Programs for backing up and restoring information: how to make a backup correctly. Free backup programs

Modern software manufacturers offer many solutions for backup and further recovery of data on a PC. Moreover, the functionality of such applications can be quite wide - the choice of media and copying methods is sometimes amazing. To choose the most suitable application for your own needs, it is worth studying in more detail programs for system backup and recovery.

Selecting a backup program.

AOMEI Backupper is a reliable, fully functional backup program from AOMEI Technology Co., Ltd. The application is perfect for protecting your computer from the consequences of a possible failure or attack by malicious modules. AOMEI Data Backupper allows you to take a complete backup of your operating system, settings and installed software, and then restore your data at any time.

The program has a modern, user-friendly interface. The main window is divided into tabs, sorted by different types of activities (creating copies, restoring copies, cloning, additional tools). More advanced users will undoubtedly be pleased with the configuration options, which allow you to customize the application to some extent to your own needs. Among them you can find settings responsible for the compression level, the method of splitting large backups, or the operation of the VSS mechanism.

Key Features of Aomei Backupper:

• supports all types of devices that are recognized by Windows OS, including IDE, SATA, SCSI, SSD, USB, RAID;
• support for popular file systems (FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, Ext2/3, EXFAT);
• backup in several modes;
• backup of hard drives, partitions and system volumes - data will be compressed in ADI image format;
• the ability to restore only selected files and folders from a full backup;
• tools for cloning partitions and the entire hard drive;
• additional password to ensure backup security;
• a list of copies made with the ability to instantly restore data to its previous state;
• checking the integrity of the structure of the backup copies made;
• Conveniently create bootable CD/DVD/USB.

The program is provided under a free license. The manufacturer's website has very good documentation, consisting of a complete help file and several tutorials. Manufacturer: AOMEI Technology Co., Ltd.

SyncBackFree, also known as SyncBack Freeware by 2BrightSparks Pte. Ltd, is a free version of SyncBack - a program for data backup, data recovery, file and directory synchronization, and system mirroring. The program supports all popular storage media, as well as FTP servers. The free version has more limited features than the paid editions, but still offers a wide range of options in terms of backup and data synchronization. Main features of SyncBackFree:

• the ability to implement and run (also simultaneously) several operating profiles, each profile can perform different actions - backup, synchronization and mirroring - and each of them can be performed based on different parameters;
• easy recovery and backup;
• the ability to one-way or two-way synchronize directories and files;
• scheduled file backups;
• Easily create, edit, start or stop operations and delete work profiles, manage the queue, sort profiles, change their names, view detailed profile properties, open source/target locations in Windows Explorer, the ability to simulate profile operation (including data recovery) up to actual performance of his work;
• the settings of the selected profile can be edited in simple as well as expert mode;
• profile configuration, data filtering, advanced principles for managing file overwrite/replacement, various rules for comparing files in the source and destination directory, data compression in ZIP archives, performance management and task priorities, encryption of FTP server connection archives, detailed log files and sending them by email, monitoring the task schedule;
• ability to perform operations in the background (system tray icon);
• work using hot keys.

SyncBackFree's GUI is quite pleasing to the eye and offers easy access to the program's most important features. Less experienced users will quickly learn the basics of using this software. A set of instructions can be found in the help file and on the manufacturer's website (in English). There are also paid, more functional versions of the tool - SyncBackSE and SyncBackPro. The differences between SyncBack versions are listed on the manufacturer's website. With its help, you can obtain a license for the release of the program you are interested in.

FBackup is a free program that can be used to create backup copies of important files, folders, or system settings. The program is very easy to use, even non-professional users can easily handle it. With FBackup, you can schedule regular backups by backing up the entire drive, parts of it, or selected folders and files. Archived data can be compressed using the ZIP compression standard, or copies of the original files can be created. The copy can be saved to an external device or to a network location. The program's interface is very clear, divided into two windows, in addition to a wizard that walks you through the backup setup process. FBackup functionality can be extended using plugins that can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website.

Paragon Backup & Recovery is software that makes it easy to back up selected partitions or the entire hard drive, files and folders. The application supports all popular file systems: NTFS, FAT32, FAT16, EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, ReiserFS and Apple HFS. The built-in copy wizard will help you perform all operations, which makes working with the program very simple. When creating a backup copy of the selected disk, there are several archiving options - save the copy on a local or network drive, a physical partition, to a specific FTP location, or burn it to a CD/DVD/BD disk. Similarly, the wizard helps in restoring a backup. Paragon Backup & Recovery also has basic partition management options such as formatting, deleting, hiding or renaming the partition.

