[Archived] Hasleo Backup Suite V5.5.2.1 Released!

[admin]

Hasleo Backup Suite V5.5.2.1 Released!

What's new in this version:
1. Removed the expiration time limit
2. Fixed an issue with mounting file backup images
3. Fixed the issue where system backup did not automatically select partitions in WinPE
4. Updated Dutch and Ukrainian translations
5. Fixed other minor bugs

Here are the download links:
X86/X64
ARM64

[pt58]

I was excited to try out the delta clone feature, because I would find it useful for keeping backups of virtual machines, which may only have a few changed bytes within a large virtual hard drive. Delta cloning would save a considerable amount of time compared to copying the whole virtual disk to a backup.
As a test I created a 50GB partition and copied 3 small virtual machines to it.
I then cloned this partition to a backup.
I then ran each VM for a short time and closed each one down.
Using the Hasleo 5.5.2.0 trial, I then ran a delta clone of this partition to the same backup I had previously created.
As expected, it ran very quickly as it was only cloning the changed blocks.
I was delighted and was about to reach for my credit card to order the full version!
Before I did, I thought I would try the same test but using the 5.5.2.0 trial Rescue disk I had created, to see if the delta clone worked as expected in the rescue environment.
Unfortunately, the clone failed, saying it couldn't read the disk. When I checked the backup, I discovered it had deleted the partition completely. Is this expected behaviour? Surely it shouldn't be totally deleting the partition ?
Today, I tried the latest 5.5.2.1. trial, to see if that does the same. Unfortunately it does. Seems to work perfectly in the installed version, but the 5.5.2.1 Rescue disk, deletes the partition when you try to do a delta clone.
Is there any info you need to investigate this issue. Does it create a logfile in the Rescue environment?

[admin]

I was excited to try out the delta clone feature, because I would find it useful for keeping backups of virtual machines, which may only have a few changed bytes within a large virtual hard drive. Delta cloning would save a considerable amount of time compared to copying the whole virtual disk to a backup.
As a test I created a 50GB partition and copied 3 small virtual machines to it.
I then cloned this partition to a backup.
I then ran each VM for a short time and closed each one down.
Using the Hasleo 5.5.2.0 trial, I then ran a delta clone of this partition to the same backup I had previously created.
As expected, it ran very quickly as it was only cloning the changed blocks.
I was delighted and was about to reach for my credit card to order the full version!
Before I did, I thought I would try the same test but using the 5.5.2.0 trial Rescue disk I had created, to see if the delta clone worked as expected in the rescue environment.
Unfortunately, the clone failed, saying it couldn't read the disk. When I checked the backup, I discovered it had deleted the partition completely. Is this expected behaviour? Surely it shouldn't be totally deleting the partition ?
Today, I tried the latest 5.5.2.1. trial, to see if that does the same. Unfortunately it does. Seems to work perfectly in the installed version, but the 5.5.2.1 Rescue disk, deletes the partition when you try to do a delta clone.
Is there any info you need to investigate this issue. Does it create a logfile in the Rescue environment?

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Yes, log files are also generated in the emergency disk. Please click "" > "Save log file" to open the save log file dialog, save the log file and then send it to us via email at [email protected]

Thanks.

[garioch7]

Today I did my second disk/partition image with Hasleo Backup Suite Pro (HBSP).  I am a newbie, so I wanted to share some suggestions to improve HBSP.

First, you should understand that I only ever do Full Disk Partition Backups weekly, initiating them manually.  In essence, I want an backup image that will allow me to completely to restore my computer from a failed OS drive once it was replaced, exactly as it was at the time of its creation.

Second, I own a lifetime license to Easeus Todo Home Backup (ETBH), with free upgrades, for both of my computers.  I also own a Macrium Reflect 8 (MR8) license, with four seats.  It was my past practice to alternate my weekly system disk/partition images between both programs.  I purchased Hasleo Backup Suite Pro (HBSP) about ten days ago, because when Macrium Reflect X became only a subscription product, it was time for me to move on.  I detest subscription backup products.  Now I am going to alternate all three imaging programs for as long as Windows does not "break" MR8.  It is the best-in-class right now, but I think that the company has shot itself in the foot with their new subscription model.

Third, this post should be interpreted as constructive suggestions.  I am very happy with HBSP.  I could have done only with the free version, but I want to pay developers for their work.

My observations and suggestions:

1.  I cannot set Global Settings so that my choices are remembered for future image backups.  I have to go through the Options Menu each time to select that I do not want HBSP default settings of Filters On, Quick Check, Medium Priority, etc.  I want the Filters off, a Complete Check, and High Priority.


2.  Today, I created a Full Disk/Partition Image of my OS drive, with 223 GB used, and selected a Complete Check Image.  The backup time was 15:45, but the Complete Check Image Time was 31:35, for a total backup job time of 47:30.

