Paragon Backup & Recovery 18 Community Edition
Paragon Software • Utilities
Paragon Backup & Recovery Community Edition is a free, professional-grade backup tool for Windows. It creates consistent point-in-time copies of your entire computer, individual volumes, or specific files, so you can recover quickly after a crash, malware attack, or hardware failure.
The software goes beyond simple file copying. It builds full disk images and keeps them current with incremental and differential updates, while predefined backup jobs automate the whole routine. You can store backups on local drives, external disks, or network shares, and restore from a bootable WinPE recovery environment when Windows refuses to start.
In This Post
Power User Guide
Create a Bootable WinPE Recovery USB
- Connect a USB flash drive (at least 1 GB) to your PC
- Open Paragon Backup & Recovery and launch the Recovery Media Builder
- Choose WinPE-based media and select your USB drive
- Follow the wizard to write the recovery environment
- Label the drive and store it somewhere safe
Why: If Windows won’t start, this bootable USB lets you restore a backup image, fix boot problems, or access recovery tools without needing a working OS.
Set Up a Full + Incremental Backup Strategy
- Create a new backup job and choose Full backup as the initial image
- Schedule it to run weekly on a day when the PC is idle
- Add a second job using Incremental backup and schedule it daily
- Enable data retention to keep only the last N versions
- Store backups on an external drive or network share
Why: This combination keeps your backup storage footprint small while ensuring you never lose more than a day of changes.
Restore a Single File Without a Full Restore
- Open the backup job and select Browse/Mount the image
- Mount the backup as a virtual drive in Windows
- Navigate to the file or folder you need
- Copy it to your desktop or original location
- Unmount the image when finished
Why: You don’t need to restore the entire system just to recover one document — this saves time and avoids disrupting your current setup.
Download Paragon Backup & Recovery 18 Community Edition
File size: 245 MB
OS support: Windows
Windows
Download Paragon Backup & Recovery 18 Community Edition for Windows – Free ARM64
Download Paragon Backup & Recovery 18 Community Edition for Windows – Free x64
Download Paragon Backup & Recovery 17 Community Edition for Windows – Free x32
Download Paragon Backup & Recovery 17 Community Edition for Windows – Free x64
Notable Features
- Disk Backup: Create a complete sector-based image of an entire hard disk, including GPT disks and system service structures. This guarantees that the operating system remains bootable and recoverable, even if the original drive fails or becomes corrupted.
- Differential Backup: After a full image, differential backups archive only the changes made since that full backup. This significantly reduces storage space while still allowing you to restore with just the full image plus the latest differential.
- Incremental Backup: The most storage-efficient option. Incremental backups capture only data changed since the previous backup — whether that was a full image or another increment — keeping the backup footprint minimal while maintaining a complete recovery chain.
- Backup Jobs: Predefined backup strategies let you automate protection with just a few clicks. Schedule full, incremental, or differential backups for your system, partitions, or specific files, and let Paragon handle the rest.
- Flexible Restore: Restore an entire disk, individual partitions, or only the files you need from a backup image. You can also restore with shrink, migrate from 512-byte to 4K drives, and recover pVHD images under Windows or Linux.
- WinPE Recovery Environment: Create a bootable Windows-based recovery environment on CD, DVD, or USB. Even if the operating system is corrupted, you can boot from this media to restore backups, fix boot problems, or perform maintenance.
System Specifications
Minimum
- Disk Space: 250 MB
- Graphics: SVGA video adapter and monitor
- OS: Windows 11 Arm64, Windows 10 x64 (1809 and newer), Windows 11 x64
- Processor: Intel Pentium CPU or equivalent, 1000 MHz
- RAM: 1 GB
Tech Specs
| Software Name | Paragon Backup & Recovery 18 Community Edition |
|---|---|
| Version | 18.21.0 |
| License | Freeware |
| File Size | 245 MB |
| OS Support | Windows |
| Language | English |
| Developer | Paragon Software |
| Homepage | https://www.paragon-software.com/free/br-free/ |
| Last Updated | August 29, 2026 |
Getting Started
Installation Steps
- Click the download button above to get the Paragon Backup & Recovery installer for your Windows architecture (x64 or Arm64).
- Locate the downloaded.exe file and double-click it to launch the setup wizard.
- Follow the on-screen instructions, accept the license agreement, and choose your installation folder.
- Restart your computer if prompted, then launch Paragon Backup & Recovery from the Start menu.
Compatibility: Compatible with Windows 10 x64 (1809 and newer), Windows 11 x64, and Windows 11 Arm64. A separate older build is available for 32-bit Windows.
Common Issues & Fixes
- Issue: Installer won’t run on older Windows 10 builds → Solution: Update Windows to version 1809 or later, or use Backup & Recovery 17 Free Edition for x86 systems.
- Issue: Firewall blocks backup operations → Solution: Allow inbound and outbound traffic on ports 80 and 443 in Windows Firewall.
FAQ
Is Paragon Backup & Recovery free?
Yes, the Community Edition is free to download and includes core disk imaging, file backup, and restore features. Paragon also offers paid editions with advanced options for business users.
Can I restore individual files from a backup image?
Absolutely. You can mount a backup image and browse it like a regular drive, then copy out only the files or folders you need without performing a full system restore.
Does Paragon Backup & Recovery support Windows 11?
Yes, it supports Windows 11 x64 and Windows 11 Arm64, as well as Windows 10 x64 version 1809 and newer.
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