Which Free Windows Backup Programs Do We Recommend for 2024

kelper · Nov 15, 2023

I'm going to try Veeam's free offering but the download is 12GB and my speed is only 11Mbps.... I'll report tomorrow.

Veeam Software Downloads | Veeam

Download 30-day trials for any Veeam product, including offerings for individual features, small businesses, service providers, and FREE community editions.

www.veeam.com

Marie SWE · Nov 15, 2023

antspants said:
FreeFileSync/RealTimeSync are simply brilliant, IMO

Yeah it is a nice piece of software.

Stigg said:
How does FreeFileSync image your system drive?

No it do not image the system.. I use CloneZilla for cloning system drives to images.... or disk to disk cloning if i switching out the system disk for a newer disk..... i also recommend Clonezilla for home Data/disk rescue, as it is capable of doing sector by sector cloning even if the drive isn't showed as readable by the system.
The program it self looks like something the cat dragged in from the 80's.... but darn it is a good piece of software when you get a hang of how it works.

hdmi · Nov 17, 2023

Marie SWE said:
The program it self looks like something the cat dragged in from the 80's....

So does the ReFS filesystem TBH. lmao

Marie SWE · Nov 17, 2023

hdmi said:
So does the ReFS filesystem TBH. lmao

I wonder what happen with ReFS.. i never heard it became adopted so to speak.. it was talk about it.. But it seems no one uses it

I use linux and therfore everyone thinks you like the terminal and the terminal graphic look.. i hate it.. it sucks.. its ugly... i love a nice design GUI

and yeah... i have ended up in big discussions that almost created lynching atmosphere on Linux forum, when i say linux sucks on the GUI side and need to get IRL friends that works in art and design to learn what is a nice look and still workflow effective. *LOL*

Windows need to learn too.. They was better in the mid/late 00's.

johnlgalt · Nov 17, 2023

I'd argue that we were more accepting of older GUIs, and there was much less effort put into them then than now.

I certainly don't like jack of the UIs from the 80s or 90s anymore.

BrianInEngland · Nov 17, 2023

I'm happy to stay with Macrium, I already use the paid version

hkreso · Nov 17, 2023

You have Veeam agent for free (is only 150Mb) Free Windows Backup Solution for PCs and Endpoints

Marie SWE · Nov 17, 2023

johnlgalt said:
I'd argue that we were more accepting of older GUIs, and there was much less effort put into them then than now.

I certainly don't like jack of the UIs from the 80s or 90s anymore.

and modern GUIs looks like crap.. just look at win10 and 11 even it did start in win8.. everything is just a flat grayish design.. with win XP and win7 they tried to make things look 3D even 3D wasn't a real thing then.. Now when all computers has more graphic power and all.. darn you can compare it to windows 3.11
I miss when design was alive.. Just look on old Windows Media player 9.. you could toggle between colors and the design was soft in the shape and 3D looking buttons.. not a boring gray flat square crap that is now.
I still using win7 for office stuff.. best OS ever..... even win2000 was unbeatable

*lol*

Edit.. I wont continue off-topic discussion here..

end note.. CloneZilla... Great for imaging all systems all OS's and home data rescue operation
FreeFileSync... to backup personal files

cereberus · Nov 17, 2023

hkreso said:
You have Veeam agent for free (is only 150Mb) Free Windows Backup Solution for PCs and Endpoints

Yuck - the free version is very inflexible.

You can only save one task at a time, and to do a different task you have to delete existing task.

There are far better free tools around, with a lot more flexibility.

hkreso · Nov 17, 2023

cereberus said:
Yuck - the free version is very inflexible.

You can only save one task at a time, and to do a different task you have to delete existing task.

There are far better free tools around, with a lot more flexibility.

Of course, it's the free version. Do you need more? Have you tried it? After an unsuccessful Windows Server 2019 update two days ago (safe mode didn't work either), I just restored the system in half an hour and the server is working properly.

johnlgalt · Nov 17, 2023

Marie SWE said:
and modern GUIs looks like crap.. just look at win10 and 11 even it did start in win8.. everything is just a flat grayish design.. with win XP and win7 they tried to make things look 3D even 3D wasn't a real thing then.. Now when all computers has more graphic power and all.. darn you can compare it to windows 3.11

Uh, but I did do that compare.

I specifically said 80s and 90s.

When was XP released?

