Acronis True Image Home Backup Software – Facts, Company Profile, Product Description, Benefits, Drawbacks, Customer Comments, and Personal Review

Facts And Company Profile

Acronis offers computer backup software solutions for businesses and personal consumer use.  It is a leading provider in this industry.  Its customer base extends to over 175,000 businesses in many different industries and has a personal consumer customer base of over 2.5 million.  The company also sells its products in over 90 countries and the software is produced in 14 different languages.

The CEO of Acronis® is Jason Donahue who has served in this position since September 2008.  The company has entered over 10 years of service as it began in 2001.  The company is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts and has over 17 different offices.  Its founders are Serguei Beloussov, Max Tsypliaev, and Ilya Zubarev.

It promotes two main products to customers in business and personal consumer markets.  These two products are Acronis Backup & Recovery for businesses and Acronis True Image Home for personal consumers.  We will focus on Acronis True Image Home in this review.

Acronis True Image Home Backup Software Details, Cost, & Product Description

Backup Software Details & Product Description

Acronis True Image Home software is designed to address a number of common computer issues including accidental file deletion, system viruses, hard drive failures or operating system (OS) failures.  It is able to do this by providing a number of different services including:

Keep backups of the entire PC.  This feature allows customers the ability to fully backup their hard drives and store these backups on a number of different mediums including flash drives, CDs/DVDs, another compartment on hard drive, online server, etc.

Backup individual files and folders.  This option allows customers the ability to more quickly backup the specific files and folders they need.  This is perfect for files and folders that are often changing and is faster than a full backup.

Create a virtual Hard Disk version of your OS install that can be used on a virtual machine.  This option allows you to download questionable software or visit a potentially dangerous site as you can always go back prior to these points of origin by having the software revert back to the last backup allowing you to avoid risk of downloading a virus or other issues.

Disk Imaging Capabilities.  Acronis offers a patented disk imaging and PC cloning technology which allows you to clone your system.  This allows people to be able to not only recover all the data but also recover software downloads, program shortcuts, email, and email contact information.  This enables you to get back up and running without having to reinstall any software application.  The whole process takes minutes instead of hours.

File Synchronization.  Allows you the ability to synchronize your files on multiple computers.  Many homes now have multiple computers (laptops, desktops, and pdas) all tied into the Internet and used at home.  This feature gives customers the ability to ensure they are working on the latest version regardless of which computer you are on at that moment and where you last made the changes from.

Scheduling Backups Flexibility.  The system allows you to set the times when you want to do the backups.  It also allows you to be able to do these backups during idle times or just before startup or shutdown to allow you to not be negatively impacted by the backups in terms of your computer’s performance when you are using it.  The Set&Forget™ feature allows you to setup the scheduling just once and then the software does the remembering for you.

Upgrade Possibilities.  One can also be able to get an upgrade that will allow you to use universal restore which can recover your entire system onto another computer with a completely different architecture.  There is also an online backup service plan you can get for an additional level of security if you so desire.

Acronis True Image Home is software that will work on all the main versions of Windows including XP, Vista and Windows 7.  However, the software does not currently work on Apple Mac machines because the software does not support Apple Mac OS X.

The software is supported by live chat, video tutorials and can even contact tech support through email or phone to get answers to any questions you may have.

Cost Of Acronis True Image Home

Acronis True Image Home currently runs about $50 for one license for one computer or you can get discounted pricing if you order for 3 computers.  There is also an upgrade that is available for about $30 more.

 

***For more information on this software or to buy it, click on the following link: Acronis True Image Home Backup Software.  You may also want to check out our review for another software that is our second choice, NovaBackup Software.***

 

Benefits of Acronis True Image Home

• Backup software offers support for the two main backup software functions: disk imaging and data file backups.
• Widely recognized brand that is a market leader and has a legion of happy customers for a number of years.
• Simple to use interface that one only has to set once and runs on its own thereafter.
• Affordable price especially when considering the wide range of features and services.
• Highly flexible software that can be tailored to fit the specific computer backup needs of many different customers.
• Ability to also use online backup storage for further protection in upgrade service.

 

Drawbacks of Acronis True Image Home

• Unable to work on Apple Mac Computers.
• Some customers have had issues with the setup and their computer hardware.

