Reliable backup software. Where to download Acronis True Image

Review of the best data backup software. Download the best free and paid data backup software.

Everyone knows that it is necessary to make permanent backups of 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 data backup to an external hard drive or "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 medium, but why not entrust this routine procedure to the 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 well known in our country. The program is good for everyone, perhaps, except for a somewhat high price. In all other respects, it is an excellent program for a gentle backup of your data or the 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 r.

R-Drive Image

R-Drive Image is a small but powerful on-the-fly disk backup software. The program can recover both entire disks and individual files. Also, using R-Drive Image, you can easily clone disks. 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

Frequently, free backup software has limited functionality, but not in this case. The free version of CrashPlan has everything you need to regularly create backups to various media, including the unique function of backing up your data to a specific computer on the network (for example, a friend's computer).

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

All in all, an extremely interesting backup program worth considering.

Aomei backupper

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free data backup and recovery software that is functional and easy to use. The program contains all the necessary tools for backing up and restoring the system, disks, partitions and cloning disks. Thanks to the support of VSS technology, AOMEI Backupper can make a full backup of your system and any data even while the OS is running, without interfering with the running processes in any way.
Despite the fact that this program is at the bottom of the list, I recommend paying close attention to it. The program is really good, and how many times the Universal restore function has rescued me is countless.

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

Action Backup

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

These are the main features of Action Backup:

• Easy to set up and use: the program is extremely easy to understand, especially on the offsite there are instructions in Russian. After the initial setup, the utility will back up the necessary data on a schedule, saving you from worrying 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, “slice” data to optical drives, create “shadow copies”, work as a 24/7 service. 365 and more!
• Unpretentious: Action Backup consumes very 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 rubles. depending on the number of purchased licenses. You can use the program for 15 days absolutely free!

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

Simple, convenient and long-established program for file backup and synchronization of folders on a schedule. Russian developer. The program has a simple, intuitive interface, but at the same time it has wide capabilities and flexible settings. Allows you to copy all or only new / changed files between local, network, removable drives, FTP / SFTP, NAS servers.

The program has 3 editions:

• Exiland Backup Free (Free, Basic Features, Windows App)
• Exiland Backup Standard (paid, extended functionality, Windows application)
• Exiland Backup Professional (Paid, Max Features, Windows Service)

Key features of the program:

• 4 types of file copying: Full, Differential, Incremental, Synchronization.
• Flexible configuration of the task launch schedule
• Compression to standard ZIP format, AES-256 encryption, archive splitting, integrity check
• Program operation as a service (Windows service)
• Copy files from multiple PCs on the local network
• Fast copying of files in multiple streams (in parallel)
• Support for FTP, SFTP (SSH) protocols, copying files from Linux systems
• Detailed logging
• Notification of results by E-mail, SMS
• View backup and restore files in case of loss
• Launching external applications, command line (before and after tasks)
• Grouping tasks

Built-in scheduler

You can use the built-in scheduler, launch tasks by clicking a button in the program, or assign tasks to the Windows Scheduler (Task Manager) - in this case, you do not need to keep the program running all the time. Windows Scheduler will launch a program that will complete the task and the program will be unloaded from memory.

Duplicate backups

For reliability, you can store your backups in multiple locations. The program allows you to specify an unlimited number of locations for storing backups.

Security

To prevent access to ZIP archives, set a password, specify the AES-256 encryption algorithm, and save backups to a network folder, access to which is restricted (Exiland Backup allows you to specify a username / password for accessing a network folder). All settings, passwords in the program are stored encrypted. Access to the program settings can be limited by setting a password for entering the program.

Reliability

The program has existed since 2005 and over the years of service has shown its reliability and resistance to abnormal situations, such as disconnection (network failure) during backup, incorrect file names, disk problems, etc. If the connection is broken, the program will wait for the connection to appear within the specified time and will continue copying when there is a connection with a network drive or the Internet. The user (system administrator) will receive an SMS or notification by e-mail about all problem files and abnormal situations.

Job creation

It is very easy to create a task. To do this, click the Create -> New task button located on the top panel. Next, specify the name of the task, for example, "Working Papers", select the type of copying, folders and files to copy, compression / encryption, select the folder to save the backups and specify the launch schedule.

Now you can minimize it to the Notification Area on the System Tray and wait for the scheduled launch. You can also run the task by button on the top panel.

Dear friends, today we will consider a very important topic: data backup and recovery. Why do these two concepts go together and not separate in any way? What are their features, what are they for? We will answer all these questions now, and then proceed directly to action.

