Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect


I've used Acronis True Image for many years. Currently have version 2021.

It's more complex than what I need. I don't have an automated backup strategy. I just image C: when I'm about to do something like an OS update, or on a whim. I've had to learn a few tricks, like stopping one of their services so I can delete an unwanted image file using Windows Explorer. (Probably could do it from the application, but that's the way I do it.)

Reportedly Acronis is going to a subscription model after 2021. That may inspire me to switch, although I may be able to continue using True Image 2021 for a few years. (Like I continue to keep Photoshop CS6 around; last version that doesn't require a subscription. Adobe's activation servers still support it.)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA329C
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8 TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
I see a lot of members using Macrium to create back ups or clones, my license for Acronis is coming to an end so thoughts between the 2? Macrium has a free version, is it any good?

TIA
Most people here just use the free version for image backups.
But getting a license is not a bad idea.
I've been using the free version since Windows 10 Insider started back in 2013ish I think.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung M.2
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
I have never had a problem with Macrium Reflect, I have been using it for years. It is easy to use and just works.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Digital Storm Velox
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10940X
    Motherboard
    MSI X299 PRO (Intel X299 Chipset) (Up to 4x PCI-E Devices)
    Memory
    128 GB DDR4 3200 MHz Corsair Vengance LPX
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Black
    Sound Card
    Integrated Motherboard Audio-Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    CORSAIR XENEON 32QHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    2 Samsung 980 Pro NVME 2TB
    1x Storage (6TB Western Digital
    PSU
    Corsair / EVGA / Thermaltake (Modular) (80 Plus Gold)
    Case
    VELOX
    Cooling
    H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler (Dual Fan) (Fully Sealed + No Maintenance)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K63 Wireless
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 Pro
    Internet Speed
    1000Gb's Down-20 Up
    Browser
    Firefox 124.0.1
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Cyber power CP1350AVRLCD -UPS
    NVIDIA 551.86 Driver
  • Operating System
    Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Intel NUC13ANHi3
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 1315u
    Motherboard
    NUC13AN
    Memory
    64GB GSKILL DDR4 3200
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel On Board
    Sound Card
    Intel on Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 2419HGCF
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial M2NVME
    PSU
    External 90 Watt
    Case
    NUC Tall
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Razer
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    1GB
    Browser
    Slimjet 43.0.1.0
    Other Info
    quiet & fast
Most people here just use the free version for image backups.
But getting a license is not a bad idea.
I've been using the free version since Windows 10 Insider started back in 2013ish I think.

I paid because I wanted encryption. The paid home version also includes incremental backups (free just differential), Rapid Delta Restore, and several other features:


Besides I don't mind paying and supporting a good company that supports a feature-full free version.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Photoshop/Game/tinker build
    CPU
    Intel i9 1300KS
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Maximus Z90 Dark Hero
    Memory
    64GB (2x32) G.skill Trident Z5 RGB 6400 MHZ 32-39-39
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus ROG Strix 4070 Ti OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio, Vanatoo Transparent One; Klipsch R-12SWi Sub; Creative Pebble Pro Minimilist
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Eizo CG2730, ViewSonic VP2768
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p x 2
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB nvme, SK-Hynix 2 TB P41 nvme, Raid 0: 1TB 850 EVO + 1TB 860 EVO SSD. Sabrent USB-C DS-SC5B 5-bay docking station: 6TB WDC Black, 6TB Ironwolf Pro; 2x 2TB WDC Black
    PSU
    850W Seasonic Vertex PX-850
    Case
    Fractal Design North XL Mesh, Black Walnut
    Cooling
    EKWB 360 Nucleus Dark AIO w/Phanteks T30-120 fans, 1 Noctua NF-A14 Chromax case fan
    Keyboard
    Glorious GMMK TKL mechanical, lubed modded
    Mouse
    Logitech G305 wireless gaming
    Internet Speed
    380 Mb/s down, 12 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender, Macrium Reflect 8 ;-)
  • Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple 13" Macbook Pro 2020 (m1)
    CPU
    Apple M1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Browser
    Firefox
I have been using Acronis for years to make clone backups.
Never had any problems.
Simple, straightforward, does the job.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Build
    CPU
    Intel i7 4790K LGA 1150
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z97-WS
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX960
    Sound Card
    ASUS Essence
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ 32inch 4G
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160
    Hard Drives
    Assorted
    PSU
    EVGA 850
    Case
    Coolermaster Stryker
    Cooling
    Fans & Water Cooled Processor
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Wired
    Mouse
    Microsoft Wired
    Internet Speed
    The Pits
    Browser
    Dissenter
    Antivirus
    Microsoft
I've used both. While both work, if you are a geek looking for advanced options, Macrium has some capabilities that Acronis doesn't (or least did not at the time of my using it). For example, on my laptop, I use WiFi only, no Ethernet. It's WiFi 6 so it's every bit as fast as Gigabit Ethernet. Macrium supports WiFi from the recovery media. I like that. Could I connect, an Ethernet USB adapter? Sure, but why bother if I don't have to?