IMPORTANT. Program registration is required. During installation, a window opens in which you must enter the serial number and program key. We can get them on the registration page.

MBRtool is a tool that allows you to create backup copies of the main MBR (Master Boot Record). Thanks to this, you can easily protect against the unpleasant effects of MBR corruption, such as data loss on your hard drive.

The Master Boot Record contains the boot loader and any data needed to start the hard drive. This structure is located in the first sector of the hard drive. Data corruption in this sector causes the hard drive to become immobile. Of course, Windows does allow you to MBR. However, this requires the ability to use the System Recovery Console, which cannot be invoked by less advanced computer users. Moreover, unfortunately, this is not always effective. Therefore, it is much easier to create a backup copy of the main boot sector. The program is very easy to use. Once launched, the user can choose how to save the backup. You can choose floppy disk, CD/DVD or hard disk. For security reasons, it is best to save a copy to a floppy disk or disk. Further use of the program should also not be difficult. More advanced computer users can control the program via the command line.

The program can also be used through the standard menu, which is recommended for users with lower skills. Moreover, MBRtool also allows you to edit the contents of the main boot sector. This allows you to add custom captions or change section attributes. A full description and instructions for using the program, unfortunately, are only in English can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

Comodo BackUp is one of the best backup software. Using a product from the well-known network security and protection company Comodo is a good way to create a reasonable copy of files and protect against sudden media failure. The program allows you to fully automate this process, offering greater ease of use due to the large number of options.

Comodo BackUp has very simple operation and a simple, intuitive interface. Individual settings are grouped into categories, and built-in predefined profiles allow you to quickly backup email, browser data, computer game recordings, user folders, music, images, videos and documents. Comodo BackUp also has a wide range of features useful for more advanced computer users. It is worth paying attention to the creation of backup copies, the ability to compare files, descriptions and version control. Administrators will find it useful to create scripts that make it easier to synchronize operations such as backup, restore, and copy mounting.

The tool allows you to set up password protection or integration with Windows Explorer. Data can be easily uploaded to an FTP server, anywhere from a network environment, or to an external COMODO server (just set up a free account). It is also possible to burn data to optical media (such as CD or DVD), which will be saved in a ZIP archive or as a CD image in ISO format. Data can also be encrypted with one of your chosen algorithms, installed as a virtual disk and synced across multiple locations. The program is distributed under a free license. Comodo BackUp also has an automatic update mechanism and an extensive tooltips system that makes it easy to navigate through individual windows.

Restore Point Creator allows you to view, create, describe and delete Windows restore points, as well as undo changes made to the system. You can schedule points to be created and deleted regularly on selected days and times. The program allows you to decide when and how to delete old restore points, and whether it needs to be done at all. Windows automatically removes the dots, but in some cases this causes the list to be completely cleared and the user has no control over it. The tool has a special option - delete old recovery settings, which deletes the registry section responsible for automatically deleting old points. In addition, the application allows you to manage the disk space allocated for saving points, as well as a preview of the total, free and used space on storage media.

Restore Point Creator is a simple program, and even less advanced users should not have any problems using it. The tool can be successfully used as an alternative to Windows System Restore, since it offers more structured access to identical functions and protects against automatic deletion of important system restore points.

IMPORTANT. For normal operation of the program, the .NET Framework version 4.0 or higher is required.

FavBackup is a small application for backing up web browser related data from FavBrowser Team. The completed backup contains frequently visited bookmarks for favorite websites, history of visited or downloaded files, installed add-ons, saved passwords and sessions, cookies, search queries and, most importantly, browser settings. Creating a copy is very simple: select a browser in the program window, select what you want to save, select a directory to save the file. The backup data is restored in the same way, for example, after reinstalling the browser. It should be emphasized that it is also possible to restore selected items, for example only bookmarks and history.

This tool supports the most popular browsers in both old and new versions. These are Internet Explorer 6-8, Firefox 2-4, Chrome 1-6 (unofficially, possibly newer versions), Opera 9-10, Safari 3-4, Flock 2-2.5. An additional feature of the program that is useful for Opera 10 users is the so-called profile conversion. It includes changes to a copy of the profile so that it can be moved, for example, from Windows XP to Windows 7, in which browser settings are saved in different places. FavBackup has a nice interface modeled after the so-called Ribbon, mostly known from the Microsoft Office 2007/2010 suite. There are three color options to choose from. What's more, there's no need to install the app - just unzip the downloaded ZIP file and then run the EXE file. The program is ready to work immediately.

