Support for Microsoft's Volume Shadow copy Service means it can create a hard drive image while you continue to use your PC, for instance. The program is easy to use and keeps backup hassles to a minimum. You won't have to reinstall Windows, or your applications, or try to recover any lost data: just boot from the program's rescue disc, restore the backup, and your PC will be back working as normal within an hour or two.

This will take longer, and you'll probably need a second hard drive to hold the image, but if disaster does strike in the future then you'll appreciate the difference. Use Macrium Reflect - Free Edition, though, and the program will take a complete image of your entire hard drive. Running a simple file-based backup, for instance, will be quick, but only because you'll probably leave so much behind: emails, contacts, browser favourites, digital photos, music, fonts, Windows and application settings, Office add-ons, browser extensions - the list goes on. Backing up your PC occasionally is a very good idea: there's no better way to protect your valuable files from hardware failure, virus attack and other data disasters.

How to download macrium reflect free