 

Company Awards & Recognition

Despite being a relatively new company, Acronis and its products have already earned a large number of different awards and recognized for their products.  Here, we have a included a list of the awards from only the last couple of years:

Made September 2010’s Top 25 Most Popular Computer Backup Providers as listed by the Online Backup Directory.

Won PC Advisor’s Best PC Utility Award In 2010.

Selected as TechGage’s Editors Choice In 2011.

Acronis wins ICMI Global Call Center of the Year Silver Award for Strategic Value

VirtualizationAdmin.com Readers’ Choice Awards

Acronis is a finalist in the Network Computing 2011 Awards for Storage Product of the Year

Acronis won the Riding the Crest award from a partner called Programmers Paradise

Acronis named 2010 editors’ best and community choice award winner by windows it pro magazine

Acronis named 2010 editors’ best and community choice award winner by windows it pro magazine

Redmond Magazine Readers Select Acronis as Best Backup and Recovery in 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards

Named Software of the Year 2010 By Softwareload

Made Deloitte’s Fast 500 List in 2010

Acronis has again been recognized by Business Solution- Magazine (BSM) as a Best Channel Product in 2010.

5 stars – reviewed by Best Software 4 Download  in 2010

Customer Comments

This product is very reliable to most users.  Many proudly recommend it and tout its ease of use.  Some complaints about the product are that some of the features are unresolvable with their hardware.  However, most customers seem to be able to use the Acronis True Image Home software effectively without serious incident and to their satisfaction.   Here, we take a look at some snippets of comments made by customers about this software:

“I had a computer crash…and thank to acronis true image reinstalling my files didn’t take ages. Great!”

Actual Customer Review From CNet.com

“Easy to Setup, Easy to Run, Easy to Maintain, Very Easy to restore…Great Videos to help you get up to speed  If you want Great/Reliable Backups, this is the software for you…It doesn’t get much easier than that.”

Actual Customer Review From CNet.com

“I’m a developer…I have never had an issue with the software… if I ever need to restore to original image or the PC gets cluttered, I just re-image using the boot disk…Acronis works great for this purpose…I also use it to backup my computer on a daily basis to an external SATA drive.”

Actual Customer Review From CNet.com

“I’m a software engineer and I’m used to pushing computers to their limits…this tool never let me down and it saved my skin several times…”
Actual Customer Review From Amazon.com

“I owe the developers of this product some sincere words of thanks…A friend of mine told me about Acronis True Image and its “disk clone” feature. The product reviews on here don’t seem to mention the cloning feature, but I can tell you it totally saved the day for me…Well, it worked like a wonder…The system has been running perfectly since that day.”
Actual Customer Review From Amazon.com

“Acronis True Image backup is surprisingly easy to use. I thought I must have missed something…because it literally only took a couple of clicks…”

Actual Customer Review From Amazon.com

“Works like a charm…the interface is intuitive and the software doesn’t lag.”

Actual Customer Review From Amazon.com

 

Comparison Criteria

1. Can the software perform disk imaging and data file backups?

Yes, Acronis True Image Home Backup Software can perform disk imaging or mirror imaging backups where it clones the hard drive’s operating system and program files.  In addition, it can also complete data file backups.  Here, customers will have their documents, spreadsheets, music, pictures, etc. backed up.

2. Flexibility in backup options (hard drives, flash drives, online server, etc.)?

Yes, Acronis makes it easy for you to backup to multiple sources.  You are able to backup to a partitioned part of your hard drive, external hard drives, flash drives, CDs/DVDs, and even an online server service is available.  There is even an Acronis Startup Recovery manager to help you boot up to a system that can help you restore your entire system in the event of operating system failure.  This allows you the option to be able to avoid having to use bootable CDs or flash drives.

3. Access to past file editions in past backups?

Yes, you have control over how many past backups of files editions you want to have.  This provides great flexibility to the customer who can decide what he wants based on his needs.  This can be a big advantage over online backup services who often cap the amount to the last 10 to 30 backups if they allow it all.  In fact, some of the most popular companies do not allow this at all.

4. Ability to synchronize files between multiple computers?

Yes, you are able to synchronize with multiple computers in your home.  In addition, you can sync files to family, friends, classmates or work colleagues.  Plus, you can sync up with flash drives and local external hard drives.

