Best FREE image backup for Windows 10/11

I'm currently using Macrium Reflect free to create images. Is there another free software to create just system images (operating system and other related partitions) only? I'm not looking for anything else like differential backups and stuff, just backup the entire system (C:\ drive) to an image and create a bootable usb to restore the image. I'm guessing Aomei Backupper, Eaus ToDo and all the rest do this but is there any specific software that's simple, reliable and free that's recommended?

 

Hi, DjKilla.

I recommend trying Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition.
Community Edition is available completely free for the non-commercial purpose only.

I've used Paragon products in the past for image backup and partition management, and never had a problem with them.

Paragon Software are a quality German software company with good support.
I don't think you'll get direct one on one support with the free version, but the knowledge base, documentation and support forums are very good.

Edit: It may also be worth checking out Hasleo Backup Suite Free.
I don't know much about it, or how good it is, but there is a thread and discussion about it here on this forum.

 

I would recommend Veeam Agent for Windows FREE because it is simple, reliable, and free of advertisements. I have used it, and it has never let me down. It provides the core features: backup and restore. There is no boot menu option. The USB recovery provides some extra tools.
https://download.veeam.com/VAW/v5/VeeamAgentWindows_5.0.3.4708.zip

 

I second it. I use Veeam along with Macrium Reflect but with a different schedule and repository and I have never had any issues with backup/restore.

 

https://www.pcworld.com/article/825717/paragon-backup-and-recovery-review.html
PCWorld as I read it there's no OS backup.

Pros

• Free and easy-to-use file backup
• Full/incremental/differential backup rotation schemes
• Backs up to virtual hard drives, including Microsoft VHD/VHDx

Cons

• No drive or partition imaging
• Disaster recovery was unreliable

 

Hi, @zapjb
I haven't read the PCWorld review.

Please read about the features on Paragon's website.

As I said, I haven't used Paragon products in years, but they used to be good.
If you scroll to the very bottom where there is a comparison chart, I can see where the confusion may be in functionality.
I'm even confused.

 

zapjb,

I tested Paragon in 2015. It did Backup imaging / Restore

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/failed-uefi-restores-to-a-new-hd.373634/#post-2461943

 

I was just getting ready to install both Paragon and Veeam to give them a try until I saw the post from zapjb. I read the PC World article and saw this, 'It’s either back up your entire computer (all internal drives), or select files manually.' which is a no go for me. I'm looking to just backup my system (C: drive with the operating system) drive only and not all of my internal drives to an image. So looking at Veeam Agent For Microsoft Windows Free, I see there's two options, 'Entire Computer' which I assume is all internal drives, and the other option is 'Volume level backup' which I assume would be the option to select only my C: drive with the operating system. Is this correct? If so, then Veeam is what I'm looking for unless there's some other suggestions. Like I said in my original post, I'm ONLY looking to create a full complete image of my OS drive and nothing else (no incremental, differential, etc.). The image will be used for emergency purposes such as in a drive failure to get the system restored on a new drive with all the software programs, files, settings as if nothing ever happened. Also create a bootable usb to restore the image.

 

I use EaseUS, 1 min to create a backup (18GB), 2 mins to restore it (1 min to boot + 1 min to restore). Macrium nor Acronis never worked for me, because of my strict security settings. Aoemi has removed Pre-OS option recently.

 

My recent testing with Hasleo Backup Suite, once understanding the quirks, is going very well to date. For a FREE solution it's not bad at all and will easily do what you describe. It's fairly fast while imaging due to its use of all your processor cores/threads (not many imagers do this well), contains Full/Differential/Incremental modes, and creates the needed WinPE-based Rescue Media both as a UFD and an ISO solution.

So far... not bad!

 

Home version?
It was some years since i tested it but fast, no it was not. Time to re-test, maybe.

 

I don't understand all these comments that Paragon's backup options. I been using the free community edition for a bit and it backs up and restores my OS partition fine and leaves all the other data partitions untouched.
Drive or partition imaging works just fine both from the OS and via a boot USB.

 

Installed EaseUS Home trial. Made a boot menu. Backed up a 13gb system = boot, reserved, C: and recovery part, it took 1.30min. Made a small visible change. Started the recovery. 8min later it was still calculating the recovery and showed 5% of the recovery was done. Canceled the action and restored to before EaseUs.

This is more or less how it always has been for me on 3 different Pc:s over the years when it comes to restores with EaseUs. Problems and slowness.

How can you have such speedy recoveries and what could i have done wrong? (I am asking even though one can not recover in more than 1 way)

 

does it have the option to creat a bootable USB stick to backup/restore without being in Windows?

 

I have NVMe, do you have HDD?

 

NVMe, 6 cores 12 threads. 1.3/4.1ghz. 12:Gen intel

 

I use faster text-based bootloader, the menu appears immediately after BIOS, the new/normal menu appears after bootup, just before the lockscreen, maybe GUI matters? I actually abandoned EaseUS before because of a slow GUI.

Code:

bcdedit /set bootmenupolicy legacy
bcdedit /set quietboot yes

 

Interesting, tell me more about it, enough so i can try that myself.

 

Just enter it to CMD as admin and restart. I see that EaseUS uses ramdisk, it probably loads the whole image into ram, I have 32GB.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/22455-enable-disable-f8-advanced-boot-options-windows-10-a.html

 

I am not sure i follow this. Is the capture something that activates the F8 function or what?
You have to be more specific step by step since i am a bit of a novice to this.

 

I think i got it now. By activating F8 you can reach EaseUS recovery boot menu and do a restore directly from it`s RE-environment. Right?

 

Sorry, the link was supposed to show what is the difference between the text based and UEFI bootloader. To enable it, run CMD as admin and copy/paste, then restart. You can disable it, if you do not like it.

Code:

bcdedit /set bootmenupolicy legacy
bcdedit /set quietboot yes

 

Disable the F8 boot menu you mean?

What about what i said in post #21?

 

Yes, but you do not have to press F8, it shows automatically.

 

Yes i know.

But i abandoned this testing. EaseUS only backs up either, C:, or boot menu=ESP and C: or the whole disc. I want ESP, reserved, C: and recovery part. Besides, i have dual boot which it did not see when i should recover the ESP - C: image, it was about to restore it by merging C: and D: to 1 partition instead of restoring it to the original location. As it was originally backed up.