Free and Easy DriveImage XML Alternative - AOMEI Backupper

Quick Navigation:

• About DriveImage XML

• Why need DriveImage XML alternative?

• Best free alternative to DriveImage XML

• Use DriveImage XML alternative to schedule backup disk

• Verdict

About DriveImage XML

DriveImage XML is a program for imaging and backing up partitions and logical drives in Windows operating systems. One can use DriveImage XML to backup drives, browse images, restore images, copy from drive to drive, and schedule automatic backups using Windows Task Scheduler. Its image creations use Microsoft Volume Shadow Services (VSS), allowing you to create “hot images”.

This program provides two different versions for its users, Private edition and Commercial edition. The Private edition of DriveImage XML can only be installed on user’s home PC, meaning it cannot be used commercially. There is no tech support for the Private edition, either. DriveImage XML runs under Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7/8/10, and Windows Server 2003/2008.

Why need DriveImage XML alternative?

DriveImage XML actually is a handy imaging utility, yet there are still many DriveImage XML alternatives on the website. Generally speaking, there are some limitations that DriveImage XML has compared to regular imaging software. 

First of all, you cannot run DriveImage XML in latest Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022 currently, which means it doesn’t keep abreast of late technology, on Windows OS at least. It is used to image partitions and logical drives instead of the entire disk, so you cannot backup the whole disk with it.

What’s more, as mentioned before, you cannot use the Private edition for commercial use and cannot get support from them unless you purchase the Commercial Edition. They ask users to go and find the solution on the documentation or search the Internet for the problem occurring. It seems they give you the product and instructions and then abandon you. 

Besides, DriveImage only supports restoring your data to a partition that is exactly the same size as or larger than the original partition regardless of the data size. It is quite inconvenient since more and more users want to restore or move OS to smaller SSD nowadays.

Best free alternative to DriveImage XML

AOMEI Backupper Standard is DriveImage XML like software but with more powerful features. It has almost all functions in DriveImage XML and is free for Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8, Windows 7, and their previous versions. 

You are able to backup disk, system drive, partitions, and files and then restore all of them later using AOMEI Backupper.

It supports backing up to NAS, external hard drive, shared network, OneDrive, and Google Drive, etc.

You are able to configure auto backup. The scheduled backup will run in the way of incremental backup by default.

It can create images using VSS, and when the VSS goes wrong, it offers you its built-in technique to keep backing up data without interrupting.

It also offers you disk clone and partition/volume clone options when you want to quickly upgrade the old-fashioned hard disk to a better one. 

Now download AOMEI Backupper and use it to backup your PC on a regular basis. You might want its Server edition specialized for Windows Server if you’re running one.

Use DriveImage XML alternative to schedule backup disk 

Step 1. Install and start DriveImage XML alternative - AOMEI Backupper. If you want to backup disk to external hard drive, connect it with your PC first and make sure it can be detected by Windows. Click Backup and then Disk Backup.

Step 2. Click Add Disk to select the source disk you want to back up.

Step 3. Select a destination path to save the disk image. An external hard drive, USB flash drive, or Share/NAS is supported.

Step 4. Click Schedule Backup to set regular backup plans just like in DriveImage XML. Daily, Weekly, Monthly are totally free, and once you enable either of them, it will activate the default backup method - incremental backup to backup only changed files.

More options (available in the professional version or higher):

Event trigger: It backs up disk based on specific events, such as, system startup, system shutdown, etc. 

USB plug in: It requires a USB drive as backup destination and will backup disk automatically when USB Plugged in. 

Differential Backup: Similar to incremental backup, it backs up only changed files as well. And it's much safer due to the independent properties.

Automatic Backup Cleanup: Besides, you may need to delete old backup automatically in a scheduled task, thus there is always enough space for new backups. It has 3 options, By quantity, By time, By daily/weekly/monthly, and among them, the last one is the best option. It is keeping backups by different tiers and backup types. 

Step 5. Click Start Backup > Add the schedule and start backup now to run the first backup.

Besides, it still allows you to create bootable media and backup hard drive without booting Windows as well. Then, in a disaster, you can restore disk image to SSD to get it back quickly.

>> Navigate to the Restore tab and then selecting backup image, restore entire disk or partition, destination path. Then, confirm disk info and click Start Restore. 

>> If you are restoring disk to different hardware, please tick the Universal Restore feature before clicking Start Restore. 

>> At the same time, if you are losing files on the disk but not creating a file backup, try its Explore Image feature and perform disk image file restore. It allows you to assign drive letter for some or all partition(s) on the disk, view files in the Windows Explorer and copy to another location.

Verdict

It is very easy to use DriveImage XML alternative - AOMEI Backupper to back up your entire disk. With its help, you can set schedule backup in a simple clicks and backup only changed files to save time and space. Besides, in its advanced edition, you can enjoy safer backup method (differential backup), free up disk space with cleanup methods, etc. 

And it's free cloning software for hard drive. You can also clone disk to larger disk, clone large HDD to smaller SSD, clone SATA to NVMe SSD, clone hard drive with bad sectors, etc.