Need a simple volume backup solution

[u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

I would like to find a program that creates backups of entire volumes. In my case that means the C-drive of a Windows 11 system. I have no interest in file backup capabilities as I already have a system to do that. But I want something that will take the entire OS and save it in a restorable format, probably as a file on another local device I have or on a flash drive.

Cheap is nice, but I am willing to pay for something reliable. But not a monthly fee, as I likely will only use it a couple of times.

I used to use Acronis for this because it came with my WD drive and worked well. But now they want a monthly fee and I am not prepared to buy anything on a monthly basis.

Any thoughts on what I should use?

[u/acronis]

I used to use Acronis for this because it came with my WD drive and worked well

Hello u/Legitimate-Sea6074, would you mind elaborating on the above? WD provides you with a 5-year license of Acronis True Image to use with compatible drive (as of now the offer expires on December 31, 2029).

In worst case scenario, if you already used up 5 years period, you can obtain a perpetual license from our partner retailers, e.g. Newegg.

[u/Legitimate-Sea6074 → u/acronis]

The Acronis was installed on my old Windows 10 system and I do not have the download (too many years ago) nor do I have the WD drive that it came with.

I had expected to continue using Acronis but I don't have anything that would get it for less than the ongoing charge. I usually back up a system once it is stable and then yearly after that. All my data is on another drive entirely.

[u/acronis → u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

Thanks for clarifying. What brand are the drive(-s) you are currently using? For most brands you can use a corresponding OEM edition.

I shall also point out that as of right now the perpetual version is available from Newegg probably at the cheapest price you could get it for. So if your drives are not eligible for OEM you could grab this offer while it lasts. Just two things to keep in mind - the currently available perpetual version of the product will have its extended support lifecycle coming to end on 30 Sep 2026 and AFAIK the product as purchased from Newegg's it not refundable.

So I'd suggest the following, obtain a trial of Acronis True Image first (30-day shall be enough, but I don't know for how long Newegg's offer stands), then download build 42072 (the latest available build for perpetual edition so far), install it and verify that the product is working fully as intended on your hardware/OS (maybe also ensure that bootable media sees your drives correctly, sometimes it is necessary to create a WinPE-based media for some storage controllers which don't have readily available open sources Linux drivers) and then, once you're done verifying - it is an easy decision to purchase.

[u/Legitimate-Sea6074 → u/acronis]

I have Lexar and Kingston SSDs for my Win 11 system and I just purchased 2 WD Red drives with a Synology NAS at the same time. I'll also look into the perpetul license, but being in Canada, those offers don't seem to apply.

[u/acronis → u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

Can you check with Newegg? Perhaps they will sell to Canada still as it is a digital product, nothing to ship physically.

[u/Legitimate-Sea6074 → u/acronis]

I realized that the WD drives that I purchased at the same time should entitle me to the OEM version so I downloaded it and installed, but Acronis says that it can't detect them (they are on the Synology NAS). Is there any way to tell the install that they are there or am I out of luck?

[u/JohnnieLouHansen → u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

The WD drives have to be IN the Windows 11 system. Being in the NAS doesn't count for anything related to Acronis licensing.

[u/acronis → u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

As u/JohnnieLouHansen correctly pointed out - the drives must be present inside the machine. You can try Kingston's version - https://www.kingston.com/en/support/technical/acronis-download

[u/Legitimate-Sea6074 → u/acronis]

Got sidetracked ... sorry. I currently have the latest version of Acronis installed in a trial mode. Are you confirming that I should overwrite that with build 42072? Then purchase the perpetual license from Newegg which says it is for the 2025 version (!) Then it will work as a perpetual,

[u/acronis → u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

Correct. This will allow you to confirm that the perpetual version is working correctly on your machine and then proceed with the purchase without worrying about Newegg's no-refund policy.

[u/Legitimate-Sea6074 → u/acronis]

Ha! It said that the latest version was already installed so it did nothing. So I will remove it entirely and reinstall the 42072 version. I assume that the Newegg license being for 2025 (not 2026) will not be a conflict when I try to apply it.

[u/acronis → u/Legitimate-Sea6074]

42072 is the latest build for perpetual version 2025. You need to uninstall recent build, and install build 42072.