Microsoft Ending Free System Image

[RV_]

I know many like me depended on Microsoft's excellent system imaging and restore utility from Windows 7 on. Well they are about to stop supporting it and it is time to consider third party programs again. I was always a fan of Macrium Reflect free, as well as EaseUS and have used them both many times to make images. More importantly I also restored them with little to no difficulty. From the beginning of the XP days I switched from Norton system tools which had a backup image system that failed often. In 2003 I switched to Acronis which I still have six licenses for that are no good for Windows 10. In 2007/8 I tried EaseUS Todo free as well as Macrium Reflect free, and used them in backing up my systems to external hard drives after I switched to Windows 7. Windows 7 had its own excellent imaging system which apparently they are dropping.

The only systems I had experience with were years ago but I can say that Macrium and EaseUS ToDo were the best of breed in free system imaging. I never did scheduled or differential images, where the image is over several images, as things change. If one of the differential images of say 5 made in 5 months, is corrupt, all are unusable. I prefer making a manual complete image every week, months or whatever. I also use File history as it is silently running in the background now. I looked into today's top rated and Other than Paragon I pretty much agree. If you want to see how easy it can be read the How To Geek article in the first link.

Excerpt:

" Microsoft announced that System Image Backups will be deprecated in Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update. The feature is still available, but it is no longer actively being developed and may be removed in a future release of Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft recommends you use a third-party tool to create full system images of your PC. "

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/7363/macrium-reflect-is-a-free-and-easy-to-use-backup-utility/

So how are the systems paid and free rating these days? First a 2017 paid review of ten:

http://www.toptenreviews.com/software/utilities/best-disk-imaging-software/

Free reviews and sources:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/free-imaging-backup-recovery-software-windows

A disk image is different than a clone. A disk image compresses the size and cannot be used by popping in the disk it is saved to. It is used to rewrite all data on you current drive if infected or the system is damaged, or to write the entire image, including Windows and all your files exactly the way they were when you made the image. You lose everything made between the time you made the image to the time you restore it. I used to do weekly images but now use File history and am going to evaluate the new versions of EaseUS Todo, and Macrium reflect free. I stay away from licensed annually programs per each PC because my three Windows tablets and three Windows desktops gets expensive. I'd be more inclined to get paid programs with whole family licensing e.g. 6 PC license.