The backup time was impressive, but the Complete Check Image time was not.  MR8 can do its "Verify Image" and imaging for total backup time of 24 minutes.  ETBH can do its separate (you cannot select to have an automatic Check Image begin when the Backup is complete in that product) in about 34 minutes.

The progress bar goes to 80% in HBSP when the backup completes.  It is glacial in moving from 80% to 100% when the Complete Check Image is selected.  Competing products have a separate progress bar for verifying/checking the image.

Regardless, the Check Complete Image algorithms need to be tuned up to improve their speed.


These are "early days" and the development team is very small, but they have made a great start.  I am very impressed with the product.  Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Phil

[admin]

1.  I cannot set Global Settings so that my choices are remembered for future image backups.  I have to go through the Options Menu each time to select that I do not want HBSP default settings of Filters On, Quick Check, Medium Priority, etc.  I want the Filters off, a Complete Check, and High Priority.

Are you referring to the need to manually adjust these settings each time a new task is created? Yes, that is currently the case. Implementing a global configuration is definitely necessary.

Regardless, the Check Complete Image algorithms need to be tuned up to improve their speed.

We've made some attempts in the past, but the results weren't very satisfactory. It might require changes to the backup process and image format, but the cost is a bit high. We'll explore whether there are better solutions.

[garioch7]

@admin,

Thank you for your reply.  I will be happy when the user-selected "Global Defaults" feature enhancement is developed and released.

With respect to the Check Image speed, one your competitors, ETBH had slow check image speeds as well for many years before they finally got it to roughly match their actual backup times.  They still are not as fast as MR8, but I regard that as acceptable performance.

If I have a catastrophic hard drive failure, I want to be confident that my backup images are completely verified, without any corruption, and will work to do a full restore.  In accordance with accepted practices, should such an event occur, I would again fully check the image I want to use before attempting a full disk/partition restore.  Backups can pass when created, but the remote possibility always exists that some corruption might have occurred since then.  In such a rare scenario of post-imaging backup file corruption, restoring it without checking it first, could lead to the restore failing, leaving the user with an unbootable computer.

As you can see, I have a very low risk tolerance when it comes to my computer programs and data, so a reasonably rapid "Check Image" module is very important to me.  I don't think it should take almost twice the time of the actual backup creation itself.

This is just a suggestion.  Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

[admin]

@admin,

Thank you for your reply.  I will be happy when the user-selected "Global Defaults" feature enhancement is developed and released.

With respect to the Check Image speed, one your competitors, ETBH had slow check image speeds as well for many years before they finally got it to roughly match their actual backup times.  They still are not as fast as MR8, but I regard that as acceptable performance.

If I have a catastrophic hard drive failure, I want to be confident that my backup images are completely verified, without any corruption, and will work to do a full restore.  In accordance with accepted practices, should such an event occur, I would again fully check the image I want to use before attempting a full disk/partition restore.  Backups can pass when created, but the remote possibility always exists that some corruption might have occurred since then.  In such a rare scenario of post-imaging backup file corruption, restoring it without checking it first, could lead to the restore failing, leaving the user with an unbootable computer.

As you can see, I have a very low risk tolerance when it comes to my computer programs and data, so a reasonably rapid "Check Image" module is very important to me.  I don't think it should take almost twice the time of the actual backup creation itself.

This is just a suggestion.  Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil

Thank you for your advice. May I ask what the CPU and disk I/O usage is approximately when performing the mirror check operation? Figures for both average and peak usage would be very helpful.

Please note that Hasleo checks all existing backup versions, not just the last one. It is unclear whether Macrium Reflect performs checks on all backup versions.

[admin]

Due to user-reported issues following the V5.5 release, we have decided to pause all new feature development and focus our efforts on a comprehensive quality optimization. Our key priorities include improving existing functionalities, optimizing performance, and identifying and resolving legacy issues to enhance the overall product quality. Additionally, we will allocate some time to maintain our other products, as we have been dedicating nearly all of our recent development resources to Hasleo Backup Suite.

We sincerely appreciate your understanding.

[admin]

Today I did my second disk/partition image with Hasleo Backup Suite Pro (HBSP).  I am a newbie, so I wanted to share some suggestions to improve HBSP.

First, you should understand that I only ever do Full Disk Partition Backups weekly, initiating them manually.  In essence, I want an backup image that will allow me to completely to restore my computer from a failed OS drive once it was replaced, exactly as it was at the time of its creation.

Second, I own a lifetime license to Easeus Todo Home Backup (ETBH), with free upgrades, for both of my computers.  I also own a Macrium Reflect 8 (MR8) license, with four seats.  It was my past practice to alternate my weekly system disk/partition images between both programs.  I purchased Hasleo Backup Suite Pro (HBSP) about ten days ago, because when Macrium Reflect X became only a subscription product, it was time for me to move on.  I detest subscription backup products.  Now I am going to alternate all three imaging programs for as long as Windows does not "break" MR8.  It is the best-in-class right now, but I think that the company has shot itself in the foot with their new subscription model.

