Reddit mentions of Acronis True Image 2017 - 1 Computer

Hi,

clone means copying 1 hdd/ssd to another hdd/ssd one to one. this means, all data is identical (if size is different of the discs then it's proportionally identical or you just have some space unallocated). you usually use cloning when you want to replace your current hdd with an ssd, faulty sectors on old one or simply because you want a new one. This is very useful for disc with the OS installed on it.

The annoying part of it with cloning to an external hdd is, you either can't use the rest of the space on the disc (depends on how cloning is configured) and your pc shows all the partitions of the external hdd which can be confusing.

I recommend using a backup tool like Acronis which does the following:

You can create either one or multiple backup tasks. It creates a backup-file where all of your data is stored (not just files, also MBR, settings, OS, files etc.). The best part is, you can use that backup file to restore a new hdd/ssd and boot to your OS. You can even use your backup-file to restore on a completely different machine (works about 80% in my experience).

Acronis is also very neat if you need a file from a past time. You can simply click in your backup and locate the file, copy it to your running machine and done. No other hardware or software needed.

Hope this helps.

edit: Acronis is not free. It costs $35. You can have a look at the wiki which is under construction. check this thread