A True Review July 25, 2006
by Adam R.
A True Review web site
Acronis True Image Backup Software
BackupWhen Acronis is loaded the Home screen appears. With backup software, the first thing a person wants to do is backup their system. To do this, click the Backup link at the top. 
After clicking on Backup, a screen is presented to choose whether to backup the hard drive or individual files. If the hard disk is chosen, a screen with disks to select appears. Choosing to backup a hard disk backs up data differently than by files. Most backups just copy all the files, some even boot into the DOS mode to copy the files in case Windows has them locked. With DOS comes the headache of driver issues. Acronis' backup and recovery system tool on the other hand will backup by disk sector while in Windows. This is an awesome feature. 
If choosing certain files to backup, the files, folders or drive must next be chosen. I'm not sure why this mode would be chosen after telling about the full disk backup. Maybe if the user just wants My Documents backed up, it is viable. I highly recommend the full disk backup. 
Acronis supports a full backup, an incremental backup and a differential backup. I normally prefer taking the extra time and doing a full backup, full backups take longer to backup because all the data is backed up. This is also mainly from my tape days where if an incremental is done and a tape goes bad, I was screwed. They are quicker to restore though. Incremental backs up what has changed since the previous backup so the full must be restored then each incremental in order. Differential backs up what has changed from the last full; therefore, the full must be restored then the differential. 
To choose an incremental or differential, the old backup is selected. If doing a full, the filename for the new file must be entered. After choosing what to backup, the next screen presents the user with a way to choose options. I recommend looking through the options as discussed below. Default options can be changed by selecting the Tools menu then Options. 
Acronis allows the archive to be password protected. I highly recommend this to protect the data if the backup disk is lost or stolen. That way one's identity is safe. 
The next option is Pre/Post commands. These are handy for shutting down applications that may interfere with the backup like a virus scanner or E-mail program. The post command would enable the user to startup the application again or even shutdown the computer. Choosing the Edit option allows the user to pick the command to use and type in any arguments. This still isn't as handy as having a list of common commands like net stop. This would be better for the average user, maybe even options to choose applications that are running, that way the user doesn't have to figure out the process name. 
The next option is the compression level. It allows the user to choose None, Normal, High, or Maximum. The higher the compression, the longer the backup takes. Space that the backup takes up is the advantage of compression. This screen will estimate the size for all the levels, so that the user can choose whether it is worth it. 
If needing to work on the computer while the backup is running, the backup priority can be set. I don't recommend using the computer because it is more likely that files will be locked up while running the backup. 
Archive setting allows the backup to be split into multiple files. Default is automatic which will fill the disk then prompt for another disk. I see this as being fine for 99% of users. 
The last option is the Additional Settings option. There isn't much here, just if the user wants the backup to validate itself to ensure there were no errors while backing up. 
Lastly, notes can be added to the backup. 
To schedule a backup, click the operations menu on the menu bar. Then select Schedule Task.
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Acronis Inc. Backup software.