So, let's start with backup: it allows us to save all files, documents and other information from a device or program to an external storage medium. Please note that the latter can be cloud storage on the Internet. But not all data can be stored this way. We will talk about this a little later.

The same makes it possible to return everything that we saved earlier, with the subsequent exploitation of the files. For example, if you saved photos from your summer vacation in the cloud, then you can later not only view them, but also download them back to any supporting device. Now that you have slightly replenished your baggage with these two concepts, we can move on to an active discussion: how to back up data, what programs exist for this, on which devices it can be done, and so on. As you can see, our little discussion is slowly getting bigger. To make it easier for you to work, we will immediately show you the blocks that will be illuminated. You can immediately select the one you need and get started:

• Information from the computer
• Information from tablets and smartphones
• Recommendations to the user

It is worth noting that to create a copy of files or a system, you will need an external storage medium on which your data will be stored. Plug it into a USB port on your computer or laptop. Make sure that the amount of available space on the disk or flash drive is more than your files take up. Also, make sure that there is no glitch during recording: if someone accidentally touches the cable and it disconnects, you could lose data.

If you want to create a copy from a smartphone or tablet, then it is advisable to use the original cable to connect to the PC. For cloud storage users, a fast unlimited internet connection is recommended. For example, if you have limited traffic, and you exceed it, then you will have to shell out a certain amount to cover the resulting debt.

Information from the computer

Since computer data occupies the first line in the ranking of importance among other devices, we will begin our work with them. First of all, it is worth noting that there is also a small division of the backup according to the type of information stored: it can be a complete copy of the operating system, a copy with files, or separate storage of files. For convenience, consider an example for Windows 7, 8.1, and 10.

Windows 7

• Go to the computer control panel using the Start button or any other navigation means.
• Click on the "System and Security" menu.
• Next, a tabbed window will open in front of you, where you will need to click on "Data Backup and Restore".
• So, in a new window you will see a menu with archiving settings. Click on "Backup and Restore".
• Next, we need to set up a backup using the blue button of the same name.

Click on "Configure backup"

• Then you will see a dialog box with archiving settings. Select your hard drive and click on the "Next" button.

Choosing the location of the archive

• In the next window, the system will ask you to specify what exactly should be archived. It is recommended to use the first option ("Give Windows Choice"), as it saves everything and updates the data regularly. Note that here the second option gives the user the choice of what to save. That is, you can put your own folders or separate directories if you do not need a full backup along with the operating system files.

Selecting objects for archiving yourself

• Next, we check the set parameters. Here you can set a schedule for automatic copy creation using the "Change Schedule" button.

• When everything is installed and verified, click "Save settings and start archiving".

Process in progress

• Wait until the end of the process, then check your external hard drive to see if your data has been written to it.

Windows 8.1

• Launch the toolbar on the right side of the screen. To do this, move the mouse to the upper right corner then click on "Search".
• Type the phrase "File History" without quotes from the keyboard and press Enter. In the results obtained, click on the folder of the same name.
• You will be taken to a window where you will need to click on the link "System image backup", which is located in the lower left corner of the window.

• Select the location for storing the archive (as we agreed above, it must be an external hard drive). Click "Next".
• The next window will show you the amount of memory that will be required. Check all the data and click the "Archive" button.
• Wait while the system backs up Windows to an external storage medium. This process can take a while, so don't panic.

Windows 10

• Launch Settings by clicking the Start button on the taskbar.
• Now open the Update & Security tab.
• In the left column with parameters, click on the "Archiving Service" item.
• Use the button of the same name to configure the automatic backup system.
• Please note that you can easily adjust the folders, copies of which will be created, there without any problems. This will make your job much easier.
• If you want to create a full backup along with the operating system, and not separate libraries and directories, then use the instructions for Windows.

To restore data, repeat the steps until you find the backup settings. BUT now just select the tab or item "Recovery" and just follow the instructions in the dialog box on your monitor screen. There is nothing complicated about it. Naturally, we have reviewed the standard Windows OS tools from Microsoft. There are also special programs for carrying out similar operations. They may be more convenient, but in terms of safety and reliability, they may be inferior to these. Therefore, it is still recommended to use the standard OS utilities.

Information from tablets and smartphones

Everything is somewhat simpler here, since standard programs are also used (for example, for the iPhone and iPad, we will work with iTunes). For all gadgets of any operating system, the backup procedure will be the same:

• Connect your device to your computer or laptop. Wait until the appropriate drivers are installed.
• Run the program that is designed to synchronize with your device. That is, if you have an iPhone, then open the iTunes application on your PC.
• Find the tab or item "Synchronization" or "Backup". Click on it and, following the prompts on the screen, create a copy.

