GoBack

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Norton GoBack (previously known as Wildfile GoBack, Adaptec GoBack, and Roxio GoBack) is a Microsoft Windows based disk utility that can record up to 8Gb of disk changes. When the filesystem is idle for a few seconds, it marks these as "safe points". The product allows the disk drive to be reverted to any point within the available history. It also allows older versions of files to be restored, and previous versions of the whole disk to be browsed. Depending on disk activity, the typical history might cover a few hours to a few days.

1 How it works
2 Incompatible products
3 Usage precaution
4 Product history
5 External links
6 See also
7 Competing products

[edit] How it works

GoBack replaces the Master Boot Record, and also replaces the partition table with a single partition. This allows a hard drive to be reverted even in the event that the Operating System is unable to boot, while also protecting the filesystem from alteration so that the revert information remains correct.

GoBack is compatible with hardware RAID drives.

[edit] Incompatible products

Due to the changes made to the partition table, this can cause problems when dual booting other operating systems on the same hard disk. It is possible to retain dual-boot compatibility, but can involve saving the partition table before enabling GoBack, and after enabling GoBack, re-writing the partition table back to the disk (after booting from a different device, such as a Live CD).

It may also be necessary to disable GoBack prior to using certain low level disk utilities, such as formatting software. Such low level utilities which do not first check for the presence of GoBack can (in combination with GoBack) cause data to become corrupted. Another example of an incompatible program is the Windows version of Acronis Image For Windows. GoBack is also incompatible with products such as Drive Vaccine PC Restore and RollBack Rx - as these products require access to the MBR (Master Boot Record).

[edit] Usage precaution

GoBack is not yet officially supported by Windows Vista.^{[citation needed]}

Source: Compatibility of Symantec consumer products with Microsoft Windows operating systems. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.

[edit] Product history

In 1999, GoBack was first designed, written, and patented by a company called Wildfile. [1]
March 2000, Adaptec acquires Wildfile for approximately $29 million. [2][3][4]
April 2001, Adaptec created another company, Roxio. Roxio retained the GoBack product. [5]
May 2001, Roxio GoBack version 3 is released, this time also supporting the NTFS filesystem, which by now was being used more widely since the release of Windows XP. [6]
April 2003, Roxio sells GoBack to Symantec for $13 million. [7]
September, 2004, GoBack version 4 is released.
2005, now included in Norton SystemWorks Standard and Premium Editions.