Question What is the best "set and forget" backup software and set-up for Windows 11 ?

[Imacflier]

Good Morning, All,

It seems that Acronis has dropped support for Acronis True-Image 2021 for Win11.
Since that was the key element in my backup scheme, I am now seeking an alternative. I know this has been generally discussed in several places, but maybe we can put it in one place.

I just detest software as a service (SOS) and ALWAYS purchase a perpetual license if I like software after the trial period.

I also know that @USAFRet seems to be the acknowledged expert on the subject so I hope he jumps in with his recommendation.

I a extremely biased toward set it up and have it automatically run, reducing the idiot factor of having something and then not using it (looking a me, here)

So, with that intro:

What should I buy and how should I set it up?

TIA,

Larry

 

[Lafong]

Are you trying to back up "everything" with a single application?

Or one for Windows/system/installed applications and another for personal data?

Now that Macrium Reflect Free is going or gone, I see more talk about Aomei Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite Free. Never used either.

I use Macrium Reflect paid version for Windows/applications and SyncBackFree for data. I think that's a pretty common combo.

Imaging applications can typically back up "everything", but they have certain shortcomings for personal data backup...you can live with/work around those shortcomings if you want.

 

[USAFRet]

Good Morning, All,

It seems that Acronis has dropped support for Acronis True-Image 2021 for Win11.
Since that was the key element in my backup scheme, I am now seeking an alternative. I know this has been generally discussed in several places, but maybe we can put it in one place.

I just detest software as a service (SOS) and ALWAYS purchase a perpetual license if I like software after the trial period.

I also know that @USAFRet seems to be the acknowledged expert on the subject so I hope he jumps in with his recommendation.

I a extremely biased toward set it up and have it automatically run, reducing the idiot factor of having something and then not using it (looking a me, here)

So, with that intro:

What should I buy and how should I set it up?

TIA,

Larry

I use Macrium Reflect.
Each system, each physical drive, on its own schedule.
Full drive images. Depending on the system, either just a series of Full, or Full and then a string of Incremental.

All write to a folder tree on my NAS.

My system and its 6 drives...Incremental every night. Starting at midnight, then each drive at 0030, 0100, 0130, etc.
Keep for a rolling 30 days.

Another system in the house gets a Full image every other night. Keep for 2 weeks.

My HTPC, a Full image once a week.


How often you do it is all up to you. The scheduling is very customizable.


Now...some people are going to whine that Macrium no longer has a "free" version.
Well, none of its competitors do ether. Acronis, EaseUS, etc...all have gone the same way. A short trial, then you must pay.

But...for me, Macrium is one of those things that is actually worth buying it.
It "just works".

And yes, I have had to use it a couple of times to recover after a major problem.

 

[Imacflier]

USAFret,

Well, you sure convinced me, particularly since my configuration is so similar to yours! One more question, though: how big are the drives you are backing up and how big the target drive??

My system has four 6TB spinning platter data drives and a 4TB m.2 nvme system drive. I asked Macrium for their recommendations this morning and received a reply within the hour<!!> They are recommending 20TB in an NAS for the target drive.

TIA,

Larry

 

[USAFRet]

USAFret,

Well, you sure convinced me, particularly since my configuration is so similar to yours! One more question, though: how big are the drives you are backing up and how big the target drive??

My system has four 6TB spinning platter data drives and a 4TB m.2 nvme system drive. I asked Macrium for their recommendations this morning and received a reply within the hour<!!> They are recommending 20TB in an NAS for the target drive.

TIA,

Larry

I have 6x 1TB drives in my main system. All SSD of various types.

For your config, a 20TB Volume is not far off.

The volume I use for this is currently 8TB.
This is my main system, and all the others. 6 systems, saved to the same folder tree.
Currently, the Macrium Images consume about 5TB actual used space in the NAS.


A Full Image of each drive, and then a series of Incremental or Differential.

 

[USAFRet]

Macrium only images actual used space.

My C drive is a 1TB 980 Pro.
Approx 245GB consumed space.
A Full Image, and a rolling 30 days of Incrementals only consumes 385GB on the NAS.

 

[USAFRet]

My little HTPC gets a Full Image every other day.
Keep a rolling 10 images.
But its C drive is only around 42-43GB. So total, ~430GB consumed space.

 

[ubuysa]

I'm still using Macrium Reflect Free, it is still available from MajorGeeks but I only use it to image my system drive (and I keep the most recent 14 images). For all my data drives I use SyncBack SE (paid for) - but only because I have many Greek filenames and the SyncBack Free version doesn't handle those. SyncBack does a file-by-file copy but only of files that have changed, so once you've run the initial backup the nightly backups run quite fast. With SyncBack SE I can also backup to my cloud service for added security. SyncBack is highly customisable with many options for selecting what is backed-up, and how and where it's backed-up.