:smirk:

johnlgalt · Nov 17, 2023

hkreso said:
Of course, it's the free version. Do you need more? Have you tried it? After an unsuccessful Windows Server 2019 update two days ago (safe mode didn't work either), I just restored the system in half an hour and the server is working properly.

No point in trying it if someone needs more than one task to begin with.

Froggie · Nov 17, 2023

Hasleo Backup Suite v4 (just released) is exceptional for a FREE effort. v4 comes with Delta Restore (difference restoration for speed), a full GFS (Grandfather/Father/Son) Scheduling and Retention system, multi-core/thread backup/restoration speeds, BOOT Menu availability, UFD & ISO supported Recovery Media and many other features. I'm currently using it as a backup to mirror my Primary Macrium REFLECT backup scheme... both are using identical major features (except Reflect's MIG feature).

It's definitely a package that should be evaluated...

Mitch · Nov 17, 2023

Another vote for Macrium. I bought a 4 pack a number of months ago and it's never let me down. I'll have to decide what to when support ends after a year. I've never needed to use support so I might just carry on until I need to repurchase. To me reliable back up software is well worth the cash.

SIW2 · Nov 17, 2023

When they fix that refusal to run in custom pe it might be useful. I have checked the dependencies using inspect and they all seem to be present. No problems running other programs such as macrium, aomei,etc

Froggie · Nov 19, 2023

SIW2 said:
When they fix that refusal to run in custom pe it might be useful. I have checked the dependencies using inspect and they all seem to be present. No problems running other programs such as macrium, aomei,etc

@SIW2 is speaking of the Hasleo Backup Suite. Custom PE access appears to be important. Personally, I have no need for Custom PEs... I'm very happy using multi-BOOT environments (primarily VENTOY) which include not only WinPEs (custom or otherwise) but almost any WIM or ISO (Windows or Linux-based) as well as System builds themselves. This implementation allows me to access any software that has made itself available via WinPE. Sure, the storage requirement may be a bit on the high side (duplicate WinPE-based Systems) but with UFDs the size they are available in these days, that does not present a problem. Off-line (outside of the WIM) is not really an issue for me... the quality of the software is a much more important attribute, even if locked in a WIM.

cereberus · Nov 19, 2023

hkreso said:
Of course, it's the free version. Do you need more? Have you tried it? After an unsuccessful Windows Server 2019 update two days ago (safe mode didn't work either), I just restored the system in half an hour and the server is working properly.

Tried -it, found it too inflexible, uninstalled it.

I never post about a tool's shortcomings UNLESS I have properly tested it myself.

cereberus · Nov 19, 2023

Mitch said:
Another vote for Macrium. I bought a 4 pack a number of months ago and it's never let me down. I'll have to decide what to when support ends after a year. I've never needed to use support so I might just carry on until I need to repurchase. To me reliable back up software is well worth the cash.

Very few of us seem to worry about no support after 1 year.

TBH, you get still good support from the Macrium Reflect forum (as people do here for Windows 11).

If you come across an issue that needs support and put it on the forum, you are often asked to raise a ticket anyway even if out of support.

hdmi · Nov 19, 2023

Froggie said:
@SIW2 is speaking of the Hasleo Backup Suite. Custom PE access appears to be important. Personally, I have no need for Custom PEs... I'm very happy using multi-BOOT environments (primarily VENTOY) which include not only WinPEs (custom or otherwise) but almost any WIM or ISO (Windows or Linux-based) as well as System builds themselves. This implementation allows me to access any software that has made itself available via WinPE. Sure, the storage requirement may be a bit on the high side (duplicate WinPE-based Systems) but with UFDs the size they are available in these days, that does not present a problem.

Ventoy also lets you boot WIM or ISO files that are not stored on the actual USB drive itself. See:
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_browser.html
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_vlnk.html
In addition to this, if you happen to have a lot of WIM and/or ISO files to work with, Ventoy also gives the option to keep them all very well organized:
https://www.ventoy.net/en/doc_treeview.html
https://www.ventoy.net/en/plugin_imagelist.html

Froggie said:
Off-line (outside of the WIM) is not really an issue for me... the quality of the software is a much more important attribute, even if locked in a WIM.

TVeblen · Nov 19, 2023

I have Macrium Restore Free v8 installed on one of my PCs. I use that version to create the rescue USB media.
I only use the rescue USB media to do backups on multiple PCs. I only do full backups.

My plan is to continue using the rescue USB method for as long as it works after support ends for Macrium Free, which I think would be measured in years.
Does anyone see a problem with this plan?