It is up to the users to decide which of these programs is the best. More detailed information about the products and detailed instructions for using the software can be found on the websites of the software manufacturers.

A simple and reliable backup solution for your PC

Download and set up Exiland Backup to automatically automate home photos, videos, work files and other important files, to save once and for all them from viruses, PC breakdown, accidental change or deletion, etc.

Backup program light, fast, does not contain advertising and unnecessary functions, and at the same time very easy to learn. All you need is to create a task once, specifying in it which files and folders to copy, where to save backups and set up a launch schedule. All is ready! More from you no action required!

If you lose your files, you can quickly restore them from a backup!

Screenshot of a free backup program

Limitations of the free version

Free backup program for backing up files Exiland Backup Free is recommended for small businesses and home use; it contains a number of basic features sufficient to create backup copies of files. But, despite this, such service functions as automatic deletion of old archives, duplication of backup copies to other storages, job queue management, copying files into multiple threads, setting up archive encryption, etc. not available in Exiland Backup Free version. The best way to find out the full list of limitations and learn about the advantages of other versions is the Version Comparison Table.

We recommend using the Standard or Professional version, since they do not have the disadvantages described above. Plus, you will be entitled to priority technical support from the developer and new versions of backup software for free .

Advantages of paid versions Standard and Professional

• Automatic duplication of backups to other drives/servers
• Automatically delete old backups
• Multi-threaded copying
• Running the program as a Windows service (in the Professional version)
• Copying files from multiple PCs on a local network (Professional version)
• Flexible ZIP settings (encryption, compression ratio, division of archives into volumes)
• SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) support
• Shadow backup of locked files (VSS in Professional version)
• Setting a password to enter the program
• Email notification
• Managing the Job Queue at Runtime
• Free receipt of new versions and updates
• Priority Technical Support

How to download and install the program?

You can download the backup program for free. The program distribution takes only about 5 megabytes. The program is distributed both as a regular installer and in a portable version that does not require installation on a PC.

Normal version (installer):

The downloaded ZIP archive contains the installer file "setup.exe". Run this file and follow the instructions of the step-by-step wizard to complete the installation. By default, the backup program Exiland Backup Free will be installed in C:\Exiland Backup Free, but you can assign a different installation folder.

Portable version (does not require installation on a PC):

The downloaded ZIP archive contains program files that you can simply place on disk in any folder and run the main program file "ExilandBackup.exe"

Hard drive sizes and data volumes are constantly increasing. At one time, 40 megabyte drives seemed quite large. Now, disks are measured not only in gigabytes, but also in terabytes. And sometimes even they are not enough. However, the increase in size not only came as good news for users, but also gave rise to a number of problems. One of these problems was copying files.

Previously, the copying process consisted of copying small groups of files, so the standard mechanism was quite sufficient. Today, the standard mechanism can no longer provide the power that is required. This includes a limit on copying speed for large sizes, a background mode, automatic continuation of copying for removable drives, filters, checking the result, and much more. The lack of necessary functions has given rise to a class of programs for copying files, whose task is to make the copying process as flexible and customizable as possible.

Within the framework of this article, several free utilities were reviewed. Testing was carried out on a music collection of 21.7 GB. Among the important criteria for selecting the best free programs were: speed, reliability, ease of use and non-standard functions.

Note Note: It is important to understand the difference between copy utilities and backup programs. They have a different purpose, although they can be used for both copying and creating backups. In the case of copying programs, the main emphasis is on the process itself, namely on the flexibility and controllability of data copying. As a result, there are no special functions for comparing file contents and for tracking added/deleted files. In the case of backup utilities, the emphasis is more on maintaining the identity of existing copies. And as a consequence, the lack of special functions to control the copying process. Of course, in this case, copying should also be fast, it’s just that the process itself is not a priority.

Review of free programs for copying files

FastCopy is an excellent file copy manager

UltraCopier

Unstoppable Copier

TeraCopy

It's difficult to predict when a device will fail, so you should always have a data backup plan handy. Just in case.

If you don't back up your data, you may lose it at some point in the future. Disk drives are by no means as reliable as they might seem at first glance. Ultimately, they can become unusable and burn, burying such important information for you in their depths.

This is why it is so important to use backup software. In case of failure, this small software will help you save all your data and restore it.

Of course, paid programs demonstrate greater functionality, but free applications can also cope with this task. Let's take a closer look at several options for the best free backup software.

Cobian Backup

A convenient, absolutely free program, an extended version is also available to users. Among other languages ​​during installation, you can select Russian, which greatly simplifies the process of using Cobian Backup.