I backup locally to an external HDD. I have two partitions on there; one exFAT formatted - because that's the most efficient for the large Macrium reflect files, and the other NTFS formatted - because that's the most efficient for the smaller and more varied SyncBack SE files. To protect against ransomware the external HDD is connected to the mains power via a USB controlled mains switch. This allows an app on the PC to turn the external HDD on an off.

My 'fire and forget' backup system is based on a batch file that is scheduled to run every night. Here's what it does...

1. Turn on the external HDD and wait 30 seconds for it to come online
2. Run the Macrium Reflect system drive image
3. Run the SyncBack SE backup of my data drives
4. Wait 30 seconds for everything to close and then turn off the external HDD
5. Run the SyncBack SE backup of my data drives to my cloud service

I've been running this backup regime for many years now and it's never let me down. My external HDD is only online long enough to run the backups (about 10 minutes). I could make the batch file disconnect from the Internet (to prevent ransomware phoning home for the encryption key) and then enable it again at the end, but with the cloud backups as well I don't think that's necessary.

 

[Ralston18]

Very good that all is running smoothly

However, unless you have had to do some sort of recent recovery or otherwise verified that the data is backed up then there remains some level of uncertainty and risk.

Mr. Murphy loves "fire and forget" because we do forget.....

 

[Imacflier]

Hi, Guys,

Well I have now acquired three ways of doing backups via imaging and cloning: Macrium Reflect (Free Version) which is still findable for download; DiskGenius which is Freeware; and surprisingly to me Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office $69 for a perpetual license as an upgrade if you own an old version of Acronis True Image or Cyber Protect Home Office. Acronis True Image does not support Win 11 so reasonably priced licenses are available on Ebay from folks who moved from Win 10 to Win 11.

As soon as my new drives arrive over the next week or so (I am upgrading to 6TB from the too old 4TB units I currently have) I will set up the same back up process on each of the three pieces of software and compare them for ease of set up, speed of back up, and size of back up. I will provide my highly opinionated findings in a few weeks.

Thanks muchly for all the responses! I think that USAFret's response and backup process should be a sticky, since there are so many similar threads on this subject!

Larry

 

[Imacflier]

First results: Cloning System Drive
Set-up: System drive is an M.2 4TB nvme drive with 351 GB in use. Target drive is similar, in an AMZ Pilot docking station drive via USB-C.

Scoring so far:
DiskGenius is far and away the fastest of the pieces of software I have tested so far:
DiskGenius: Less than two hours
EaseUS Copy 5.5: Greater than one day
EaseUS ToDo Backup: Greater than one day
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office: Greater than 3 Days
AOMEI BackerUpper: Greater then 5 days
Macrium Reflect (Free Version): Next to be tested.

Interim conclusion: the Freeware DiskGenius is worth installing in addition to your imaging software (DiskGenius supports disk imaging but does not have the scheduling flexibility of Macrium) if you have any need for disk cloning! I can only hope that Macrium proves to be as fast as DiskGenius when cloning so I can remove all disk software other than Macrium!

More to come.

Larry

 

[USAFRet]

First results: Cloning System Drive

Is this for Cloning, or for backups?

Not really the same thing.

Cloning is for changing the drive right now.

Imaging is for an ongoing backup schedule.


For instance, I would not put the Clone operation on a schedule.
That gives you a "backup" that is just 1 deep.
In addition, if you have multiple physical drives (like me), you need a physical target drive for each.


Imaging, OTOH, can give you much more depth.
An initial Full Image, then a series of Incremental or Differential.
My systems schedules enable several weeks worth of potential recovery.

I can go back to "Last Tuesday", for any individual drive.

 

[Imacflier]

I completely concur and am now awaiting the receipt of new HDDs to replace my current elderly ones. Since using the imaging process for backup is new to me (I will be following your example), I will be most comfortable producing a clone once a week in addition to my images.

Larry

 

[USAFRet]

I completely concur and am now awaiting the receipt of new HDDs to replace my current elderly ones. Since using the imaging process for backup is new to me (I will be following your example), I will be most comfortable producing a clone once a week in addition to my images.

Larry

All my Images live in a single folder tree in a Volume on my NAS.
A subfolder for each individual drive or system.

And the nightly Incremental Images take but a minute or two each.

 

[Imacflier]

As someone said here, probably you, the best backup regime is the one which is USED! And I really want the added security of a backup, although is a single point backup, which requires no additional processing to deploy!

Larry