Maybe this will help you decide victor in Acronis/Macrium debate (revisited)

MisterEd · Apr 15, 2023

Some people insisted on resurrecting this old thread Maybe this will help you decide victor in Acronis/Macrium debate to the ire of some people. Apparently, that is discouraged because it is against forum rules. The solution is to start another thread which I am doing.

Someone in another thread said they bought Acronis True Image 2021 and liked it. I bought 3 licenses for Acronis True Image 2021 and found it to be a mess.

Every new version that came out culminating in this version added new security features. I disliked that because it added complexity and slowed the program down.
ATI 2021 had a very sluggish GUI. It was very annoying to have to wait 30 seconds or more for a simple menu change.
The last ATI 2021 update broke the mobile backup feature. Since I needed that capability I was very annoyed when support said they weren't going to fix it.

I ended up downgrading my three ATI 2021 licenses to ATI 2018. At least this version worked as expected.

ThrashZone · Apr 15, 2023

Hi,
Yeah I saw the gripe
I'm unaware of any forum rule against thread bumping if they were mods could easily lock the thread after a time so I call bullshit hehe
But yeah some people can't ignore things they don't like as well as others can
Feel like bumping it again thanks for the link

Ghot · Apr 15, 2023

RD Mercer · Apr 15, 2023

MisterEd said:
I ended up downgrading my three ATI 2021 licenses to ATI 2018. At least this version worked as expected.

I use the 2018 version on a flash drive from boot, I've found it to be about the best, not one issue yet, well for me.

ThrashZone · Apr 15, 2023

Hi,
Best is often what works
Personally I just use the usb recovery media to create and restore system images and has never failed.
So yeah besides a couple weeks ago I made another usb winpe I haven't opened reflect in years.

RD Mercer · Apr 16, 2023

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Best is often what works

Well said, I agree.

cereberus · Apr 16, 2023

MisterEd said:
Some people insisted on resurrecting this old thread Maybe this will help you decide victor in Acronis/Macrium debate to the ire of some people. Apparently, that is discouraged because it is against forum rules. The solution is to start another thread which I am doing.

Someone in another thread said they bought Acronis True Image 2021 and liked it. I bought 3 licenses for Acronis True Image 2021 and found it to be a mess.

Every new version that came out culminating in this version added new security features. I disliked that because it added complexity and slowed the program down.

ATI 2021 had a very sluggish GUI. It was very annoying to have to wait 30 seconds or more for a simple menu change.

The last ATI 2021 update broke the mobile backup feature. Since I needed that capability I was very annoyed when support said they weren't going to fix it.

I ended up downgrading my three ATI 2021 licenses to ATI 2018. At least this version worked as expected.

It is not against forum rules to reopen old threads but not encouraged as it can be very confusing hence the warning you get.

Personally, the whole Macrium Acronis debate is getting really tedious. Choose the one that suits your needs and cost model - end of story.

Just saying I prefer XXX without proper context is like saying I prefer a bmw over an audi.

For example, personally Reflect's Rapid Delta Restore is the key feature that is important to me.

Others like certain Acronis features.

However for most people, their needs are fulfilled by either, and it does not matter really that much TECHNICALLY, but commercially they are different, and each user has to judge for themselves.

In all honesty, most people who engage in a Macrium versus Acronis debate are usually quite experienced at doing image backups and can make their own mind quite easily.

ThrashZone · Apr 16, 2023

Hi,
Nope it's more counter productive/ confusing to have multiple threads on the same topics.
People end up posting the same thing once again.

hdmi · Apr 17, 2023

ThrashZone said:
People end up posting the same thing once again.

What other choice do they have? I mean, even if it were just a single thread it STILL would contain so much internet noise that it becomes virtually impossible for anyone to keep track of what relevant info hadn't been posted yet. That plus the fact that a lot of what got posted in these kinds of debates (not just the Macrium vs Acronis debates, but on other tech subjects too...) is misinformation at its finest, anyway to begin with. Some call 'experienced' when the reality is that a lot of this stuff is easier found by googling rather than watching all 357 episodes of classic Dallas TV series again (and again). It doesn't take to be experienced to keep parroting the shills. These days almost no one does their homework anymore so, I come on here for entertainment above anything else. I have a very boring IT job, they don't very often allow me to use my magic duct tape to fix an annoying problem because standardization makes the world go round (at least for them). lol

john1955 · Apr 24, 2023

hdmi said:
What other choice do they have? I mean, even if it were just a single thread it STILL would contain so much internet noise

We need a meta-review, a review of all the reviews.
I'm new to this forum so I'll keep reading, It's my entertainment.
I want a review of just how to do a RESTORE in each product not a list of gripes

But I have a spare disk so I think I will seriously check out Macrium if they have a trial period.

MisterEd · Apr 24, 2023

john1955 said:
We need a meta-review, a review of all the reviews.
I'm new to this forum so I'll keep reading, It's my entertainment.
I want a review of just how to do a RESTORE in each product not a list of gripes
But I have a spare disk so I think I will seriously check out Macrium if they have a trial period.

