I've been using Acronis True Image 2015 for backing up my Windows 7 home laptops. Here's what I like about it:
- I can encrypt my data using AES with a 256-bit key. This is extremely important for offsite backups, and especially for cloud backups (which I plan to do once my provider rolls out its gigabit service, thereby making whole-machine cloud backups feasible).
- I can backup my entire PC and even restore to dissimilar hardware. It's great that if my machine really dies and I have to get a new one that I can restore and get back to where I was. (I haven't actually had to restore to dissimilar hardware, so I'd expect it might take more work than Acronis advertises, but if I get my data back and don't have to build my entire configuration up from scratch, that's a win.)
- I can restore selected files even from a total-machine backup. It's not just an all-or-nothing image.
- I can configure Acronis to email me when a task succeeds / fails / stalls. For my particular needs, this is pretty important.
- I can backup to a network location. This would be a NAS in my house and, eventually, the cloud.
- I can create a full backup and then a chain of whatever number of incremental backups I want.
- I can configure Acronis to delete old backup chains. This is nice because I don't have to manage backup storage space myself.
- I can have Acronis make a copy of my backup. This allows me to have my primary backup be to a local NAS, and then I can have copies made to a second local NAS and to the cloud. The 3-2-1 rule: 3 backups, 2 different media types, 1 offsite.
- Nonstop backup is great for the very few files I have that change very frequently.
But the problem is … I loathe Acronis because it is so incredibly buggy. I have spent literally hundreds of hours and untold frustration fighting it over the last three or so years.
I want to get rid of Acronis in the worst way. It is unbearable.
What recommendations would the community make regarding backup software that provides the features listed above?