Overview
x360Recover now has two generations of agent software available for deployment. Agent version 2.x is our original agent software that you’ve always deployed in the past. Agent 2.x is a 32-bit agent for Windows that supports only Windows operating systems. Supported Windows versions include all versions of Windows Server and Windows desktop, both 32-bit and 64-bit, from Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP up to Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11.
The new Agent version 3.x is a multi-platform consolidated code agent that supports Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. Agent 3.x is 64-bit only and supports only 64-bit operating systems. This agent is distributed in separate packages, with different installation options for each platform.
All Linux and macOS protected systems are already running agent 3.x.
Note: For Windows and macOS, both Intel / AMD and ARM 64-bit CPU systems are supported. On Linux only Intel / AMD 64-bit CPU systems are supported.
For instructions on deploying an agent, see:
Do I need to upgrade my Agents?
The short answer is no. For the most part there is no reason to upgrade your existing Windows protected systems to the new agent.
Warning: Due to differences in the backup engine between 2.x and 3.x, upgrading a protected system will incur a new full backup on the system with 100% data change. This occurs because even though the backup data stored is exactly the same, the alignment of the data is shifted on disk, causing every block to be registered as new data on the first backup.
Unless you have a specific need for an agent 3.x feature, it is not recommended to upgrade to 2.x protected systems to 3.x.
When Should I Upgrade an Agent?
Going forward, certain new features and functions will only be supported on the newer agent. As an example, Backup for NAS and backup of ReFS volumes will only be supported on agent 3.x.
If you find that you need a feature only available in the newer agent, you will have to upgrade the protected system to agent 3.x. As stated above, upgrading the agent will generate a new full image on the vault or appliance, potentially impacting storage availability or fair use limitations. Bear this in mind when selecting systems to upgrade.
How Do I Upgrade My Agent?
Due to the architecture and other differences, there is no direct upgrade over an existing 2.x agent using the 3.x agent. You must uninstall version 2.x and then reinstall version 3.x.
Note: When uninstalling agent 2.x, the original installation folder (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Replibit) will remain, with several files left behind. These files include the original agent configuration files. Do not delete this folder.
When installing agent 3.x the installer will note the presence of the original 2.x installation folder and configuration. Core settings, like protected system identity, backup volumes, and other critical configurations will be imported during the installation. This allows the 3.x agent to assume the original identity of the protected system and prevents the agent from registering a new protected system instance.
Both Agent installers follow a similar workflow. See Install an Agent (Windows) for step-by-step installation instructions.