete defragmentation of our hard drive and partitions, and on the other we can even select the directory from which we want this process to take place, making the hard drive work like the first day. We can find Ultradefrag within its website and get it for a price of € 19.99 for a three-computer license.