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Automatic copying. Where will we store backups? Data backup

WinRAR and automatic backup of data, files in Windows 7, in Windows XP.

I think everyone is convinced that backing up valuable data is not a luxury, but a necessity.

However, truly this necessary thing only those who have already learned from bitter experience how terrible it is to lose irreplaceable data. It's unpleasant to lose coursework or thesis. It's painful to lose your dissertation. But all this is small compared to what it means to lose the accounting records of a large enterprise for two or three years or the loss of a customer database.

However, practice shows that good intentions and fear of large losses are not enough for regular backups. These intentions disappear very quickly, and only automatic system which will start itself, at least once a week, and copy everything that is needed to where it should be.

It is especially good when backup is combined with archiving, so that backups didn't take up too much space.

Standard product Windows, program designed for backup Data archiving There is no way it will work according to schedule. But the program copes with this task brilliantly. However, in this case it must be launched not on the system Windows, and in mode command line. Windows serves to communicate with a person, but here the person has nothing to do - everything should work automatically, without his participation.

Let's divide the problem into two: first we will learn how to perform archiving in command line mode, and then we will connect what we get to system tool Task Scheduler so that archiving occurs according to a given schedule, for example, every evening at 17:30, half an hour before the end of the working day.

To enter the task scheduler you must click Start - control panel, then as in the figure below (this figure No. 1 will be useful to us later when we plan automatic daily and weekly copying of the necessary data). RICE. No. 1

Setting Command Line Options

1. Get yourself a folder to store files that are worth archiving. Let's say this is the folder D:\MyWorks.

The use of English letters in the names of the most important folders- not at all unnecessary forethought. It is also good if the name has no more than 8 characters and does not contain spaces. All this, of course, is not necessary, but in very difficult emergency situations when the disk has to be restored , this makes the work much easier.

2. It's best if the MyWorks folder is located at separate device, for example on the external removable media or storage device. It's good if it's on another computer local network. As a last resort, it can be located on a separate hard drive (physical, not logical).

And finally, if not at all additional devices there is no data storage, you can create it on the same disk. This, of course, is not a backup, but it’s still better than nothing. In this case, you need to understand that when leaving hard drive Such an archive will not save you from failure, but at least it will protect you from your own ridiculous mistakes.

3. Let's outline two archiving modes: daily and weekly. During daily archiving, new files are added to the archive and those files to which changes have been made are replaced, that is, the archive is updated.

With weekly archiving, the same thing happens, but at the same time, files that are present in it but not in the source (deleted) are deleted from the archive. This is what happens synchronization archive. For daily archiving, create the D:\REZERV\DAILY\ folder, and for weekly archiving, create the D:\REZERV\WEEKLY\ folder.

4. Create a shortcut on your desktop WinRAR programs. Rename it Daily Archiving or (DAILY). Create another WinRAR shortcut and rename it Weekly Archive. For this right button click on the screen with the mouse, then as in Figure 2:

When you click on "Shortcut" a menu will appear. In it you need to select the program for which the shortcut is being created, click “browse” and select the WinRAR program launch file:

The shortcut is ready.

5. Right-click to open the shortcut properties dialog box Daily archiving (DAILY) and pay attention to the field An object. What is written here is the command line for launching the program associated with the shortcut (this way you can create a shortcut for any program available on your computer):

Quotes in in this case are needed because there is a space in the name in the search path Program folders Files. Whenever there are spaces or Russian characters in the search path, quotes should be used. My backup program shortcuts look like this:

When we double click on the shortcut it will execute the specified command and the archiving program will start. If we want backup operations to be performed automatically at startup, the command line needs to be supplemented additional parameters. They will tell the program what to archive and where to put the archive, as well as what to do with files that have the same names.

