Paragon Software has revealed the latest edition of its excellent imaging tool, Backup & Recovery 2013 Free.
The most important addition this time around is the program’s new “Windows 8 Compatible” stamp. If you’re upgrading soon, or have done so already, then Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free should work just as it always has.
And as a part of this, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free now also supports Windows 8 Storage Spaces. (Paragon first made this technology available back in December 2012 in an update for their Hard Disk Manager Suite and Professional packages, but it’s finally filtering through to the free products.)
Storage Spaces is an interesting Windows 8 feature which allows users to combine the space in multiple existing hard drives, then reallocate it to virtual volumes in whatever configuration they need.
And Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free now recognizes Storage Spaces volumes and treats them like any other, which means you can freely back up, partition or delete them, without worrying about the underlying technology.
That’s all we’ve noticed with regard to new features. There’s not even an interface revamp, the usual trick companies employ when an upgrade isn’t looking too exciting. (Although that’s probably a good thing, especially if you’re an existing user: at least you can download and use the new version immediately, without having to find your way around rearranged dialogs and menus.)
Then again, when you consider how much Paragon Backup & Recovery 2013 Free offers -- wide hardware support, full and differential backups, file exclusions, partitioning tools, a bootable recovery disc and more -- it’s hard to see what else the company might reasonably have added. If you need an imaging backup tool, take a look, it’s still one of the best options around.
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