New
#1
Mmmppphhh
AOMEI Backupper Standard (free?). Macrium Reflect, Genie Timeline, Genie9, Backup Manager and other confusingly related items, Backup Maker
I thought I could simply create a giant spreadsheet listing all the features these products brought to the table. But with some pro-versions offering fewer capabilities than their precursors, features less understandable the more they were explained; leaving unexplained essential properties like compression ratios, time required (to backup or to image), ability to include and exclude files, and other important features completely ignored, I realized this was a futile approach.
So I decided to take another tact. The backup programs focused on users who wanted to know their files would be safe and secure--i.e., the products were file-centric. The imaging programs focused on users who wanted to know their file/folder structure would be safe and secure--i.e., the products were structure-centric.
Backupper or Imager, I want to know, in order of importance:
1) The program will be accurate.
2) The program will be fast;
3) The program will handle the C-drive AND drives attached to it;
4) The program will be intelligent. It will find the files/folders that needed to be handled. (this was the most appealing feature I hoped my program could have)
5) The program will generate smaller files.
It was impressive that both backupper and imager now seem to have extended Restore ability. But its not clear how far you can break your image/Image restore down, and if you can, how an imager is different from a Backupper.
However, it still seems backup software concentrates on restoring individual files/folders and imagers concentrate on restoring large single-disk segments or complete disks and is usually limited to the C-drive.
What kind of user am I?
Folder structure is very important to me. FOR EXAMPLE my home "database" is structured by "Room_" (Room_Kitchen; Room_Bathroom; Room_Workshop; Room_outdoors; etc) Each Room_ folder contains (Folders containing) digital user manual;, repair YouTubes; Model#/serial number photos; and whatever other material I might need to later address the room and the items it contains.
I saw nothing that addressed this folder-centric need, except maybe peripherally.
I want:
1) a piece of software that can look at my C-drive and all the (2 or three) drives I have attached to it and:
_____a) After each startup, notice which files has been changed/created and take on the responsibility of snapshotting those file/folder context. I determine whether the saves take place in certain time intervals, or in intervals of size increase/decrease.
_____b) After each startup, notice which folders have been changed/created and take on the responsibility of saving the contents/structure of those folders. This is a capability I have never read about in a program description and it may be the most important capability I need.
Imaging software: I never seriously used an imaging program. I've always thought of imagers as programs that took on (only) the C-Drive; copied it sector-by-sector, saved it highly compressed, and were available to replace the C-Drive.
In short I don't understand the (essential) difference between an Imaging program and a System Restore Point. To me, an image is always/immediately out of date; and has no way of telling you where the files are that were changed since the date they were imaged.
But, what's particularly disconcerting concerning Imaging software is: If images are so sacrosanct, why, when you look up imaging programs, do you notice a goodly number of programs claiming to "repair Windows 10 Image"; "restore image health"; "Cleanup-Image" etc.
Backup software: I've used Backup Maker (I also used Nova-something which eventually required we count on the company to maintain their backup. Everything seemed fine until the hard disk went down and I found out how prepared the program was to restore my computer - NOT!) I can program it (explicitely or filtered using standard file search protocols) to backup selected disk/folder structures, and to pass up files/folders using the same protocols. Downside: Backup Maker generates extremely large (compressed) files and takes forever to do so. Each backup is set in stone.
I will probably download (Trial) Macrium, since everyone seems to like it, and I respect you. And I'll create a System Restore point. (what's the dif?)
Is my understanding of Imaging and Backupping software inaccurate? If so, how?
Is there any Backup or Imaging Software that addresses my needs.