Acronis True Image 2021 or Clonezilla for Windows 11 Backup?

Sandi1987 · Jun 9, 2023

Which one should i use for Windows 11 Backup? Acronis True Image 2021 or Clonezilla?

Kees · Jun 9, 2023

I have no experience with Acronis True Image, but Clonezilla does function very well in my systems.
Using V2.6.7-28 (a rather old version) on USB-stick, which has the advance that the max. file size is still fixed on a certain maximum (4 GB), while in the newer version (tested V3.0.2.21 on USB-stick as well) have to tell the software every time I want such a maximum. There the image file is default stored as one big file.

See my system specs, for knowing what drives I use it on in my most recent system.
I have been restoring the C: drive somewhat times already, succesfully...

The only thing with Clonezilla is, that it is not very user-friendly. But it works and it's free software!
And as I have been using it for more than 10 years, I am quite familiar with it (but only using standard things, nothing special).

pietcorus2 · Jun 9, 2023

Will not use them both............Macrium , Aomei , Paragon is my choise ! :wink:

Ghot · Jun 9, 2023

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

cereberus · Jun 9, 2023

Sandi1987 said:
Which one should i use for Windows 11 Backup? Acronis True Image 2021 or Clonezilla?

Whichever works when you test it.

Personally neither.

glasskuter · Jun 9, 2023

I know nothing about Clonezilla. I looked at some of its screenshots which look extremely outdated and clunky IMO. But I guess if it works, not only the backup process but the restore process, it doesn't matter how it looks.
Back in Windows 7 days I used Acronis for years but when it failed me a few times, I lost confidence in it.

Poll on Backup software

A poll to see which imaging programs people use. You can select up to three options (eg some people use more than one program or use a regular imaging program plus a cloud based one).

www.elevenforum.com

bob3d · Jun 9, 2023

I have used Acronis True Image 2021 for a couple of years. I back up every Wednesday and it has always successfully backed up. When I messed up my computer on at least three occasions, I restored my system using the Acronis with great success. Since I have had great success over the years with Acronis, I would not consider using any other backup solution.

bob

pparks1 · Jun 9, 2023

i used to use acronis, but I think once WIndows 8 came out, the version I was using wasn't really supported anymore. I've also used Paragon Backup and Restore for years without trouble.

At present, I am using macrium, I have a paid for license and it works great for me, so I've stuck with it. I used the free versions for years and felt it was such a good product that I wanted to pay for it.

FreeBooter · Jun 9, 2023

I used to use Acronis True Image it was very fast when it comes to backup with encryption.

pietcorus2 · Jun 9, 2023

Yes, Acronis is bloated and outdated , used it in Win7 , not anymore , Macrium is the best backupper .....!

cereberus · Jun 9, 2023

pietcorus2 said:
Yes, Acronis is bloated and outdated , used it in Win7 , not anymore , Macrium is the best backupper .....!

Here we go.

Another endless Acronis versus Macrium Reflect debate starting LOL.

trevo · Jun 9, 2023

cereberus said:
Here we go.

Another endless Acronis versus Macrium Reflect debate starting LOL.

Wait until the "Ghost" practitioner sees this :wink:

MisterEd · Jun 9, 2023

I used to have 3 copies of Acronis True Image 2021. Its GUI was painfully slow. It also had a major bug that Acronis would not fix. I got rid of them and went back to Acronis True Image 2018. ATI 2018 is no where as slow as ATI 2021 and isn't as buggy. I have no regrets doing this.

bob3d · Jun 9, 2023

MisterEd said:
Acronis True Image 2021...It also had a major bug that Acronis would not fix...

What is that major bug, may I ask?

Always Why · Jun 9, 2023

I suggest download the free version of Revo-uninstaller to remove your current backup program. Then download the free version of Macrium. Macrium is a good choice because it creates a boot item when you tap F8 during boot-up. That choice is there if you cannot boot to your desktop screen. No need for a flash drive.

MisterEd · Jun 9, 2023

bob3d said:
What is that major bug, may I ask?

I had been using Acronis True Image to automatically back up my Samsung phones even before I got ATI 2021. The last release of ATI 2021 had a bug that broke mobile backups. Acronis support said they weren't going to fix this bug. I could have gone back to a previous build of ATI 2021 which didn't have the bug but I was already annoyed about its slow GUI. I already had one copy of ATI 2018 so knew it had no problems with mobile backups. That it why I went to ATI 2018. Note I am now using 4 copies of ATI 2018.

pparks1 · Jun 9, 2023

trevo said:
Wait until the "Ghost" practitioner sees this

LOL.

snerd · Jun 9, 2023

One word. Macrium.

hdmi · Jun 9, 2023

CloneZilla is painfully slow, and, as someone already stated, it isn't very user friendly. Although it does work. But all you really need is 1/ a USB flash drive that you have formatted with Ventoy and 2/ the (Linux based) bootable Rescue Media ISO file of Acronis True Image 2021, which can be downloaded from here:

http://dl.acronis.com/s/AcronisTrueImage2021_39287.iso

After the USB flash drive has been formatted with Ventoy, you only need to copy the downloaded file AcronisTrueImage2021_39287.iso to the root of the USB flash drive. Then when you boot from the USB flash drive, you will be able to choose the bootable ISO file and continue booting into it. The GUI is highly user friendly and the slowdowns in the GUI that someone was referring to here in this thread actually were fixed by Acronis a few years ago. There will be no bloat of any kind whatsoever, as the bootable Rescue Media ISO file does not install anything onto your computer. But you will be able to do convenient things with it where other solutions typically fall short, very typically, like:

When creating a new image file of your Windows partition you will be able to pick a destination folder that is located on this same Windows partition whereas others won't let you do this. This is extremely handy in situations where the Windows partition is the only partition that has enough available free space to create the image file on, and you plan on moving the image file to a different storage device (that you plan to use for backup) AFTER the image file has been created.
You will be able to very easily (in a highly user friendly manner) specify files/folders (with wildcards) that you don't want to be included in the new image file.
You will be able to choose whether the new image file will be incremental.
While the new image file is being created you will be able to check the Verify image checkbox to assure that the new image file will be strictly reliable outside of a potential hardware failure so then the old mantra of Acronis being to blame for it failing to restore will be the superlative of folklore (and that is putting it very mildly).

The reason why I recommend to use Ventoy is because it lets you use all that available free space that remains on the USB flash drive (after you copied the bootable ISO file on it) for whatever the purpose you like. And you can have multiple bootable image files (not just bootable ISO files, but other types of bootable image files also) on it if you like. Once it's been formatted with Ventoy, you never need to reformat the USB flash drive again. It's Open Source so everyone can see that it is completely reliable. Finally, the reason why I recommend using a USB flash drive as opposed to merely adding a multiboot option on your primary storage device is because if you ever bump into a situation where you need to restore your Windows partition from an image file, usually it means that the data on your primary storage device got so severely damaged that booting from it just no longer works, anyway in the first place so, for most users IMO that would almost certainly be moot.

cereberus · Jun 9, 2023

Always Why said:
I suggest download the free version of Revo-uninstaller to remove your current backup program. Then download the free version of Macrium. Macrium is a good choice because it creates a boot item when you tap F8 during boot-up. That choice is there if you cannot boot to your desktop screen. No need for a flash drive.

You always need a flash drive in case hard drive fails