6. Add the following parameters to the Object field:

"C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r -u -rr8 -y D:\Rezerv\Daily\myworks.rar D:\Wordpress\*.*

Here: “C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe” - WinRAR launch command;

a - the command “add files to archive” ( add);

R - command key that specifies archiving of all folders nested in the original one ( recursive);

U - key indicating update mode { update);

Rr8 - key that determines the creation of service records in the archive for restoration if necessary (record length - 8 sectors);

Y - key defining automatic confirmation (yes) all requests that may arise during the operation of the program;

D:\Rezerv\Daily\myworks.rar - access path and name of the archive in which the daily backup is stored (and the myworks.rar archive will be created automatically);

D:\MyWorks\ - access path to the archived folder;

*.* - wildcard characters; determine that all files (files with any names and name extensions) are archived.

Using an example, I want to show how to archive files ( backup files, data) only with a certain type extensions, for example PDF documents, for this, instead of *.* you need to write *.pdf. With this command line setup, all your files with pdf extension will be archived the first time you launch the archiving program. By analogy, you can always create a command line for any other extensions.

For me personally it has great importance folder on my computer WordPress, so I created a program to copy and archive exactly this data, because it contains the main information that I work with. My command line for this folder looks like this: "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe" a -r -u -rr8 -y D:\Rezerv\Daily\myworks.rar D:\Wordpress\*.*. This way you can create a backup for any folders and any data.

Important! For Windows 7, you need to start compatibility mode and check the box - run as administrator. If archiving does not start for Windows XP, you should also check the compatibility mode.

7. Close the dialog box with OK.

8. Open the shortcut properties window Weekly archiving. In the Object field, enter the following command line “C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe” and -r -u -as -rr8 -y D:\Reserv\Weekly\myworks.rar C:\MyWorks\*.*

Compare this command with the daily copy command. Firstly, they differ in the folder in which the archive is stored, and secondly, here appeared new key-as. It operates in conjunction with the -u switch and provides not just adding and updating files, but also synchronization, that is, deleting files from the archive that are no longer in the source folder. If something valuable is deleted as a result of such an operation, you can always restore the file from the daily archives.

9. Close the dialog box with the button OK.

10. Check manual start How the shortcuts for daily and weekly backups work.

Configure settings for automatic scheduled backups

To perform automatic data backup, we will use a special featureTask Scheduler.Open it with the commandMy computerControl panel System and SecurityAdministration, as shown above in FIGURE No. 1.The task scheduler window will appear. Next, follow the figures below with numbered steps:

By analogy, we create a task for weekly copying.

From now on, every day at the end of work or at the time you specify, a daily backup task will be automatically launched, and on Fridays a special weekly backup task will be launched. separate folder. This way you will always have two backups available.

If no external device You don’t have backup copies to store; it is recommended to make one of the copies to a USB drive.

The ability to run a program from the command line allows you to automate other non-standard operations. The purpose of other commands and their keys can be found using help system programs.

Special project with Acronis

We all sooner or later face the need for backup. And believe me: better early than late. Once upon a time, in 2009, I lost all my data. Back then I made backups on DVD-R/RW, which was not very convenient, so they were rarely made. Some of the data was sent by colleagues (it’s good that they kept it), but a lot of it was lost. It was from that time that I regularly make backups, and today we will talk about finding the ideal product for the family budget.

Where will we store backups?

Before choosing software, we need to decide where we will store the backup. You understand that DVD-R is of little use for backup. Firstly, it is small, secondly, it is slow, and thirdly, it is noisy. And since I switched to laptops a very long time ago and I don’t recognize stationary devices at all (although I have them on the farm), I had to buy several external drives. First 250 GB, then larger.

I did not consider the cloud for one simple reason - there is not enough space:

You understand, even 15 GB is not enough, especially if minimum size external screw available on the farm - 250 GB. Extra space? You could, of course, pay $2 a month for 100 GB of storage. Google Drive or 10 dollars for an additional 1 TB, but 100 GB will not save me, and 1 TB is a little expensive. Ideally, 500 GB would be suitable for 2-3 dollars per month :)

Later, the family acquired two Android smartphones and one tablet, from which they also made backups to an external screw from time to time, the old fashioned way (after all, I was used to just such a process). Here one could safely use the cloud, but habit is a strong thing.