• To restore data in the same window, find the button of the same name and click on it.
• While your computer is performing these steps, never disconnect the device from USB. This may result in a software breakdown of the device.
• Please note that you can simply transfer some files from your smartphone or tablet to your PC. This is especially true for owners of gadgets running the Android operating system: here you have full access to all files and folders.
• Owners of iOS devices can store only photos and videos in the same way: go to "Computer" and right-click on your device. Click on "Import Photos and Videos". Following the prompts on the screen, you can not only import, but also customize it.

Cloud storage

Today this type of data storage is quite popular on the market: no flash drives, cables or other peripherals are needed. All you need is an active high-speed internet connection, and all your files are in your hands. We will not consider their configuration (there is a separate topic for this), but simply say about each storage for a specific OS:

• OneDrive for Windows
• iCloud and iCloud Drive for iOS and macOS
• Google Drive for Android

It is worth noting that there are also universal ones that are installed on any device, regardless of the OS installed:

• Cloud Mail
• OneDrive
• Google drive

As you can see, of all the repositories, only Apple made its product available only for its own system. Good or bad - you decide.

• When using an external hard drive or flash drive, make sure that it has enough free space.
• Please note that most cloud storage has limited memory for free access. For example, in iCloud Drive, you will have five gigabytes available. To expand it you will need to buy a subscription. If you don't have many files, you don't need to buy anything. You can also use multiple cloud storages.
• Check the creation of copies: if the memory on the disk or in the cloud has run out, the copy will not be created. You risk losing some data, which will be a very sad consequence.
• If you just copy some files, then it is advisable to delete them from the copied device to free up memory on it.
• If you want to keep very important documents, it is better to make two copies. For example, you can make one on an external hard drive, and the other using a cloud storage program.

Let's sum up

Dear friends, today we have discussed a very broad and important topic: data backup and recovery. Particular emphasis was placed on computer information, then we examined the general principle of creating a copy of smartphones and tablets, and also got acquainted with cloud storage. In the end, we gave some recommendations to make your work as productive as possible. Remember: the data saved on time is the key to preserving your nerves. If you lose the files of your thesis, which you have been doing for several weeks or months, then it won't be very fun, will it? Tell us in the comments which archiving services you prefer to use and why.

From viruses and software bugs, hardware failure or human error, there are many potential dangers infecting your files.

And even worse can happen - for example, you lose your personal photos, your music library, important business documents - something that can be of real value. That is why it is necessary to create an automatic backup of your computer.

It is very difficult to do it yourself, but with the right software it will be much easier than you think. Without any cash costs, because there are some free disk backup and cloning software.

If you want to, copy the content of your documents somewhere , clone one disk to another, or create a backup of your entire system, I have found many programs that can help.

Action Backup

Action Backup is perhaps the best scheduled file for home and work computers. The program is very convenient, as it combines ease of use, as well as wide functionality for performing backups. With Action Backup you get: support for full, differential, incremental backups, automated * backup to FTP servers, CD / DVD, remote network shares, support for zip64 format, support for the "shadow copy" function, work in windows service mode *, automated deletion of previous (obsolete) archives *, sending a report by e-mail and much more (a detailed description of the functionality is available on the official website of the developer).

Action Backup is perfect for both novice and experienced users, making it an excellent tool for backing up files on home computers, as well as workstations and servers.

* - available only in the paid version. There is a version comparison on the official website.

Aomei backupper

If you like backup software, Aomei has a simple interface. Select the disk or partition to backup, destination disk, and click Backupper will create an image.

The program has good enough tools if you need it. There are options to encrypt or compress backups... You can create incremental or differential backups for increased speed... You can recover individual files and folders, or the whole image and there are even disk and partition cloning tools.

What you cannot do unfortunately Scheduled backup- they must be started manually. But otherwise Aomei backupper is a great tool, with tons of functions, but also easy to use.

EASEUS Todo Backup Free

Like most free (for personal use) commercial software, EASEUS Todo Backup Free has a few limitations - but the package still has more than enough features for most people.

The program can work as a file and file based backup, for example, manually or on a schedule. Are you able to work with full or incremental backups.

The ability to limit write speed reduces the impact of backups on system performance. It is possible to separate files or folders, or entire images using the program's recovery disk. And there are tools to clone and format drives too.

On the negative side, you get no encryption, no differential backups, and you only get disk based Linux (not Windows PE). But EASEUS Todo Backup Free still looks like a great program to us.

