The only problem with Microsoft's RecImg is it is a typical command line utility with all the friendliness of a cornered rat. While your average power user might be quite happy with such manliness, your average just-trying-to-get-my-work-done user who has to wrap up the monthly sales report is going to be less than impressed if something like malware can't be fixed PDQ.

This highlights something I just don't understand: Why have all versions of Windows had this "techie" feel when it comes to anything to do with system maintenance? Just look at the Windows Control Panel, or whatever it's called in whatever version of Windows might be in front of you ... the various functions are organized in a way that can only be described as eccentric. Even people who are way beyond n00b level have trouble finding things like the control panel application to manage system services if they haven't had to do so for a while.

Be that as it may, we now come back to Slimware's RecImg Manager, which makes up for Microsoft apparently having bigger fish to fry than making system maintenance easy.

Via a Metro interface, RecImg Manager allows you to make backup images both manually and on a schedule (there's even support for allowing backups to be automatically created when on battery power, which is important for portable devices).

RecImg Manager can work on any Intel-based device running Windows 8 and, due to its smaller recovery image size, can support tablets including Microsoft's Surface tablet due out later this year.