Regularly backing up data and safeguarding your PC is an essential practice in modern computing but, even when using dedicated software, many new users find it difficult to get to grips with the process.

Acronis True Image is an attempt to make it easy for everyone and the latest version, True Image 11, offers a number of improvements.

Beginners will be pleased to hear that the software is easy to use, and for the most part adopts a wizard-based approach to help the user choose what files or areas of the computer to back up, and to select an appropriate time at which to do it.

As well as manually chosen files and folders, you can opt to back up specific file types, such as music, photos or documents, to back up the state of the computer (including programs and settings) or even to archive emails from Outlook. Indexes are automatically created to help find specific files, and the program can create images of an entire hard disk (hence its name) that can be accessed and restored in minutes in the event of total failure.

Perhaps the most interesting new feature of this version is Try and Decide. This tool is able to allocate part of the hard disk as a safe area, and when it is enabled you’ll find that any changes to the computer are applied to the test area only, allowing the user to experiment with new software or settings without running the risk of causing damage to Windows. Once you’re happy with the changes that have been made, you can automatically apply them for permanent use, or revert back to the computer's original state.

In addition to these tools there is privacy protection in the form of drive cleanser, file shredder and system cleaning utilities, all of which help prevent sensitive data and activity from being accessed by a third party.
The new version of Acronis is an excellent backup and security solution that not only offers a wealth of tools and flexibility, but presents everything in a straightforward manner that’s clear and easy to understand.

Vista compatibility: Yes