Search for backup software

Now we come to the most interesting part. How to make a backup?

In principle, you can use the free Clonezilla. The capabilities of this program, if not impressive, are at least quite good. Here are some of them that I consider the most important:

  • support file systems Linux/macOS/Windows: ext2 to ext4, xfs, jfs, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HFS (macOS);
  • MBR and GPT support;
  • support for data encryption (AES 256);
  • the ability to deploy one image to several local devices;
  • support for SSH, Samba, WebDAV and NFS.

If you need to make a backup of a server in a corporate environment, and even on a shared server - best option can not found. For cloning systems in the case of deploying one operating system on many machines with the same configuration, that’s it: they brought in a fleet of computers, installed an axis on one of them, configured everything, made an image of it and deployed it to other computers. An admin's dream!

I have also been familiar with Acronis products for a long time, but mainly with server versions. I won’t compare them with Clonezilla now, because we're talking about about home backup: after all, at home you have one or two computers and several Android devices, you don’t need to constantly create images of all these devices. In general, CloneZilla is not suitable for home use. Once, I remember, I used it to make a backup at home when I was changing system disk to disk bigger size and I was too lazy to reinstall all the systems. Then this program, of course, saved me.

CloneZilla good program, but it’s 2016 and I want something more modern, but she’s stuck in the past. I want some kind of automation, management of backups from all devices, including mobile ones, I want to copy photos from my profile on social networks, I want to search inside the backup copy in order to find required file. I want a lot of things. Sometimes I even think about buying a NAS specifically for storing backups.

Actually, I started searching for the ideal software for myself. I came across the “File History” function in Windows 8/10. I somehow missed “Eight”, and “Ten” is installed on only one computer. Although File History was created in the image and likeness of Apple Time Machine and should be convenient, in practice it turned out to be not very convenient to use, moreover, with computers running the “seven” and Android smartphones it is not compatible.


If anyone is interested, while I was looking for the necessary software, all this time I was making backups using Total Commander by simply copying files. But this is very inconvenient. Firstly, no automation: you need to go to each computer with an external screw and make a backup. Secondly, irrational use space. I didn't use compression. Why? Yes, because I periodically need to search for information on a backup. Have you tried searching for something in an archive of several GB in size?

Quite by accident I remembered Acronis True Image and discovered that version 2017 had been released. Let's see what it can do now:

It looks like the perfect backup software exists! However, it’s not very ideal, but I’ll tell you about the shortcomings later, but for now I’ll boast about the possibilities: Acronis True Image 2017 quite modern program for backup, and unlike ancient software like CloneZilla, it has everything you might need to modern man. This is what I personally really liked...

Firstly, saving space on the screws that are used for backup. The backup is made in compressed form, but Acronis allows you to search inside the backup.


Secondly, now I don’t have to worry about the data on mobile devices Oh. Over the past two years, two microSD cards have failed: one on my wife’s phone, the other on her tablet. One photograph was at least partially saved, but the second was not, it “died” completely. Acronis True Image 2017 allows you to perform backups unlimited quantity Android/iOS mobile devices to a local computer.

Thirdly, you can (as I already noted) remotely control the backup on all home devices. Using the web panel, you can check the status of backups and configure data protection in real time.

Fourth, there is support for copying content Facebook profile. A lot of information is now published on social networks: photos, videos, comments. A backup of this data will protect against page hacking or accidental deletion.

Finally, cloud orientation. I couldn’t even imagine that Acronis now has such powerful cloud support: by purchasing a subscription, you get 500 GB cloud space! This volume is quite enough for me for home purposes (unless, of course, I upload images to the cloud hard drives entirely, although Acronis allows this too).

About the disadvantages

Everything has its drawbacks. I hope the Acronis developers will listen to the criticism. Personally, I didn’t like two things about the program.