The problem with reading a review is context. Unless you already understand the backup/restore process you might not follow or understand what the review is saying. The best way to get this understanding is to try different backup programs to see what works best for you. Most people don't have the time so they just pick a backup program. If they are diligent they might even read a review beforehand.

If people can't gripe in these forums then what are these forums for? There is nothing stopping anyone from creating a thread just to review a particular backup program. Even then there is nothing wrong with people debating the merit of what the reviewer is saying. Someone might say that if you don't like what the reviewer is saying then do your own review. That doesn't solve anything,

pparks1 · Apr 24, 2023

cereberus said:
Personally, the whole Macrium Acronis debate is getting really tedious. Choose the one that suits your needs and cost model - end of story.

I agree. I don't see how anybody comes up with a victor. Even if one was proven to be better, the one I use hasn't given me a lick of trouble and I paid for licenses....so as long as it keeps backing up my data and restoring when I need it, it's the product I am going to keep using.

hdmi · Apr 25, 2023

pparks1 said:
I don't see how anybody comes up with a victor.

So it's just open-ended gameplay then. Kind of like World of Rangecraft from Blizzard.

jimbo45 · Apr 25, 2023

pparks1 said:
I agree. I don't see how anybody comes up with a victor. Even if one was proven to be better, the one I use hasn't given me a lick of trouble and I paid for licenses....so as long as it keeps backing up my data and restoring when I need it, it's the product I am going to keep using.

Golf buggy, 4 wheel drive vehicle or Mercedes Benz. Depends if you are on a golf course, on an off road mountain trail or a fast properly paved Interstate / Autobahn/Motorway. Just chhose what works and does the job you want it to do.

Time this thread was closed.

Cheers
jimbo

hdmi · Apr 25, 2023

jimbo45 said:
Golf buggy, 4 wheel drive vehicle or Mercedes Benz.

Miller Industries Century M100.

KWEB · Apr 27, 2023

I have been using Macrium Free since seeing comments on User Net, about two years+. I have used Acronis, but like Macrium better. I have
4 Windows machines and probably will purchase Macrium family.

cereberus · Apr 27, 2023

And the final conclusion is:

This thread is seriously boring now.

Josey Wales · Apr 27, 2023

I use Macrium because it just works and it is my choice. A long time ago I tried Acronis and it failed. This Thread is getting quite boring though. :thumbsup:

RD Mercer · Apr 27, 2023

Use whatever works for you, most humans don't like change if something is working for them.

pokeefe0001 · May 9, 2023

cereberus said:
And the final conclusion is:

This thread is seriously boring now.

Boring, yes. But I can't help but add to the boredom ... and everything I say about Acronis is 3 years out of date, but I'll proceed anyway.

First, establishing my credentials:
I was an Acronis True Image user for over 10 years - 2009 to 2020, I think - and a very satisfied user for many of those years. I participated three Beta programs - 2018, 2019, and 2020 - was very active on the True Image customer forum, and (quite inappropriately) was made a forum MVP in 2020. Being in the Beta programs and in the MVP group discussions was an eye-opener that left me with a very negative impression of the Acronis company. Here are some of those impressions:

The Acronis development created a new release every year and the release date was not moved due to any problems found in the beta testing. Major bugs were fixed or documented if found early enough but bugs that should have been show-stoppers were included in the initial releases.
Design flaws reported by the beta testers were ignored.
Customer complaints reported in the forum were ignored - Acronis developers had no presence on the forum.
Customer problems reported through their official Customer Support system were often ignored. Many forum postings described customers never getting beyond "Level 1". The level 1 tech reps were untrained and were (apparently) not allowed to deviate from whatever script they decided applied to the custom's problem.
On the other hand, there were some extremely helpful and deeply knowledgeable people on the forum that provided the support that the official Acronis team would not or could not.

One event during the 2020 beta test turned me completely against Aconis. There was some change in the product that made some long established backup techniques no longer usable. I don't remember the details, but, while not impacting most users, some user's backup schemes would simply stop working. Whatever the new scheme was, it worked perfectly well along side the old scheme. Acronis could have announced that old technique would be removed in a year. Instead, Acronis was going to remove the support for the old scheme at the end of the beta test. Beta testers that used the old scheme had a few months to adapt but general customers were going to be blind-sided. The beta testers argued loudly that this removal should should be announced but implementation should be delayed for a year.

I stopped using Acronis True Image the day the beta test ended.

Macrium behaves differently:

It produces a new release when the code has been well tested and (usually) stable.
I have not been part of a Reflect beta test, but from discussions on the forum it sounds like the developers pay attention to the testers.
Some of the developers are regular forum readers and posters. They directly interact with posters, helping them and gathering their feedback.
The Macrium support team is very knowledgeable and helpful. Problems that don't require design changes are often fixed within days.
Reflect has a very active forum with several very knowledgeable people (and the developers I mentioned above).

Both products do the job, but Macrium has a culture of caring about it's customers and proividing a quality product. I'm not sure what Acronis cares about. Money, probably.