imaging software to use

[pcpete]

For operating systems from XP to 7, we have used acronis 2010. It has worked flawlessly for us. Along with Windows 8 and GPT partitions this version of Acronis has not been compatible and newer versions of acronis have been slow and buggy. Currently we still use Acronis 2010 for Windows 7 and older systems. Since Windows 8 we have experimented with Macrium and Paragon with ok results.

Our main use case is for a nuke and pave, first backing up a complete system image to our server, then extracting the user files from the image to another system(for safety). We would like to invest in something for the new Windows 10 systems(along with 8) that we have to deal with.

Here are the features we are looking for like we are able to do in Acronis 2010

• bootable live media that will run on most hardware and allow us to backup over the network to our server/workstation
• be able to mount the images read/write if needed to browse
• a recovery wizard which will allow us to click on directories and files that we want to restore, then restore them while stripping out the file permissions so we can browse them and copy them back to the newly formatted system
• do the occasional clone and restore to a smaller or larger hard drive
• possibly the ability to restore to dissimilar hardware (this is least important)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[MDD1963]

There are also EaseUS ToDo Backup and AOMEI Backupper to checkout as well....

 

[MDD1963]

Are the issues of "Acronis is slow/buggy for Win8/10/GPT" widespread....? (I'd think we'd hear more about it since a stripped down version of Acronis is obstensibly used by Seagate and/or Western Digital?)

 

[layoric]

Never had an issue with Macrium. It can mount an image as well.

 

[TAPtech]

I liked Acronis 2013 (I think that was it was it) but I upgraded to the newest version and it really stripped down. Not an upgrade at all.

I have been using Paragon 15 lately and it does a great job. It is not as fast as Acronis was, though. For the tougher jobs I have a little N36L with hot swap BIOS and just boot Parted Magic. It's $10 and does a great job, especially if you're doing recovery. Seems like drive issues tend to cause Windows to freeze up when trying to access the drive, and Acronis/Paragon can't even see it.

 

[cypress]

There are also EaseUS ToDo Backup and AOMEI Backupper to checkout as well....

+1 for this. I use both with no problems.

 

[cyabro]

It costs a lot of money but we use shadow protect IT edition.
Got a really good deal on a 5 year sub a few years ago and just had to renew again recently.
We have looked at other options but always came back to SP as it works great, and is fast.
It comes on a USB stick, which you can boot from or you just run the program directly from the USB stick inside any version of Windows, no need to install anything.
We generally leave the stick in our workshop PC with the license server running and then copy the small program folder to a PC that we need to image. When you run the backup option you just point it to the IP address of the machine where the license server is running. You can backup to any USB drive or over the network.
You can then mount the image to restore files/folders, and any changes to the image can be saved if needed but an incremental file is created, SP never touches the original backup image, or you can restore the full image to any machine and use the hardware independent restore function as needed.
The only thing SP doesn't do well is cloning directly to another drive, it can be done but it's not the function of the software that was designed as a backup program first and foremost.

 

[pcpete]

Never had an issue with Macrium. It can mount an image as well.

1. Does maciurm allow you to create bootable media that will run on most hardware which will back up to a server?
2. if you want to just restore files from the image, can you "tick" off the directories and files and then will it extract them without file permissions so you can view them with having to change permissions?

 

[pcpete]

I liked Acronis 2013 (I think that was it was it) but I upgraded to the newest version and it really stripped down. Not an upgrade at all.

I have been using Paragon 15 lately and it does a great job. It is not as fast as Acronis was, though. For the tougher jobs I have a little N36L with hot swap BIOS and just boot Parted Magic. It's $10 and does a great job, especially if you're doing recovery. Seems like drive issues tend to cause Windows to freeze up when trying to access the drive, and Acronis/Paragon can't even see it.

1. Does Paragon allow you to create bootable media that will run on most hardware which will back up to a server?
2. if you want to just restore files from the image, can you "tick" off the directories and files and then will it extract them without file permissions so you can view them with having to change permissions?

 

[layoric]

1. Does maciurm allow you to create bootable media that will run on most hardware which will back up to a server?
2. if you want to just restore files from the image, can you "tick" off the directories and files and then will it extract them without file permissions so you can view them with having to change permissions?

Yes, you can make bootable media, linux or winpe. Don't think it has your permissions option but check their website or contact them directly.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Along with Windows 8 and GPT partitions this version of Acronis has not been compatible and newer versions of acronis have been slow and buggy.

Have you tried Acronis Backup, the commercial product? I havent used true image in forever due to problems from a while back.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

I second using Aomei backupper.

If memory serves, you can use the standard version free for business use according to their site, double check that though, but it lets you create images, create bootable media, can work with restoring full disks, partitions, etc. Even has the option to align partitions on an SSD. Used that today in fact. If you liked Acronis, you will pick this up easy.

I have an older version of Acronis I haven't used in a good while because backupper works that well. One note about it, if you are working with UEFI systems, you MUST create your bootable media(usb/cd) from a computer with UEFI enabled. If you create the media from a non UEFI computer, I don't care if you are running windows 8, 10 whatever, it will have a hard time working with a UEFI system. I say this from experience and fighting with backups that didn't boot etc etc and finally realizing that I had to create my boot media from a UEFI system.

It also has a universal hardware restore. Need to revisit purchasing the server version to see if we want to do that or not, but just for fun, used their trial to image an older server, then dropped the image onto some poor dell desktop. Mind you the server was a dell poweredge with raid 5 set up, etc etc. The dell desktop actually booted the image! We did have a purchase a PCI card that gave you PS2 ports for mouse and keyboard to actually be able to sign into the system, but the fact that it booted and worked was amazing considering the desktop system was only a little pentium with hyperthreading I think. Fun times, just wanted to try an off the wall test and see if it handled it or not.

 

[MDD1963]

1. Does maciurm allow you to create bootable media that will run on most hardware which will back up to a server?
2. if you want to just restore files from the image, can you "tick" off the directories and files and then will it extract them without file permissions so you can view them with having to change permissions?

Macrium Reflect (my free version of it anyway) offers only different options for WinPE based boot media....; EaseUS, Paragon, and AOMEI each offer both WinPE or Linux based rescue media...

 

[TechPJC]

Macrium Reflect

 

[rjg.tech]

We have Acronis and EaseUS. Acronis bootable media is used a lot but many times we mount the clients hdd to our workstation. We utilize "universal restore" quite a bit as well.

 

[pcpete]

I like Macrium except one big thing it seems to be missing. It may just be my ignorance. As far as I can tell if you cannot do a file recovery from a full image backup. The only way to recover files from the image backup is to mount it, then manually copy and paste. Am I missing something?