The first is the lack of Linux support. Data stored in Linux will have to be done the old fashioned way: either by copying, or using Clonezilla by creating an image of the partition with the data (fortunately, I have /home on a separate partition, out of habit).

Second - lack of support from others social networks, except Facebook. I think, however, that over time it will appear. But whether Linux support will appear is a question. Of course, Acronis has a Linux Server product, but I don’t want to use it for several reasons: firstly, using the server version for home use is tantamount to shooting sparrows with a cannon, and secondly, I don’t want to pay for another product (and this is the minimum 792 rubles per month), and thirdly, I want everything to be managed from one product.

About the price

We all know that Acronis has never been free. However, the prices also pleasantly surprised me: on the official website there is a calculator that allows you to find out how much Acronis will cost you.


A one-time license for 1 computer (the number of mobile devices is unlimited) will cost 1,700 rubles (approximately $27 at the current exchange rate). But it’s more profitable to buy a subscription: in this case, you will get both the program itself and 500 GB cloud storage. The cost of a subscription for a year will cost 1400 rubles. (~22$), for two years - only 2000 rubles (~32$), which is approximately 1.83$ or 1.33$ per month. For that kind of money you can only buy 100 GB of storage space. Google Drive! And here I got an excellent backup tool + 500 GB in the cloud.

If we calculate a more realistic configuration: 3 computers and 1 TB in the cloud, then a subscription for a year will cost 2400 rubles, and for 2 years - 3600 rubles. Only 150 rubles per month compared to 600 rubles for 1 TB on Google Drive! To me, the conclusion was obvious. 150 rubles - an amount quite affordable for home user, this will not hit the family budget.

In this article I want to talk about the problem of saving data.

We all come across something we need to save at some point. important information, be it photographs, text documents, 1C:Enterprise databases of all configurations or any other information important to us. Many users do not want to waste their time or do not know how to correctly write a small “batch file” to copy their data. That's what they exist for small programs for backup of various data. You can read more about backup.

I encountered the need for automatic backup when I needed to copy databases from 1C:Enterprise on a daily basis. When searching for a program that was convenient and met my requirements, I found what I needed - the Cobian Backup 11 program. This program turned out to have a very clear and uncomplicated interface, and most importantly, it is free, which is very good in our time.

1. Installation of the program

And so let's move on to installing the program. Download the program distribution from the official website and run the downloaded file. On the first page of the installer, select the language you need and click "Further" .

On the next page we will be invited to familiarize ourselves with license agreement and accept the terms of this agreement. Click "Further" .

This window appears before us with a choice: where and what to install.

  • "Initiator shadow copying» serves to copy files even when they are open or in use by applications. I recommend installing it, but if, say, you need a backup for one time, then, in principle, you don’t have to install the shadow copy initiator. The Shadow Copy Initiator requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 to be installed. How to install the component. NET Framework in, read.
  • "Installation script" needed in order to remember all the parameters of the current installation, and when next installation, do the same thing, without your participation.

By default, we are offered to install this program as a service; I recommend leaving everything as it is if you use it on a server or on a computer where there are several users. Firstly, as a service, the program will work even if no one is logged in, secondly, the program will be able to use network resources, for storing data on an ftp server, on another local computer on your network or network storage.

If you need it, for example, for one-time use or you don’t have to access it very often, then you can choose any of the items of your choice.

When installing the program as a service, you must specify account administrator and password.

That's it, the installation is complete.

2.Setting up the program

Let's move on to the main task of setting up a backup job. We launch the program, select from the menu "Exercise" , then "New task".

The New Job Creation Wizard will launch. Here we set "Name" tasks, check the necessary boxes and select "Copy type» .

Go to the tab "Files", then press "Add", to indicate what we should copy and where.