I also use BitLocker drive encryption. Macrium can restore my entire drive with BitLocker encryption still enabled so that I don't have to re-encrypt the drive after recovery.

Of course, there is more, but these are just some examples. It just seems that from a technical perspective, Macrium is really on top of things.

Then there is support. I spent hours trying to explain a really simple issue to Acronis and they simply couldn't help me. It actually resulted in the inability to recover some data. Thank goodness this was purely a test scenario (I always fully test my backup solution end to end).

That was when I switched to Macrium and closed my account with Acronis. I had licenses for TrueImage and their business backup solution at that time as well as several other products. I dumped them all. Your mileage may vary, but it left a really bad taste in my mouth.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
I have been using Macrium Reflect for a long time and it works well for my basic needs, I have tried AOMEI and Acronis but I am more comfortable with Macrium.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home(226313296.32)23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SFG14-72
    CPU
    i7-155h
    Motherboard
    Coral_MTH
    Memory
    LPDDR5X 32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Arc Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    SamsungATNA40YK 11-0
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800
    Hard Drives
    1TB NVMe Gen 4 M.2 SSD
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11Home(26058.1400)24H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Predator Triton PT516-51S
    CPU
    i7-11800H
    Motherboard
    Countryman_TLS
    Memory
    16GB DDR4 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    RTX 3070
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NE160QDM-NY1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    WD PC SN810 512GB
    Browser
    Edge, Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
First: This is coming from a guy who DOES NOT leave these programs installed on my PC. I use the "rescue" media to image and restore backups when I feel like it. So all the following is from that perspective. I don't use or want the added, automated, social networking, bloat (Acronis) installed on my PC.

I used to swear by Acronis until anything after the 2018 version, and even that was bloated as f@#$ but still very functional. Biggest con for me is it would not image Linux EXT4 partitions, except to make an enormous byte for byte (including old, deleted, everything) image, larger than the actual install partition (9 GB install made a 30 GB backup image)...and it is/was Linux based. What da f...?

I slowly switched over to Macrium Reflect over the years and find it to be the better of the two, by far, currently (free or paid version). One big advantage is the way it can restore "only what has changed" on the recovery and leave the 99% of unchanged data alone. I have found this to be extremely accutrate, right down to doing nothing but moving and icon on my desktop, or changing a "." to a "," in a text file, and seeing if it would "fix" it back, and it does. Very good for SSD users who love to tinker (read: break things) a lot. Only takes ~20 seconds to restore a backup image.

Acronis is just obsolete, blOATed, buggy, and clunky these days. My $0.02.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 21H1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 2600
    Motherboard
    Asrock B450 Gaming K4
    Memory
    2x8 GB 16-18-18-36 tRC-56 DDR4 3200
    Graphics Card(s)
    GTC 1660 Super
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 NVME, 1 SATA M.2 SSDs
    PSU
    Antec TP750
    Antivirus
    nope
^^^^^^ This. Acronis imaging of non-Windows partitions never worked for me either.

I'm pretty much using Macrium with CloneZilla as a backup.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
I use Redo Backup (now called Redo Rescue) and it works fine backuping and restoring Win 11. It only needs a pendrive less than 1 GB, no need of program installed and it can backup every partition and every OS (linux too if present in your pc), is a linux distro basically. It can't do incremental backup as Macrium does but for weekly or monthly backup is a good alternative.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Huawei Matebook D 14" 2018
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
Taking my 500+ GB of used space for my System partition alone and using only 1 GB on a thumb drive?

Color me impressed.

I'll stick to my bit-by-bit compressed backups, though.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
I use Redo Backup (now called Redo Rescue) and it works fine backuping and restoring Win 11. It only needs a pendrive less than 1 GB, no need of program installed and it can backup every partition and every OS (linux too if present in your pc), is a linux distro basically. It can't do incremental backup as Macrium does but for weekly or monthly backup is a good alternative.
What is it backing up? Only documents? It is completely impossible to backup the whole Windows OS in only 1 GB no matter what compression you are using.

