Here’s my experience with recently installing Symantec System Recovery 2013 R2 Desktop backup software:
My wife’s 5-yr old HP Win 7 desktop PC suffered a hard drive failure about 3 weeks ago, and fortunately we were “fully covered” by regularly using Ghost 15 along with a 2TB external backup drive. We decided to buy a new replacement desktop PC running Windows 8.1, and as noted in other threads on this forum, our good old Norton Ghost 15 will not run on Win 8.1 beyond the 30-day trial period. So, after about a week's time spent recovering and restoring the backed up documents, photos, music, emails, programs, etc., from the old external backup drive to the new PC - using the trial Ghost 15, it was time to bite the bullet and install the Symantec System Recovery 2013 R2 Desktop.
I had previously searched the net and bought a new SSR OEM install disc for around $55. Before installing SSR, I uninstalled Norton Ghost 15 and Norton Internet Security - via the Control Panel, then re-booted, then I ran the Norton Removal Tool, then re-booted, then I downloaded and installed the Windows ADK for Windows 8.1 pack, then finally I did a “typical” vs “advanced” install of SSR, which went smoothly. I re-booted again, to make sure everything was in sync, then opened SSR and entered the license key, then SSR did a Live Update, which took several minutes and another restart.
After opening SSR again, everything I saw in the various windows/screens was just like looking at Ghost 15, so I was a happy camper...and I still am. I then took a couple of minutes to set up the “My Computer” backup schedule, and I can confirm that SSR recognized and fully applied my new Toshiba 3TB external drive as the backup drive. Later on I re-installed/re-activated NIS.
Finally, I can report that SSR is performing the scheduled image backups, and I recently opened the Recovery Point Browser and recovered a couple of document files from a recent "My Computer" image backup just to test that it’s all working OK. So, if you’ve been using Ghost, then you’ll be comfortable using SSR (though maybe not its price). I rationalized the cost for SSR as being the same as buying a very good and easily accessible safety deposit box for safekeeping a huge amount of treasured and irreplaceable data.