Some time ago, there was a discussion here about an alternative to Acronis that would do a disk image backup.

I thought I bookmarked that link, but can't find it. (it's probably hiding in the wrong category, but which one?)

Would you all be so kind as to refresh my memory?

Thanks.

Notes ♫

Macrium Reflect free Notes.

Is this the one?

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=616385#Post616385

I use Macrium Reflect. I started with the free version but I liked it so much I purchased it. YMMV

+++ Lazesoft Recovery Suite +++ FREE!

Has wizards for the following tasks:

• Burn CD / USB Disk - Launch Bootable Media Builder to burn a bootable recovery CD or USB disk.
• Windows Recovery - Use this option to any boot or crash errors caused by virus infection or corrupt files.
• Data Recovery
• Disk Image and Clone
• Windows Password Recovery

Did I mention it's free?!

I use Macrium Reflect. I also have a 4 system license, so I can install on up to 4 separate machines (which I do).

It was from that thread that moved me from my prior alternative to acronis (EaseUs) to macrium as my acronis alternative.

EaseUs used to be free. The last time I tried, it was no longer free. It did perform a way to handle bad sectors and continue an image task while encountering bad sectors. When I started using EaseUs maybe 8 years ago, Acronis could not progress once it encountered a bad sector.

+1 Macrium Reflect

Straight forward. Several major backups / HD images, very smooth.

Thanks y'all.

I have a 3 computer license with Acronis, I got a new computer, didn't disable the license before wiping the drive, and Acronis thinks I'm trying to add a fourth computer.

I think I'll try Macrium Reflect on that computer, I'll use the free version, and if I like it a lot, I'll get a license for the upgrade.

Notes ♫

I think you will like Macrium Reflect as it is much easier to use than Acronis, at least for me it was.

I have an older laptop that I cloned with Macrium Reflect. Then I replaced the HD with the cloned HD and everything worked perfectly and was identical. Thus I know that it works as advertised.

Keep us posted.

I did not have a good experience with Acronis so I load all new boot drives from scratch. Now, with some of these huge instrument libraries, doing that isn’t so appealing. Question: how intrusive is Macrium Reflect (paid)? Does it remain in the background doing things (bad) or is it just a stand-alone, run it when you need it Utility?

Free is run it when you need it. As I only do full drive backup it does the job perfectly. As far as I know it doesn't do anything other than check for updates in background.

I do have a backup of Acronis as well (about six months old) just as a further precaution.

Macrium Reflect is absolutely non-intrusive. It will handle incremental and image backups, sits in the background, can be set to shut down an unattended machine when complete etc.

It creates bootable rescue media (CD/DVD) at the start, this allows you to still boot the computer in the event of a totally failed disk, and store that safely away. Then you just run the Image backup as required, select the disk(s) you wish to backup, and it handles the rest in the background.

Thanks for the info.

I've bookmarked the Macrium site, and as soon as the holiday parties and learning new holiday songs are over, I'll give it a go.

I hope I don't hide the bookmark this time (it's in an obvious place, near the top now).

Notes ♫

Same here, Bob. All my data is backed up in three places, but I need to clone to a bigger boot drive. A project for after the holidays.

I back up data every day using Microsoft's SyncToy app.

I have two external drives that I put in a 'toaster'. The toaster drive is never on until it's time to back up.

I do a full image on one at least once a week.

I do a full image on the second one once a month, so I can keep an archive of many months. This should protect me from a piece of malware that doesn't launch itself immediately.

Plus, all important data gets backed up off-site.

Files I need for gigging are on two gig computers (I only need one) and a flash drive - just in case.

Computers can be replaced, data can not.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Bob, I'm even reduced more than you...... I do a weekly "difference" backup of all data once a week to portable USB hard drives that I store off site too. Never used an image backup. If the OS drive fails, I simply reinstall Windows on a new drive....

My best example of using an image backup was back when Norton Ghost was my choice.

I bought a guitar pedal that came with a CD-ROM with Cubase LE on it. I had tried Cubase many years before that and didn't really like it, but I was curious to how it may have been improved.

So I did what I always do before installing any new software, I made a fresh disk image.

I slipped the CD in, waited for the prompt, and clicked. It churned away and seemed to get stuck. No noise from the CD reader, no action on the screen and after a long wait, I realized it was stuck.

Ctrl+Alt+Del freed the computer and I used the task manager to quit the installation. I tried it again, and it stalled again.

I rebooted the computer but got a DOS screen with a message I don't quite remember word for word, but it told me to finish the installation. The CD was still in the drive, so there was nothing I could do. None of the usual key combinations freed the computer, so I rebooted in the safe mode.

Safe mode had the same problem, the computer didn't want to boot but wanted to continue the installation, however that wasn't possible.

In went the rescue disk, reboot, recover using the image, do something else while it churned away, come back to the computer exactly as it was before I tried that install.

Next step, break the CD-ROM and throw it in the trash.

Notes ♫