Special mention should be made of the shadow copying function. It duplicates in the background all the changes that are made to the system “right now”. This includes not only user actions, but also the operations of the system itself.

In other words, when restoring data, you will receive the most recent version of your information.

The program also offers a number of complex functions that may be unnecessary for beginners. In particular, this is the ability to schedule copy tasks. For example, you can create several copies at once and store them separately so that in the future you will definitely be able to access at least one of them.

In Cobian Backup you can select the location where you want to store the backup. Users have at their disposal not only a disk, but also a local network, as well as an FTP server. The program offers a number of convenient tools for people with multiple devices. For example, you can launch several copies from different places at once.

This saves the user time. Even though the backups themselves are created quite quickly, restoring data takes much longer. In other words, if you urgently need to access this or that information, this will not be easy: depending on the size, retrieval takes from half an hour or more.

Conclusion: A good program that quickly creates duplicates, but is slow to retrieve them. Supports multitasking when working with copies and is suitable for serving multiple connected devices.

Genie Timeline Free

In this program, a system copy is created in a few clicks. It is equipped with an automatic verification function for copies, which allows you to save a considerable amount of storage.

The program fully lives up to its name: it is literally a timeline through which you can recover even previously deleted important files.

With Genie Timeline Free you can archive documents, pictures, music, videos and more.

Conclusion: Simple and at the same time functional software, which, in addition to creating backup copies, will also help restore once lost files.

Acronis True Image

The program is not completely free, but it does provide users with a long trial period. There is support for the Russian language.

Acronis True Image allows you to create a bootable external drive, making it easier to use copies. Basically, you can boot the system onto any device you want.

In this case, recovery can be carried out selectively, choosing which files or folders to extract this time. The convenient thing is that all manipulations can be performed without turning off or restarting the system. This feature is especially useful when the user knows that the data is so damaged that it is no longer possible to log in again without losing information.

The program allows you to copy data to an external drive while scheduling tasks. For example, you can periodically update information in a semi-automatic mode. This way you can always be sure that the copy is “fresh” and will help you restore the latest version of the system if necessary.

Conclusion: Acronis True Image saves not only system and user files, but also settings, and has ergonomic management. Supports Mac OS. The only downside is the need to purchase a license after the trial period expires, although it can be extended.

Google Backup and Sync

A simple program from the global digital giant, compatible with MacOS and Windows. Your system files and folders, as well as user information, for example, photos, are subject to storage. Your Google Drive account is used as the storage location for the information.

Of course, this imposes certain restrictions on the amount of stored information, but the user does not need to look for a flash drive and keep it at hand: just access to the Internet and the data will be restored as quickly as your network connection allows.

To begin, the user simply needs to select which folders and files you want to create, and the software will do the rest. The software will monitor and change folders and files. It will also sync data between different computers and the files can be accessed through the app.

Conclusion: Lightweight, simple and fast copying tool. Absolutely free. The only downsides are the limited amount of backup (however, you can expand your Disk and store more information there), as well as the need to connect to the Internet.

Paragon Backup and Recovery 16

Another free backup software. In addition to basic functions, it will help you back up all systems, including individual parameters such as location.

The program also has a built-in set of data management tools, which includes the WinPE recovery environment. With its help, users can create a bootable external drive, through which they can always restore the system to the current or another device.

You can add drivers or other data to the image. During recovery, this will help you get back to work as quickly as possible.

Conclusion: The program is great for manual or automatic data copying; for this you only need a flash drive of the required size. The software has a user-friendly interface and fast operation, especially compared to other free programs. Even complex options are available to users for free.

Macrium Reflect Free

The backup program is characterized by high speed and strong compression of components. On average, the weight of copied files will be 40% less than the original.

They can also be stored both on a hard drive and on external media. There is a built-in engine for burning CDs and DVDs. You can create a backup without rebooting the system, which is very convenient. In this case, the necessary files and folders will need to be selected manually from those proposed by the program. The resulting image can be updated.

Conclusion: The program is absolutely free, lightweight, but limited in functionality. This is compensated by high speed and excellent data compression performance. For example, 10 GB of data will be copied in about 12 minutes, and will weigh about 6-7 GB.

EaseUS Todo Backup Free

This software offers step-by-step instructions to quickly copy, restore files and folders. The software can back up everything from entire systems to individual files.

To save space, users can back up only changes made since the last time a backup was made. There is also a built-in task scheduler, so backups are updated from time to time.

Data can be copied to CD/DVD, local hard drive, external drive, iSCSI device or any network destination.