EDIT: My apologies, after thinking about this more I assume that you mean that the recovery disk only needs a 1 GB drive, not that the backup occupies only 1 GB. Is that correct.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
What is it backing up? Only documents? It is completely impossible to backup the whole Windows OS in only 1 GB no matter what compression you are using.

EDIT: My apologies, after thinking about this more I assume that you mean that the recovery disk only needs a 1 GB drive, not that the backup occupies only 1 GB. Is that correct.

I made the same assumption you did lol.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
Can you clone a disk onto a smaller size disk with Macrium? for example clone an original 500gb SSD onto a 256 SSD as Acronis allows this
Yes of course you can!
I see a lot of members using Macrium to create back ups or clones, my license for Acronis is coming to an end so thoughts between the 2? Macrium has a free version, is it any good?

TIA
Having used both, and having extensive experience with both of them, I can say you cannot go wrong with either one.

I have been using Acronis True Image since 2009 and Macrium Reflect since it was released.

Both are very steady choices and Macrium Reflect has a free edition that is particularly impressive because it provides a range of features and stability that is almost uncommon amongst free backup software.
Both of these tools are very ideal for cloning disks too.

There are two areas in which Acronis True Image is superior to Macrium Reflect: compression efficiency in which Acronis is practically unbeatable (try it on MAX settings and see for yourself, especially the newer versions but even the old ones) AND additional features like cloud backup, secure zone, ransomware protection etc... if you need those.

Both of them are very flexible at cloning, they can restore and rearrange completely different layouts too, and can also restore MBR and adjust BCD and boot entries accordingly, to make the new system bootable. These two pieces of software have never let me down, not once from a thousand of times.

However if, like most of us, you're merely looking for a vanilla backup and cloning solution, Macrium Reflect free edition is probably the best software you will ever find for this scenerio, in terms of cost and memory efficiency as no unneccessary features exist in Macrium in my opinion, whileas I would say the additional features in recent versions of Acronis are useful to many, they are not required by everyone.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

Exactly, sorry for the mistake but I don't speak english fluent so ..
Redo stay on a pendrive and need less than 600 mb so you can use a older stick you have.
The backup size is 50% of your drive, in my case my first 3 partition (2 microsoft partition needed to boot + system C) are 14 GB and the backup image is 7 GB stored in a separate partition or portable HD.
The good is that Redo doen't need installation (Macium is 300 MB app) and without services active in background (Macrium use it) and been a linux distro live it can backup every OS you have in dualboot (linux too)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Huawei Matebook D 14" 2018
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
Exactly, sorry for the mistake but I don't speak english fluent so ..
Redo stay on a pendrive and need less than 600 mb so you can use a older stick you have.
The backup size is 50% of your drive, in my case my first 3 partition (2 microsoft partition needed to boot + system C) are 14 GB and the backup image is 7 GB stored in a separate partition or portable HD.
The good is that Redo doen't need installation (Macium is 300 MB app) and without services active in background (Macrium use it) and been a linux distro live it can backup every OS you have in dualboot (linux too)

CloneZIlla only uses 309 MB on a USB flash drive.

45.png

The Macrium boot drive I made with the necessary drivers for my motherboard only uses 290 MB.

46.png

Got a 500 MB Flash drive anyone? :lmao:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
^^^^^^ This. Acronis imaging of non-Windows partitions never worked for me either.

I'm pretty much using Macrium with CloneZilla as a backup.
CloneZilla is a great free util. I've been using it for years and it's always comes through!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homemade
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G 8-Core
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Onboard ATI Radeon
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus 28"
    Screen Resolution
    4K - 3840 X 2160
    Hard Drives
    PNY CS2140 500GB M.2 NVMe Gen4 x4
    Western Digital 500GB M.2 NVME Gen3
    OCZ-TRION 100 500GB SSD
    OCZ-TRION 150 500GB SSD
Macrium free is great but a 4 pack license is only $60(vincinity)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WIN 11 PRO
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell xps 8940
    CPU
    i-7
    Memory
    16
Most people here just use the free version for image backups.
But getting a license is not a bad idea.
I've been using the free version since Windows 10 Insider started back in 2013ish I think.
I found the free version of Macrium Reflect so useful that I decided to buy a license to support them. Now I have a 3 device license.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I see a lot of members using Macrium to create back ups or clones, my license for Acronis is coming to an end so thoughts between the 2? Macrium has a free version, is it any good?

TIA
It's the best there is.

I have a four-pack plus one paid. I chose to pay for Macrium Reflect 8 but the free version is just as good; just a few less bells and whistles.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer

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