Looking for a Replacement for Macrium Reflect Free


@kelper This seems like a circular argument. The free version has a few selected system folder that are safe and can be excluded, like the Recycle bin, but does not allow user defined folder exclusions. Changing user folder to hidden does not exclude them from the backup.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel Core Ultra16GBIntel(R) Arc Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED
CPU
Intel Core Ultra
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) Arc Graphics
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio(SST)
Screen Resolution
2880 x 1800
Hard Drives
500 GB NVMe SSD
Internet Speed
1,500Mbps
Browser
Firefox, Edge
Antivirus
Windows Defender
I quit using backup related software a long time ago, since I started using the stand alone ssd and the m.2 duplicators with not one issue, there’s no turning back, it’s the only way to fly.
I also use a PCIe card for my m.2 so it makes pulling the card and cloning the m.2 drive easier. Of course cloning is just the way I prefer to backup, to each their own. :-)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows XP (Stable, iconic) 7/8.1/10/ Tiny11 ...Intel i7 4790K32GB DDR3 1600 MHzATI Radeon HD 7770 2GB GDDR5
OS
Windows XP (Stable, iconic) 7/8.1/10/ Tiny11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Alienware PC
CPU
Intel i7 4790K
Motherboard
ASROCK Z97 EXTREME4
Memory
32GB DDR3 1600 MHz
Graphics Card(s)
ATI Radeon HD 7770 2GB GDDR5
Sound Card
Onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
SAMSUNG UE57 Series 28-Inch 4K UHD
Hard Drives
SAMSUNG 860 EVO 250 gigabyte SSD
PSU
EVGA 850 watt
Case
Alienware Area 51 Black Tower Case
Keyboard
HyperX - Alloy Elite 2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.
Mouse
Microsoft Wireless
Internet Speed
1.2 GHz
Browser
Chrome..Edge..Firefox
Speaking of scripting, while it is not a free product, I have become a huge fan of Drive Snapshot.


It doesn't have a fancy UI, just a very basic UI. Where it excels is in scripting and command-line usage. If you want to script backup operations, this is an absolute killer app. Yes, there is a learning curve, but at least for me, spending some time to get to know it is absolutely worth the time spent.

I have scripts setup for a number of my systems that allow me far greater flexibility than then standard scheduling found in many backup programs.

NOTE: Yes, I am aware that some programs like Macrium reflect allow you to easily convert your backup definition files into a script as well. For that reason, I still use Reflect on my most important systems, I just wanted to point out this program because I don't see it mentioned frequently but I find it to be such a great tool. It's especially good on a rescue disk because all that it requires is a single .exe file and it will work not only within Windows but from Win RE or Win PE recue media as well. It makes no registry changes and is fully portable.
I've been using Drive Snapshot for many years. It has never let me down. And it's so tiny in file size. I include it with some of my WinPEs.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Core i9-10900XCorsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 ...GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • At a glance

    Windows 10 ProCore i7-8750HSK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 1...NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
The paid version does allow excluding files or folders and I have verified this. A lifetime licence is $45 and I will switch to this when my Macrium X licence expires.

1782722659342.webp
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8737AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8737
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic LX15PRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5825U with Radeon Graphics
    Motherboard
    BIOS CT_BI_AMI_LX15PRO_AB8139_A-004
    Memory
    16GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD 2TB
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Defender/Windows Security
    Other Info
    System 3

    Acer Swift SF114-34 laptop
    OS Windows 11 Pro 26200.8737
    CPU Pentium Silver N6000
    RAM 4GB
    BIOS v1.17
    SSD Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB (an upgrade)
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506Atom N450 1.66GHz2GB
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
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