Redo Backup and Recovery

Redo Backup and Recovery — is a visualization backup tool with distinction. Instead of installing the program, you need to download a large (249MB) ISO file and burn it to CD or USB drive... Then simply boot from it to launch a simple tool that can back up your hard drives and restore them later.

There is also a recovery tool, and even a web browser if you need to ask for help for a PC problem.

The program is not very convenient. You cannot schedule backups, they all have to be started manually and there are very few options.

But it's also easy to use and free for everyone, so if you want to run a backup sometimes, you can use it on any computer without installing any software, then this is the product for you.

Cobian Backup

Cobian Backup is an excellent backup software with many functions. You get full, differential and incremental backups, for example; ZIP or 7zip compression; AES 256-bit encryption; include and exclude filters; scheduler, backup or FTP servers and the list goes on. Every aspect of the program is extremely customizable (there are over 100 parameters you can customize).

PC or backup, beginners will likely find it very difficult. If you are more experienced you will love the number of tools Cobian Backup gives you control over every aspect of the backup process.

Macrium Reflect Free

One of the most popular free (for home use) disk imaging software, Macrium Reflect Free the main set of functions through the interface is easy to use.

The program does not have incremental or differential backups. And you won't get encryption or password protection. This makes creating a backup very easy though (select source disk and set compression ratio, done).

There is a scheduler; You can mount images in Windows Explorer or completely restore them with both Linux and Windows PE recovery discs... And in general Macrium Reflect Free a great choice for those who want a simple yet reliable image backup tool.

DriveImage XML

Free for personal use, DriveImage XM is a lightweight alternative to more advanced competitors. Backing up is as easy as selecting the source drive, destination and (optionally) setting the compression level.

Recovery is just as easy, and the only essential Extra is the ability to copy directly from one drive to another.

There are some complications elsewhere. Click the Task Scheduler button and you will receive instructions on how to manually configure Windows Task Scheduler to start the backup. But if you only need a basic visualization tool then give DriveImage XML process.

FBackup

FBackup is a good file backup tool, free for personal and commercial use. The interface is simple and straightforward, and there are a number of features.

Plugins allow you to create backups of individual programs with one click; there is support for inclusion and exclusion of filters; and you can run "Mirror" backups, which just copy everything without compressing it (which makes file recovery very easy).

The compression isn't quite as good though (it's a weak Zip2), and the scheduler is also simpler than you'll see in other programs. But if your needs are simple then FBackup should suit you.

Backup maker

Free for personal use first BackupMaker seems like any other program file backup tool, with additional or full backups available, scheduling, compression, encryption, include and exclude filters, and so on.

But interesting additional services include support for online backups on FTP servers, and when performing backup automatically when a USB device is connected.

These programs are stored in Zip files, too, which makes them very easy to access. AND BackUp Maker comes in a small 6.5Mb installation package, much more manageable than some of the cumbersome competitors.

If you are a home user looking for way to back up files then back up Maker could be perfect.

Clonezilla

Just how to repeat a backup and restore, Clonezilla not the installer: it's dos boot environment that can be run from a CD or USB flash drive.

And it is seriously powerful program, too: you will be able to create a disk image; restore an image (to one disk, or several at the same time); clone disk (copy one disk to another), with a lot of control.

While repeat Backup and Restore focuses on ease of use, however, Clonezilla more about providing additional options like 'unattended Clonezilla using PXE boot ". It is not difficult, probably the best free disk cloning software - but the program is aimed at advanced users and backups, for beginners it is better to find a better option.

Paragon Backup & Recovery 2014 Free

Another free program for personal use, Paragon Backup & Recovery 2014 Free
is a good tool, with some limitations.

Strong support for the foundation: you can create a backup image(full or differential), compress and encrypt them, use exclusion filters to help determine what is included, do scheduled backups, and then restore individual files and folders or all of them.

Additionally includes a separate section to help keep your backups safe. And a nice set of basic tools section is included.

Problems? You will not get an incremental backup; You can't clone disks or partitions, and the interface sometimes doesn't feel very good. Nevertheless Paragon Backup & Recovery 20134 Free quality tool, and worth your attention.

Duplicati

If you need online backups then Duplicati is one of the most versatile tools with support for saving files SkyDrive, Google Docs, FTP Servers, Amazon S3, Rackspace Cloudfiles, and WebDAV.

The program can also save on local and network drives although it includes many useful options (AES-256 encryption, password protection, scheduler, full and incremental backups, regular expression support to enable / disable filters, even upload and download speed limits to reduce the impact on your system).