5. Additional unique features to help with the backup process?

Acronis has a number of unique features that making it appealing to customers.  One such feature is the Try&Decide® function that allows you to test out new software or visit a questionable website with the knowledge that you can backup to before you downloaded the software or visited the site.  This helps better protect you against viruses, adware and malware.

A second great feature is a feature for file shredding.  This is helpful because it can help remove backups and files that you no longer need.  In addition, it can help ensure that they are permanently deleted which can help go a long way for peace of mind and ensuring sensitive information is properly disposed of.

You can also purchase universal restore as an add on.  This feature allows you to be able to recover your entire system on another computer that has a completely different architecture.

 

Personal Review

Acronis True Image Home Backup Software is the best software that we have found.  It offers customers a number of different benefits and advantages.

One benefit to the software is the wide range of options it gives customers.  Customers are not only able to complete the two main types of backups (disk imaging and data file backups), they are also able to perform a number of other operations.

One such example is the ability to test out new software on your computer or visit potentially shady websites with the ability to go back to a previous restore point if the software or website happens to include viruses or malware.  This simple process provides you with greater protection for your system as you are given the benefit of hindsight.  Anyone who has accidentally downloaded a virus can attest to the value of this service.  This service is called their Try&Decide™ feature.

A second nice operation is the ability to synchronize your backups with other computers.  This is becoming increasingly important as many homes have multiple computers and many people are working from their home and work computers.  This synchronization makes it easier for you to get the most current edition regardless of which computer you are working on making you more efficient and less likely to make mistakes as you have the most current document, spreadsheet, report, etc. in front of you.

A third nice operation is the ability for your to remove files, backups and partitions.  There is a section to the hardware that allows you to do all these things in more.  In addition, there is a feature that allows you to browse for past backups.  This can be important when you want to look for a previous revision that has since been changed.  You may not be aware of this but as you make a number of backups, you will find the ability to easily browse through past backups to be extremely useful and helpful.  Sadly, some backup software do not have this feature at all.  Fortunately, Acronis True Image Home Backup Software delivers here.

Through my own use of the software, I came away impressed with several specific things.

Ease of Use

I found the software to be easy to use and setup.  It is really push button and intuitive as it only takes a couple of clicks to get a full run started and there are plenty of options to narrowly tailor runs for individual files and more.  In addition, it is impressive to see a feature that not only allows you to set the runs at a predefined date and time,  but also that you could set it up to run at the startup of the computer of the shutting down of the computer.  This can be helpful to those who do not want the backup to slow down their computer’s performance while they are working on it.  In my own experience, I did not see any decline in my computer’s performance as I tested it playing some online video games, worked on some applications and surfed the web.  Even though I do not feel I would need to adjust the future backups to certain idle times, it was nice to know this feature was available in the event that one would need it.

Of course, one of the nicest things about this software is its Set&Forget™ feature that allows you to setup the backup to run and it will make its runs in the future based on how you scheduled them.  There will be no need for further action on your part unless an error takes place.  This hands free approach is perfect for me and others who are inclined to forget to occasionally do a backup.  In addition, it keeps you from having to do one more thing which if you are like me, you want to take things off your to do list rather than put more on.

Customers will also be happy to know that this software is very fast.  To complete a full backup of my computer, I was able to complete the task in just under an hour.  This is a very good speed for a full backup and was faster than all the other software we tested.

Help And Support

The software offers some easy to follow slide presentations that show you how to use each major function of the backup software.  This makes using the software child’s play as children could easily follow these steps.  Although I had no issues using this software, some customers will also appreciate that Acronis has an extensive customer support department.  Here, you can ask them questions through livechat, phone, or email.  In addition, there is a user guide to ask the more common FAQs.  The software also offers a free trial download where you can test the software out to make sure it is compatible with your computer system.  We recommend this as it helps ensure there are no issues from the outset.

The Acronis True Image Home Backup Software also has a number of other features that many customers will also find useful.  We won’t discuss these here as their value will vary depending on the customer.  However, it is enough to state that we fully recommend this software for anyone looking to find quality backup software for their computer.

***For more information on this software or to buy it, click on the following link: Acronis True Image Home Backup Software.  You may also want to check out our review for another software that is our second choice, NovaBackup Software.***