Third, this post should be interpreted as constructive suggestions.  I am very happy with HBSP.  I could have done only with the free version, but I want to pay developers for their work.

My observations and suggestions:

1.  I cannot set Global Settings so that my choices are remembered for future image backups.  I have to go through the Options Menu each time to select that I do not want HBSP default settings of Filters On, Quick Check, Medium Priority, etc.  I want the Filters off, a Complete Check, and High Priority.


2.  Today, I created a Full Disk/Partition Image of my OS drive, with 223 GB used, and selected a Complete Check Image.  The backup time was 15:45, but the Complete Check Image Time was 31:35, for a total backup job time of 47:30.

The backup time was impressive, but the Complete Check Image time was not.  MR8 can do its "Verify Image" and imaging for total backup time of 24 minutes.  ETBH can do its separate (you cannot select to have an automatic Check Image begin when the Backup is complete in that product) in about 34 minutes.

The progress bar goes to 80% in HBSP when the backup completes.  It is glacial in moving from 80% to 100% when the Complete Check Image is selected.  Competing products have a separate progress bar for verifying/checking the image.

Regardless, the Check Complete Image algorithms need to be tuned up to improve their speed.


These are "early days" and the development team is very small, but they have made a great start.  I am very impressed with the product.  Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Phil

I spent some time testing the performance of full image check for Macrium Reflect 8, Easeus Todo Backup 2025, and Hasleo Backup Suite 5.5. My approach involved first creating a full system backup using each backup software, then performing a full image check. The final result showed Hasleo Backup Suite 5.5 significantly outperforming the other two software. Below are the test results:
                                          1st check     2nd check     Image size    Backup duration
Macrium Reflect 8:               9:11             9:28            121 GB          21:29
Easeus Todo Backup 2025    7:11              7:09            120 GB          29:23
Hasleo Backup Suite 5.5       2:50             2:50             109 GB         12:56

The backup source and destination are exactly the same, and all backups are performed using the default settings.

I'm curious why Macrium Reflect 8 appears more efficient than Hasleo Backup Suite 5.5 during the full image check performed after backup completion. When multiple backup versions exist for a task, does Macrium Reflect 8 verify all image versions?

Additionally, judging by Hasleo Backup Suite 5.5's CPU and disk I/O utilization, the potential for further efficiency gains appears extremely limited.

[garioch7]

@admin,

Thank you for your response.  I must say that I was astounded by your posted results.  I wish to respectfully dispute some of your conclusions, if I may ... ?

"The backup source and destination are exactly the same, and all backups are performed using the default settings."

First, and foremost, no one who is serious about their system imaging backups would store their backup images on the source drive.  One of the key reasons for full Disk/Partition images is to be able to restore a failed source drive to a new one, or one that has to be reformatted for some reason.  If that one drive fails, the backup image is lost as well.

In my case, I have NVMe SSD 1 TB source drive that is imaging to another internal WD Black 4 TB HDD, which I then subsequently copy to an external WD Black TB HDD.  My results do not include that secondary copy.

Secondly, you used "default settings."  You cannot default ETBH to do a Check Image.  You must manually initiate that after the backup completes, unlike MR8 and HBSP5.

The HSBP "default" is to do a "Quick Check," which according to the Hasleo documentation does not ensure that all of the data in the backup image is uncorrupted; only that all of the backup files are there.

As I explained in my post, I want a Full Disk/Partition Image backup.  I also want all of the Windows files included, which is disabled by the "default" HBSP "Filters" that preclude them from being imaged, so I disabled the HBSP default filters entirely.

Since I only ever create separate MR8 backup Disk/Partition Image backups, there are no incremental/differential backups to be verified, to use their terminology.   I do the same with ETBH and with HBSP.

I am a very simple user.  No schedules, nothing but manually-initiated full Disk/Partition images, with Windows files included.  I want to be able to launch from a Recovery USB, locate the backup image, and restore it to a new drive, and have my computer boot as it was at the time the Disk/Partition image was created!  Nothing fancy.

I clearly indicated that I was imaging 223 GB on my C: drive, but that does not include the other partitions that Dell and Windows have installed.  I expect that I was really imaging about 250 GB.  The most recent HBSP image, with Filters disabled, that I quoted, was 176 GB.  That was impressive compression which compares favorably to MR8 (175), but not as much to ETBH, which comes in at 182 GB.

I do not wish to be argumentative, but your testing does not compare with my testing.  Perhaps you have a much more powerful computer and faster NVMe drives than my old 2019 Dell 8930 SE desktop, Windows 11 Pro (26200.7019).  The focus of Hasleo Software should be to test for real-world situations.  Moreover, I repeat my recommendation that HBSP seek to improve its Check Image times.

So, I respectfully submit this post for your consideration.  Thank you for allowing me to comment.

Have a great day.

Regards,
Phil