Well, this is interesting. I don't know how to explain it. But I still remember from many years ago, before Macrium implemented the CBT, RD etc., after doing a full restore, the next incremental after restoring used to be quite large.
I tested Aomei again, and it created the usual incremental backup. I reinstalled EaseUS and will update here.
Paragon Backup & Recovery™ 17 Free is your best choice, I was able to successfully restore many times and best of all, the free version offers the option to make encrypted backups.
Mildly curious enough that i may have to download and see for myself how Paragon (free version) really is after all those years where it performed for me well. Some say why does a PC user running Windows need extra backup programs (free or licensed). That answer should be obvious. In the rush for developers (backup industry as well) to keep pace with market share and offer user's a trouble-free product worth depending on, they are hampered in large part by Microsoft itself, continually messing up good running software with their ridiculous frequency of bombardment of updates- some claimed as security fixes, others enhancements, which more often than not, disrupt the already smooth operating flow of software and force those developers to have to chase down 'those newest introduced issues' which throw their software out of balance frustrating their customers who then have to raise complaints to bring attention to it.
I always make backups from two different programs. Usually it's the built in Windows Backup & Restore to create a full image and another program to create a full image as a backup to the main backup. I can't afford to lose all of my programs, settings, drivers and have to start all over again so it's a critical component to make sure that should my drive fail or get infected by anything, I'll be back up and running in no time as if nothing ever happened. Finding a good reliable program is tough considering the Microsoft changes that Easter mentioned above. A backup program has to be maintained and updated to reflect these constant OS changes which not all the companies of backup programs can do usually because of employee constraints. It takes a few employees to test for quality control and come out with a good reliable update in a timely manner. That's one of the top things I look at when choosing a backup program and how easy the flow is in creating the backup (menu, settings, etc.).
Amen to all that. Many of us still remember the good old days of Windows 98 and XP or Vista where for one example EXPLORER.EXE would become corrupted past a point of recovery, fudging up everything OR those pesky malwares would gum things up and the common method of restoring your machine to normal again was that age old addage, "Reinstall Windows". Yikes Solid backup solutions have completely made that frequent practice obsolete. So makes sense you don't want to lose your programs OR have to start all over again from scratch.
Just a Windows Update will be enough to turn the Frozen (on Jan 1, 2024) Free version of Macrium Reflect into a problematic one, as the Last Free version of Macrium Reflect will no longer receive Updates to cope with OS Changes, Problems etc. Quite possible to change their mind? I don't think so, as their Strategy is to push the users of Free version towards the Paid one. We will see how many users will actually go for the Paid version and how many users will turn their back on Macrium Reflect and go for a Free Alternative.
It is possible that a Windows update might break Macrium, but highly unlikely, as Macrium just uses the VSS service from Windows, everything else is done by the app itself. VSS is a mature service now and unlikely to undergo dramatic changes in the future. I also do not remember the last time something was broken in Macrium due to a Windows update. But like I said, it is still possible. You just made the point that they will wait and see how many people adopt the paid version and how many turn to alternatives, and based on that data they may decide to continue the free version in the future. Just a speculation on my part. Lets see. Also, they have not made the announcement on their website that the free version is about to be discontinued. I do not know how the announcement was made, as I only found out about it from this forum. I do not use the free version, maybe they just informed the free users through email. So it might be that they are just testing the waters to see the impact of this decision. Again just a speculation on my part, nothing else. I any case it does not matter to me as I use the full version of Macrium.
Code: https://www.macrium.com/product-support-policy#macrium-reflect-free-product-end-of-life-eol Backup software Macrium Reflect Free is being retired - gHacks Tech News
Thanks. But from announcement, I meant an actual announcement on the Macrium free version's page, or the latest news or tweets page, not something buried deep in the product support page.
I think Macrium's decision to discontinue free v8 is final. However I do agree that depending on user feedback (switching to the paid version or moving to elsewhere) it may lead to introduce a new free version on the occasion of v9 release.
I tested EaseUS Workstation again, performed two restore operations, and it created the usual incremental backup. I don't know why it created an incremental backup the size of a full backup after the restore operation previously.
Since trying out @Hasleo Backup Suite i become very satisfied with it's performance all the way around. Including the Emergency Disk which to my surprise i made on Windows 8.1 yet it worked perfectly to restore a Windows 10 single backup i made early on when Hasleo first came to this forum's attention. It's interface is indeed user friendly, appealing and there are some good setting options available that make for an interesting full featured backup/restore solution of excellent reliability. I can't say enough good things about how much of a surprise Hasleo has turned out to be. It was obviously very well thought out. It's Boot Menu Option is another big deal with the program. Also special thanks goes out to @TheRollbackFrog who pointed out To the developer some concerns that is helped them improve it. Maybe iron out some bugs too. It's a very welcome development to learn Hasleo is worth every bit the time & effort it takes to put it to work on your system with confidence.