Specify a file, directory or folder to ftp server which you need to copy. We also indicate where to copy by selecting from the list. Everyone should understand that making a backup and saving it to the same HDD, if it physically collapses, it nullifies all your efforts; restoring information will be problematic; if saved to different disk partitions, it will save you only in cases where your partition where the main information is located is lost or when deleted. Therefore, try to save it on an independent medium, for example network storage, external hard disk, flash drive or to a computer located on the same network, and of course to an ftp server.

Go to the bookmark "Schedule". As you can see, the settings are here for any occasion, you can configure them as you wish: at least once a year, at least every day at a certain time.

Go to the tab "Cyclicity". Z Here you can configure the priority of your job and, to save space, you can configure the number of full copies to be stored.

Go to the tab "Compression" and indicate what kind of compression and division into parts of your files we need.

3. Conclusion

Overall, I really liked this program, I think many people will like it. A very clear and simple interface will not cause problems with setting up those tasks that you may need in everyday life.

Did this article help you?

Hello, friends!

Despite all your efforts to maintain the working condition of your PC, sooner or later you will have to face such a phenomenon as a crash operating system Windows.

And the worst result of this may be the loss of information contained in the computer.

As you know, on a PC, in addition to photographs and all sorts of things downloaded from the Internet, all kinds of documentation are often stored. In addition, you, like most other users, probably have special programs configured according to your preferences that you do not want to reinstall. You don’t want to lose all this, do you?

In order not to regret lost data and not waste time on restoring them using special applications, I advise you to make a backup. This is the only way you can protect the files you need from a sad fate.

In today's article we will look at the most effective programs for backup.

Acronis True Image Home

Among the backup utilities this application is the most popular. Although it is intended primarily to work with logical drives however, this program can also copy certain files and catalogues.

The application has big amount various settings to perform any type of reservation. So, for example, in the options of this program you can select the type of backup, configure the creation of copies according to a schedule, etc.

There are three concepts of backups in Acronis:

  1. incremental,
  2. differential,
  3. complete.

A full backup contains full image logical drive.

During creation differential copy Only those files that have undergone any changes since the full backup are archived are archived.

Incremental means adding changed files to a full backup, starting from the moment of the last backup.

Acronis also allows you to choose the level of data compression and set a password for the backup.

Acronis True Image Home can be downloaded for free from any computer software resource.

Norton Ghost

This convenient and functional product allows you to create backup images logical drives and carry out the system recovery process.

Application Norton Ghost very similar to the software described above. It is possible to create incremental, differential and full archives, but in Norton Ghost you can create archives with high level compression, which saves disk space and minimizes the duration of the recovery process.

In addition, the program provides filters that allow you to copy certain types of files, including driver files.

The program is excellent, but paid. Free version only available for 30 days.

A very powerful and easy to use tool that is free to use. It has a built-in wizard that allows you to make reservations step by step. This approach makes it possible for even complete “dummies” to use the utility.

Of the huge number of functions of this application, I would especially highlight the archive protection system by setting a password and encryption, increased filtering options, the ability to check the status of what was copied, and an excellent task scheduler. With this program you can:

  • write backup data to an optical or hard drive;
  • send them to an FTP server or Comodo online server.

File Backup Watcher Free

Free utility with step by step wizard, which helps novice users perform all the steps correctly. It has a convenient scheduler with a clear interface.

File Backup can not only backup, but also work with ZIP and write data to any optical media.

The Copier

Another great one free application oriented to perform copying to automatic mode according to a given schedule. Prepares copies in the form of ZIP archives and writes them to a hard drive. Allows you to create multi-volume archives.

FBackup

With this utility, you can backup all the data you need in a matter of minutes. The presence of the auto-backup function makes it possible to set up copying according to a schedule, so you don’t have to back up data manually.

It is more convenient and reliable to store copies on an external hard drive. Of course, you can use a flash drive for this, but this method is appropriate only when backing up a small amount of information, since a flash drive large capacity is quite expensive.

To store backed up files on your hard drive, you should set aside some separate space for them to minimize the risk of them being accidentally deleted.

Reservation is a rather complex matter that requires the user to have special knowledge and skills.