Conclusion: A program with extensive and absolutely free functionality and variability of parameters.

Comodo BackUp

A free copying program that helps you find and remove duplicate files. You can create copies of the system either automatically or manually.

Even data from individual accounts, such as email, browser bookmarks, or settings, can be copied. Users have the opportunity to synchronize devices; if necessary, they can copy full or partial information.

Copies can be saved to a local drive, optical media such as a CD/DVD/BD, as well as to a network folder, external drive, or FTP server. If necessary, the program will send your backup copy by email.

Conclusion: User-friendly backup software. It is not necessary to have external media for storage, and if necessary, the resulting image can always be supplemented.

Use one of these applications and you will always be able to recover your data.

Review of the best data backup programs. Download the best free and paid programs for data backup.

Everyone knows that it is necessary to constantly back up our data. Most often, we postpone this procedure “for later” and sometimes find ourselves in a situation where valuable photos and documents are impossible or extremely expensive to restore. I suggest you spend 5 minutes reading my article and another 10 minutes installing one of 5 backup programs to set up a backup of your data to an external hard drive or the cloud. You will never regret spending 15 minutes of your life, because such a short time will guarantee the safety of your photos and important data. Undoubtedly, you can manually save the necessary data to an external drive, but why not entrust this routine procedure to a program? Moreover, many of the backup programs mentioned in the review are absolutely free.

Best Backup Software

EaseuS Todo Backup Free

Acronis True Image

Acronis products are extremely famous in our country. The program is good in everything, perhaps, except for the somewhat high price. In all other respects, it is an excellent program for careful backup of your data or operating system.

• Full backup of a disk or selected area.
• Universal Restore— the ability to restore a copy of the operating system even to a computer with a different configuration.
• Incredibly fast backup and recovery.
• You can restore the entire image or specific folders or files

Price: 1 device - 1700 rub.

R-Drive Image

R-Drive Image is a small but feature-rich program for on-the-fly disk backup. The program can restore both entire disks and individual files. You can also easily clone drives using R-Drive Image. In general, the program has many small but successful functions, but its price for the Russian market is somewhat frightening, given the dollar exchange rate.

Price: 1 device – $44.95

CrashPlan

Quite often, free backup programs have limited functionality, but not in this case. The free version of CrashPlan has everything you need to regularly create backups to various media, including a unique feature that backs up your data to a specific computer on your network (for example, a friend's computer).

• Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
• Saving backups to other computers
• Saving a backup to an external drive
• Automatic daily backups
• 448-bit file encryption

Overall, a very interesting backup program that deserves attention.

Aomei Backupper

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free data backup and recovery program that is functional and easy to use. The program contains all the necessary tools for backing up and restoring the system, disks, partitions and disk cloning. Thanks to the support of VSS technology, AOMEI Backupper can make a complete backup of your system and any data even while the OS is running, without interfering with running processes in any way.
Even though this program is at the end of the list, I recommend paying close attention to it. The program is really good, and I can’t count how many times the Universal restore function has helped me out.

P.S. Universal restore - allows you to restore and run a copy of the system on a computer with different characteristics.

Action Backup

The last place (but not in quality) in our selection is occupied by the development of domestic programmers - . The program is actively developing and has several of its own features that distinguish this product from foreign competitors. Before purchasing, you can download a 15-day trial version of the program.

Here are the main features of Action Backup:

• Easy to set up and use: the program is extremely easy to understand, especially since there are instructions in Russian on the website. After the initial setup, the utility will backup the necessary data on a schedule, relieving you of worries about data safety.
• Rich functionality: Action Backup really does a lot - it can make backups to a remote FTP server and network drives, to external hard drives, “cut” data onto optical drives, create “shadow copies”, work as a service 24/7 365 and much more!
• Unpretentious: Action Backup consumes extremely few system resources and can work even on weak machines. This is especially true for budget organizations, many of which cannot boast of a modern fleet of equipment.
• Excellent compatibility: Action Backup works perfectly on any modern version of Windows: 7, 8, 10, Server and supports 32 and 64 bit editions.

Price: from 560 to 960 rub. depending on the number of licenses purchased. You can use the program completely free for 15 days!

So, today we got acquainted with the best data recovery programs. Yes, there are only 5 of them, but why make the top 10, 20, 30 - after all, the functions of all these programs are almost similar. I recommend you the free AOMEI Backupper Standard program. If you are confused by the lack of Russian language in this program, pay attention to Acronis True Image. All the best, I hope my article helped you choose a data recovery program.