How to Compress Backup Files using Hasleo Backup Suite Free?

Hasleo Backup Suite Free offers practical and flexible backup file compression, allowing you to adjust the compression level according to your needs. This guide provides a detailed analysis of the advantages and limitations of compression. It also includes step-by-step instructions on using this software to compress your backup files.

• Overview of backup file compression
• Four levels of compression for different use cases
• Best free backup software — Hasleo Backup Suite Free
• How to Compress Backup Files Using Hasleo Backup Suite Free?
• Summary

Overview of backup file compression

Backup file compression is a method that uses specific algorithms to remove empty space and redundant information during the backup process, significantly reducing the backup file size. It involves a balance between backup speed, storage space, and CPU utilization. Note that a higher compression level does not always result in a faster backup. Understanding the advantages and limitations of compressing backup files can help you make better use of this feature.

Advantages:

1. Save storage space: Compression can significantly reduce the disk space required for backup files, which is critical when using target media with limited capacity.
2. Increase transmission efficiency: By creating smaller files, compression significantly reduces the time required to transfer backups over the Internet or a local network.
3. Easy to archive and carry: Compression creates smaller files, which are easier to burn onto CDs or save to external hard drives for long-term storage.

Limitations:

1. Increase CPU load: As a compute-intensive task, compression (especially high compression) can raise CPU utilization, extending backup/restore times, especially on older hardware
2. Diminishing marginal returns: For files that are already highly compressed, further compression has little effect.
3. More sensitive to data corruption: Without compression, if a backup file is slightly corrupted, it may only affect a small portion of the data; however, after compression, even a tiny corruption can make the entire compressed file unable to uncompress, leading to significant data loss.

Backup image compression is a double-edged sword. Understanding its advantages and limitations is important when choosing a suitable compression level. The following scenarios, which use the four levels (None, Low, Medium, High) in Hasleo Backup Suite Free as examples, can guide your choice based on your needs.

Four levels of compression for different use cases

Select None:

1. Pursue the fastest backup/restore speed: In a business environment, quickly restoring the system reduces downtime; or individuals want backup/restore operations to be completed as fast as possible.
2. Sufficient storage space: If your target drive has plenty of free space, then you can choose "None".
3. Weak system or disk performance: If your computer has an older CPU or a slow disk, using compression may slow down the system during backup. Therefore, it is recommended to choose no compression.
4. Most backup sources are already compressed files: If you primarily back up videos, music, photos, software installation packages, or other already highly compressed files, further compression will have minimal effect, so it is recommended to choose "None".

Select Low:

1. Recommended for daily backups: The Low compression level is ideal for regularly backing up home or office computers. It strikes a perfect balance for most users by creating reasonably small backups while maintaining high performance.
2. Using the computer during backup: Low compression has a lower CPU usage, allowing you to use your computer for other tasks during the backup without experiencing noticeable slowdowns.

Select Medium:

1. Limited storage space: Your target drive has little remaining space. To reduce backup size, we recommend selecting the "Medium" compression level.
2. Accept longer wait times: Users can tolerate a longer time compared to Low compression, while still expecting it to remain within reasonable limits.
3. Your CPU supports medium compression: Please note that this level uses more processing power and may temporarily slow down your system during backup.

Select High:

1. Storage space is critically low: Your storage is almost full. To create a backup, high compression is required.
2. Most backup sources are uncompressed files: For uncompressed data, such as documents, source code, and databases, using high compression can significantly reduce the size.
3. High-performance CPU: Your CPU performance is very powerful, without worrying about resource usage.
4. Unconcerned with backup time: You have enough time to wait for the backup to complete.

To help you choose, we've prepared the following table to compare the four compression levels.

	None	Low	Medium	High
Compression Ratio	None	Lower	Medium	Highest
Backup Speed	Fastest	Faster	Medium	Slowest
CPU Usage	Lowest	Lower	Medium	Highest
Backup File Size	Largest	Larger	Medium	Smallest

Backup file compression is a highly valuable feature. It sacrifices a small amount of computing resources in exchange for a significant improvement in storage space and transfer efficiency. When choosing the compression level, we recommend that you make a comprehensive consideration based on your own needs.

Best free backup software — Hasleo Backup Suite Free

As mentioned above, Hasleo Backup Suite Free offers four compression levels to meet your different needs. As professional backup software, it supports backing up, restoring Windows OS, disks/partitions, and files/folders, as well as features such as encryption, filtering, and merging/deleting backup files. Additionally, it can create a WinPE emergency disk, which allows for quick recovery when the system cannot boot. Here are the notable features of Hasleo Backup Suite:

1. Comprehensive and powerful: Its backup and restore features let you create system images effortlessly and recover from crashes instantly, while the cloning function promotes seamless data migration.
2. Advanced technology and excellent performance: Compatible with all Windows PCs and servers, it supports Windows x86/x64 and ARM64 architectures. It boots in both UEFI and Legacy BIOS modes, ensures safe and stable program running, and operates with high efficiency and low power consumption.
3. Multiple backup modes: It supports full, incremental and differential backups. Following an initial full backup, both incremental and differential backups save time and storage space by only copying the data that has changed.
4. Features compression and encryption: It allows you to compress backup images to save disk space and encrypt them to protect your important data.
5. Practical Toolbox: Here you can access advanced features like creating a WinPE emergency disk, merging backup images, and securely wiping disks.
6. Intuitive and user-friendly interface: The interface design is clear, with the main functions immediately obvious, and guided prompts allow even beginners to get started quickly.

If you are looking for free backup software, the powerful and comprehensive Hasleo Backup Suite Free is your best choice.

 

How to Compress Backup Files using Hasleo Backup Suite Free?

Step 1. Download, install, and run Hasleo Backup Suite Free. Click the "Backup" button in the navigation bar, then select "System Backup", "Disk/Partition Backup", or "File Backup" in the operation area.

 

Step 2. Select the system, disks/partitions, or files/folders you want to back up. Then customize the task name and destination location as needed. Click "Backup options" to open the settings interface.

 

* If you choose "System Backup", Hasleo Backup Suite Free will automatically select all partitions required for a Windows system backup.

* Tips:

1. Task name: Specify a task name so that you can quickly find and manage your backup task later.
2. Description: Briefly describe the purpose of the task and any other relevant information.
3. Destination: Modify the destination path where the backup image files will be stored by clicking the folder icon.
4. Backup options: Advanced backup settings. For more details, please refer to Backup options.
5. Backup schedule: Set up backup schedules to automatically perform your backup tasks on a regular basis. For more details, please refer to Backup schedule.

Step 3. From the left navigation bar, select "Space". Find the "Compression" setting, then set the compression level to "None/Low/Medium/High" from the drop-down menu. Click "OK" to save the settings.

 

Step 4. Click "Proceed", and Hasleo Backup Suite Free will start performing compressed backup task. This process will take some time, so please be patient.

 

* After the compressed backup is completed, the restorability of the backup files should be verified.

* Tips:

1. Priority: Specify a priority for the backup process. A higher priority allocates more CPU time to the backup, which may cause other programs to run slower.
2. Check image: Verify the integrity of the backup image files upon completion of the backup process.
3. Power plan: Perform the power management action after the backup is complete.

Summary

Hasleo Backup Suite Free is a fully-featured, free Windows backup software that supports different levels of backup compression, allowing you to balance backup size, speed, and resource usage according to your needs. Additionally, it offers encryption to guarantee your data security. Download and explore all its features for free!