Sincerely! Abdullin Ruslan

Every computer user probably knows that no system is immune from errors and even critical failures when by ordinary means it is not possible to restore it. For this purpose, programs have been developed for and including utilities that allow you to create backup copies of hard drives and logical partitions. Let's look at the most popular utilities different levels difficulties.

Programs and data recovery: feasibility of use

Some users have a bit of a misconception about how powerful these types of utilities are. Unfortunately, they mistakenly believe that the most simple option will become normal copying user files to other logical partitions other than the system one. There is another category of users who believe that they can copy the entire system partition to another location, and then, in case of failure, from this copy. Alas, both are wrong.

Of course, this technique is applicable to user files, but not everyone wants to clutter another logical volume with a bunch of information or constantly keep it at hand external media like a USB HDD, a bunch of disks or flash drives, the capacity of which is clearly limited. And with large volumes of data, you should also take into account the time it takes to copy from one volume to another. Backup and recovery programs for both the system and partitions work somewhat differently. Of course, in most cases you will need removable media, but the created backup copy will take up much less space.

Basic operating principle and operating options

As a rule, most of today's well-known and widely used utilities mainly use the principles of creating images and compressing copied data. At the same time, images are most often used specifically to create copies of the operating system, which allows you to later restore it after an unexpected critical failure, and utilities for copying partitions or user files require archiving-type compression.

As for reservation options, there can be two of them. In principle, almost any system backup program suggests using external media (DVD, flash drive, etc.). This is only due to the fact that when restoring the system you will have to boot from something other than system partition, namely from removable media. The image in the logical partition will not be recognized.

Another thing is disk backup programs. You can save them necessary information namely in other logical partitions or, again, use removable media. But what to do if the used hard drive capacity is hundreds of gigabytes? Nothing will allow you to record this information even in compressed form. Alternatively you can use external HDD, if it is available, of course.

As for the choice suitable utility to save user files, The best decision- a program for backing up files on a schedule. Such a utility is capable of producing this operation without user intervention, saving all changes made over a certain period of time. New data can be added to the backup copy, as well as old data can be deleted from it. And all this in automatic mode! The advantage is obvious - after all, the user only needs to set the time interval between copy points in the settings, then everything happens without it.

"Native" Windows backup program

So, first, let's focus on the native tool of Windows systems. Many people believe that the backup program built into the system Windows copy It doesn't work very well, to put it mildly. Basically, they don’t want to use it only because the utility spends too much time creating a copy, and the copy itself takes up a lot of space.

However, she also has enough advantages. After all, who else but Microsoft specialists know all the subtleties and nuances associated with the components that are essential for correct Windows recovery? And many users clearly underestimate the capabilities of the tool built into the system. It’s not for nothing that such a backup and recovery program is included in the main set of the system?

The easiest way to access this utility is from the standard “Control Panel”, where you select the backup and recovery section. There are three main points you can use here: creating an image, creating a disk, and setting up a copy. The first and second do not cause any difficulties. But the third one is quite interesting. The system will offer to save a copy to removable media, having previously identified the device itself. But if you look at the parameters, you can save a copy on the network, which is perfect for local locations. So in some cases, such a system backup program will be a good tool for creating a backup with the ability to subsequently restore Windows from this copy.

Most popular utilities

Now let's look at the utilities that, according to many experts, are the most popular among users today. Let us immediately note that it is simply impossible to consider all backup programs, so we will dwell on some of them, taking into account the level of popularity and complexity of their use. An approximate list of such utilities may look like this:

  • Acronis True Image.
  • Norton Ghost.
  • Back2zip.
  • Comodo BackUp.
  • Backup4all.
  • ABC Backup Pro.
  • Active Backup Expert Pro.
  • ApBackUP.
  • File Backup Watcher Free.
  • The Copier.
  • Auto Backup and many others.

Now let's try to look at the top five. Please note! On this moment considers backup programs, mainly used for workstations ( user computers). Solutions for server systems and networks will be considered separately.

