Macrium Reflect Free Edition allows you to back up your entire computer and schedule backups. For a free program, you get incredibly powerful software that allows you to create effective backups.

Pros

Beginner accessible interface: Creating backups is something that is often overlooked by a new computer user. In addition, many of the programs that allow you to perform this task seem overly complex. Macrium is easy to understand, even for someone who hasn't used backup software before.

Scheduling feature: Creating a backup is a resource-intensive and time-consuming process. It is not really the sort of thing that you want to have happening while you're trying to use the computer. However, the scheduling feature allows you to schedule a backup for the middle of the night or some other time when you don't need the machine for other reasons.

Restoration functionality: Restoring from a Macrium Reflect backup worked flawlessly. No problems were detected, and everything was restored properly when the backup was created.

Cloning and imaging: You can use the software to either clone or image your hard drive. The imaging process greatly reduces the space required for a backup.

Cons

Cumbersome installation: The program installs through a download client and requires a very large download to complete. The client was slow and resource intensive. It seems there could likely be a better way to deliver the software.

Bottom Line

Creating a good, reliable backup should be part of everyone's computing practices. This free software provides you with an affordable way to do that, even if you're not a computer expert. The backup file is compressed to a reasonable size and is easy to restore from.