Does anyone here use Acronis True Image or the like -- And why?

[DrCR]

Does anyone here use Acronis True Image or the like -- And why?

I'm genuinely asking. For the geeky crowd present here (important caveat), what does a product like this actually offer? Why it instead of dd/rsync/gparted/clonezilla/etc.?

I certainly don't wish to demean the product or those like it. I used it many years ago before I was as tech savvy, and it certainly has a purpose for sort-of-tech-compentent-but-not-geeky crowd e.g. some dentist who wants to backup his laptop or some such. But for the geek realm this forum represensets, why use such a prodcut?

 

[newtekie1]

I use it on all of my machine. I only use it to take OS images, not back up any other data(that's all done with robocopy scripts). It's just an easy way to get a machine back up and running if a OS drive dies. I know some will say "it doesn't take that long to re-install Windows and re-load all your programs", and it might not to them. For me, it takes hours, some people might not consider that long, but I do. The 20 minutes to re-image the machine and have it exactly how it was the day before the drive died, is priceless to me.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I use it because Western Digital offers a 'free' version albeit with some missing features to clone as many drives as you want so long as you have a WD drive installed.

Im aware that some people dont like it, there is probably better software but I have cloned loads of drives with Acronis and probably had 3 failed cloning ops in total in the last 10 years of using it.

Im also aware that there are now USB HDD docking stations that hold multiple drives that will clone drives at the push of a button without any software acting as a middleman -- This is probably the way forward if im honest.

 

[DrCR]

newtekie1, here's a question for you: In a simpler, stabler WinOS era e.g. WinXP getting just security updates, would it matter as much to you? (I've dropped running WinOS at home for quite a few years now. But when I build a new computer next year, I'm resigned to the fact that I should probably bother with WinOS at home again since not everything works via Steamplay/Proton. I was thinking of seeing how I might be able to go the LTSB route. But even if LTSB is achievable on a personal computer, I'll likely still mimic your Windows OS partition backup strategy.)

FreedomEclipse, understood, makes sense. Basically you got a work process that works for you and no real reason to change it.

 

[R-T-B]

I've never used it, always used Clonezilla since ghost died, so...

 

[Fangio1951]

I use to use the full paid version up to 2016, but had a VERY BAD customer support situation (where they refused to acknowledge some major bugs) with them and have stopped using it since.

I now use EaseUS to do home 3 PC version, since and it works perfectly - mostly used for cloning duplicate drives (HDD, M2 & SSD) = os/boot + data.

 

[OneMoar]

Reflect

 

[sam_86314]

I use Seagate's version, and I've been considering buying the full version. I use it for backups, cloning, and also archiving old OS drives.

Unfortunately, they changed the archive file format (from .tib to .tibx, which is completely different) in the 2021 release, so I'm pretty much stuck with 2020 or older.

 

[biffzinker]

what does a product like this actually offer? Why it instead of dd/rsync/gparted/clonezilla/etc.?

I’ve used Macrium Reflect, Trueimage, and EaseUS. I eventually settled on Clonezilla for imaging, and backup. It’s not complicated or difficult too use for me.

 

[newtekie1]

newtekie1, here's a question for you: In a simpler, stabler WinOS era e.g. WinXP getting just security updates, would it matter as much to you? (I've dropped running WinOS at home for quite a few years now. But when I build a new computer next year, I'm resigned to the fact that I should probably bother with WinOS at home again since not everything works via Steamplay/Proton. I was thinking of seeing how I might be able to go the LTSB route. But even if LTSB is achievable on a personal computer, I'll likely still mimic your Windows OS partition backup strategy.)

It doesn't matter at all. The long part isn't the OS updates, it's reinstalling all my programs and customizing.

 

[oinkypig]

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a paid program that works very very well. It can do just about everything. It also includes partition assistant. This program has a bootable option as well with full features. Its outstanding and extremely useful. It has taken a fresh install of Windows partition 40gb and shrunk it down to 20gb in its own compatible imaging backup. Its also the most user friendly interface I have run across.

 

[EarthDog]

It works well. Easy...fast. nearly fool proof. This covers 95% of people's needs even at an enthusiast website. Why make things more complicated if it works? What's better, really, in other methods?

Anyway, does easus backup count in the same 'before I was as tech savvy, and it certainly has a purpose for sort-of-tech-compentent-but-not-geeky crowd e.g. some dentist who wants to backup his laptop or some such group? I honestly not sure what the difference is... paid vs free?

 

[Athlonite]

Macrium Reflect is what I use it easy to use and just does what I want it to upto a point like it won't increase the partition size but that's a 5 min job in another program (GParted)

 

[harm9963]

Works well for me, love my Sabrent Rocket NVMe.

 

[Mr Bill]

My first purchase of Acronis was back in 2011, I'm using 2018 now, I've never had any issues with it at all. I mostly just do .tib backups, and restore from them, with never an issue. I have every drive backed up from Windows XP 64 bit, to 7, to 8.0 to 8.1 to LTSB and LTSC and the latest Windows 10 ver. 2004, never an issue, am I just lucky, or have others had this same experience?

 

[OneMoar]

Reflect because its free for commercial AND non commercial use

 

[trickson]

I have always used 2 methods one Acronis True Image or clean install.
I will be using Aconis True Image this week when I get my My first
Crucial P1 1TB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe Internal SSD, up to 2000MB/s - CT1000P1SSD8.
I have a WD 3T HD now that is well FULL.
Not sure if I will be able to just install windows and my games but I may have to do a clean install.