Acronis True Image

Of course, this is one of the most powerful and popular utilities, enjoying well-deserved success and the trust of many users, although it is an entry-level program. Nevertheless, she has enough opportunities.

After launching the application, the user is taken to the main menu, where several action options can be selected. In this case, we are interested in the backup and restore section (there is also additional utilities, which will not be considered now for obvious reasons). After logging in, the “Wizard” is activated, which will help you create a backup. During the process, you can choose what exactly you want to create a copy of (the system for restoring from scratch, files, settings, etc.). In "Copy Type" it is better to select "Incremental" as it will help save space. If the media volume is large enough, you can use full copy, and to create multiple copies - differential. When creating a copy of the system, you will be prompted to make a boot disk.

Here's what's interesting: the utility shows fairly high performance in terms of backup copy creation speed, time, and compression. So, for example, it will take an average of 8-9 minutes to compress data of about 20 GB, and the size of the final copy will be just over 8 GB.

Norton Ghost

There's one more before us most powerful utility. As usual, after starting the program, a “Wizard” starts, helping you go through all the steps.

This utility is notable for the fact that it can be used to create hidden section, where the copy will be stored (and both the data and the system can be restored from it). In addition, you can change many parameters in it: read control type, write type, compression, number of points for simultaneous access, etc. As for performance, the application compresses the same 20 GB to a size of just over 7.5 GB, which takes about 9 minutes. In general, the result is quite good.

Back2zip

And here is a scheduled backup program. It differs in that its installation takes only a couple of seconds, and after launch it automatically creates a new job and begins copying data, assuming that user files are stored in the “My Documents” folder. Unfortunately, this is the main disadvantage.

When starting, the task must be deleted, and then the original destination folder must be selected. There is no “wizard” in the usual sense; everything is done from the main window. In the scheduler, you can set the copying interval from 20 minutes to 6 hours. Overall, the simplest solution for entry-level users.

Comodo BackUp

There's one more before us most interesting utility, capable of competing even with commercial products. Her main feature is the presence of as many as five operating modes and great amount settings.

Interestingly, the utility is able to respond to changes in the files included in the backup in real time. As soon as original file changes and is saved, the application immediately creates a copy of it, adding and replacing the final element in the backup. Not to mention the scheduler, you can separately note the start of creating copies either at the start or at exit.

Backup4all

Finally, let's look at one more free utility, allowing, so to speak, to make backup copies for everything that may be needed in the future at the same time, in one fell swoop.

This utility is interesting because it allows you to save copies not only on external or internal media, but also on networks, or even on FTP servers. There are quite a lot of editable parameters and settings, among which are four copying methods, as well as support. In addition, the interface is very simple, and the display of folders and tasks is presented in the form of a tree structure similar to “Explorer”. The user can also divide the copied data into categories such as documents, drawings, etc., and assign each project its own label. Naturally, there is also a “Task Scheduler”, in which you can specify, for example, the creation of copies only at times of low processor load.

Solutions for server systems

For server systems and networks there are also specialized programs Reserve copy. Among all this diversity, three of the most powerful can be identified:

  • Symantec Backup Exec 11d System Recovery.
  • Yosemite Backup Standard Master Server.
  • Shadow Protect Small Business Server Edition.

It is believed that such utilities are good tool reservations in relation to small businesses. At the same time, restoration “from scratch” can be done with any workstation located on the network. But the most important thing is that the reservation only needs to be made once; all subsequent changes will be saved automatically. All applications have an Explorer-like interface and support remote control from any terminal on the network.

Instead of an afterword

It remains to add that not all data backup/recovery programs have been discussed here, allowing you to create backups of both systems and files, and then restore them from the created copies. However, it seems that even brief information The above programs will give many an idea of ​​how it works and why all this is needed. For obvious reasons, we leave the question of choosing the appropriate software open, since it already depends on the preferences of the user or system administrator.