Image your system with free Macrium

Stephanie said:

I think the free version is more than adequate for most home PC users :)

I also agree even though I have the Pro version. I originally needed incremental backups when I first started using Reflect because my notebook had the OS and data all on the same partition at the time, resulting in a huge amount to image, and since the notebook was the only working computer I had at the time, I was reluctant to fool around with the partitions. That has changed and I no longer need incremental backups so when v.6 comes out, I probably will just go with the free version.

The only real benefit most people would get from the Standard or Pro versions is differential and incremental backups. Those can save a lot of time if one has large partitions that need backing up frequently. The Pro version also allows one to restore an image to hardware that is different from the original. Example: one has to replace a MOBO. Normally, one would have to do a clean install of the OS. The Pro version would allow an image from an installation of the old MOBO to be "restored" to the new MOBO.

SIW2 said:

Interesting how the options vary among free versions of different programs.

Aomei does everything, except scheduling. You don't even need to d/l waik for it to make pe.

Download free backup restore software ? AOMEI Backupper Freeware.

Thanks. I installed Aomei this morning and gave it a look-see. The clean, compact interface is nice. The PE works beautifully too. There is no scheduler, and log files are non-existent, but that's cool with me. The freeware available these days is great!

I learned something interesting about Macrium Reflect today.

Short story: it doesn't play well with Speccy.

Longer version: I backup my data drives by cloning them with Macrium Reflect onto a HDD plugged into a hot swap bay in my case. Since the bay doesn't get much, if any, airflow, I was curious how hot HDDs in the bay can get. Since the only time the HDDs run enough for temperature to build up is during a clone, I opened Speccy so I could watch the temperatures during a clone. Part way into the clone, I happened to notice my screen was dark. About then, the computer posted, suggesting I had a BSOD. I figured the backup HDD had failed so I popped in the other backup drive and tried again. About halfway into the clone, I caught a quick glimpse of the BSOD before it started rebooting. Just before a full fledged panic attack could settle in, it occurred to me the variable that was different from previous clones was I had Speccy running so I reformatted the backup drive and, this time, started the clone without having started up Speccy first. The clone finished without a problem. Same for when I cloned to the other HDD. Lesson learned.

In case you're curious, the HDDs in the hot swap bays (WD Greens) ran at pretty much the same temperature as the WD Black installed in the intake airstream in my case I was cloning, roughly 35-36°C. Ambient was 27°C.

Well, I always run MR while AVAST! free is running. Usually, Media Monkey and calibre are also running; often, an e-book is open in calibre's e-book viewer. That's never been a problem before. I have no idea why Speccy would crash MR.