Need quick backup software advice

Alright, I need to get some suggestions on free backup software. I'm about to convert my local disk to NTFS so I can access a file that is over 4 GB, and need to backup just in case. The software that came with my pc (Drive Image SE) is giving me fits and only runs in dos upon restart.

I've researched online and around here, and found out about SyncBack, O&O DiskImage Express, and Karen's Replicator. Any others I'm missing out on?

I know everyone here loves Acronis software, but thats only a trial and requires purchase later. Just trying to find some freeware for the time being. Oh, and I want to back up my internal drive to an external hard drive, just to expand on what I said before.

Any suggestions for the best one out there?

 

Thanks broni for the links! I know Acronis is the best, but I'm just looking into freeware for the time being. Later on though, I'll definitely want to give Acronis a serious try.

BTW, of the freeware you mentioned, which one has the lightest footprint and uses the least amount of system resources? After reading through each of the descriptions (don't think I like SelfImage), its hard to tell which might achieve this. Any thoughts?

 

I use Syncback.
There is a free version, bt the very reasonable paid upgrade (about $20.00) has some auto fature that fit my use.

 

So I've read as well.

Now it's basically between Macrium and DriveImage XML. The install file of DriveImage is only 1.5MB, but that doesn't assume its going to take less room "installed" than Macrium regardless. Then again, I've also read up that DriveImage isn't that fast at creating backups either. Might just flip a coin on this one.

 

One last thing, when I backed up my main HDD using Macrium, it created an XML document. Do these have to be saved on my C: drive, or can I save them into the same external HDD where my backups are stored? Are they even needed at all?

 

The file is only around 5 KB. Insignificant I'm sure, but I got this info for the file from the the Macrium website under the features tab:

• Save your backup definitions as XML files and execute them with a single click from your desktop.
  
  
• Includes VBScript integration and a VBScript generator for unparalleled control of the backup process.

Seems like a tiny file to aid the program in locating any particular backup. I was just thinking the program wanted me to put the file somewhere like My Documents. But since you don't use the XML file on Acronis, then maybe I don't have to create the file either. Macrium does give me the option to create them or not, as well as where to place them. Hence why I was asking if it was OK to put the file in the external HDD since I put it next to the backups therein.

So as long as this program can do a restore with just selecting the backup files themselves, these XML files might not be that important.

 

Fair enough. As you said, their small enough anyway to mean much of anything. Thanks again for the links!

 

I've been using Acronis TI 9 for quite some time but needed a backup utility that would not "break" the sector alignment I set up for my OCZ Vertex SSD (solid state drive).

Most backup utilities actually re-create your partition and set it up with the default sector offset of 63. This is not ideal for my SSD which "wants" an offset of 128 for maximum speed and longer life(I think).

DriveImageXML does not re-create the partition...it simply lays the image down into an existing partition and maintains my alignment.

But DriveImage has some excellent qualities like being able to back up your Windows partition while you're using your PC...even editing documents. You may already know all this but it attempts to "lock" your Windows install. That will fail if you're running the utility from within Windows but it provides another option to create a shadow-copy that it bases its backup off.

It creates a browsable XML document of all your files and allows individual file restoration.

If you go to the DriveImage XML site they have links that show you how to create a BartPE boot CD with DriveImage on it so you can backup your machine from a boot CD. Which is what I use.

I think DriveImage does a sector-by-sector backup so it took noticeably longer than Acronis...but with my SSD that meant taking 4 minutes to backup instead of 2.

So far I really like and the price isn't bad either.