So whether you save files online, or locally, then this program is for you.

The most valuable thing in any computer system is the information stored in it, the loss of which can turn into serious troubles and even financial collapse both for the company as a whole and for specific users. It is far from always possible to recover information; moreover, it is very expensive, as it requires special knowledge and takes a lot of time.

Unfortunately, neither reliable hardware nor licensed software guarantees 100% data safety. There are a great many reasons that can lead to the loss of data - here and a banal failure of the hard drive, and a failure of the file system, and damage to files by viruses and unwanted changes or deletions of data by the users themselves, since no one is immune from errors. Information can also be lost as a result of a fire, theft of a computer, etc. In other words, no matter how sad it is to realize it, the probability of loss of information was, is and will always be. The only way to prevent trouble is to back up your data. The latter is relevant not only within the enterprise, where data backup / recovery is performed by one or several servers controlled by highly qualified administrators, so that employees do not have to worry about this, but also at home, as well as in computer labs and in Internet cafes. Here, expensive hardware and software solutions are too expensive, which, moreover, require serious knowledge, but inexpensive, simple, easily customizable applications that would allow information recovery in critical situations are appropriate.

About data backup options

Backing up data implies the regular, as a rule, daily creation of copies of the necessary information, which are usually stored on some media, periodically overwritten and allow you to quickly restore data in the event of an emergency. Local and network hard disks, CD-R / RW, DVD-RW, DVD + R / RW, magneto-optical disks, etc. can be used as media. In some cases, FTP backups are duplicated to improve reliability. Individual folders and files can be backed up, as well as partitions of a disk and even a disk as a whole - technically, this is done by various methods and often using different software.

Backing up folders / files and disks / partitions

Folder / file backup is a special version of archiving, in which only the data of the specified files and folders is compressed and saved in the created archive, while their relative file structure is remembered.

Disk backups, which involve the creation of a snapshot or disk image, are performed by backing up data not by folder or file, but by sector. In this case, the created archive includes the entire operating system, the Windows system registry, device drivers, installed applications along with user settings, as well as service areas of the disk hidden from the user. A disk image includes images of all partitions on the disk, as well as an image of the initial area of ​​the disk (track 0), including the Master Boot Record. It is possible to create an image not of the entire disk, but of its individual partitions. In this case, the created archive includes all files and folders of partitions, regardless of their attributes (including hidden and system files), file allocation table (FAT) and root directory.

It is impossible to give preference to any of the two named data backup technologies - each has its own pros and cons. Disk reservation as a whole allows, in the event of a file system failure or hard disk failure, to completely restore the disk, including the OS and installed applications, with minimal effort and time. Naturally, the recovered data will be identical to the created disk image, and not the state of the operating system and files at the time of the crash. It is also advisable to use a disk image when installing a new hard disk on a computer, as this allows you to quickly transfer to it all information from the old disk, including the operating system, installed applications, documents and personal settings.

However, after a crash, it is not always worth restoring a system based on a previously created full disk image, since it is possible that the failure was caused by numerous errors in the system registry (incorrect keys, links to non-existent files, missing device drivers, etc.). It is possible that the crashed system contained viruses and spyware. When restoring a disk from its image, such problems will not disappear anywhere and normal operation will still be impossible - therefore, a complete reinstallation of the system and restoration of only important folders and files is necessary. It is for such situations that the backup of folders and files is indispensable. In addition, this type of backup requires much less time and disk space, while backing up just one 50 GB hard disk partition will require approximately the same amount of additional space that may not be available on the hard disk.

Full, incremental and differential backups

Both with regard to disk / partition backup and folder / file backup, depending on the application, different backup options may be provided: full, incremental and differential.

Full data backup ensures that all archived data are included in the archive as of the moment of its creation. Therefore, the full archive turns out to be significant in size, and its creation takes much longer than other backup options, but you can restore data from a full archive much faster.

An incremental archive contains only data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup. Therefore, such an archive is usually much smaller and faster to create. But since it does not contain all the data to be backed up, it is necessary to have all the previous incremental archives and the initially created full archive to restore the information. Compared to incremental backups, which create a whole chain of archives, differential backups create a single independent file that contains all data changes that have occurred since the original full archive was created. As a rule, it is possible to recover information from a differential archive faster than from an incremental one, since there is no need to sequentially process previous archives. However, if the chain of incremental archives is small, the opposite situation is possible.

Full backup, on the one hand, can be used as an independent backup method, and on the other hand, it is the basis for subsequent incremental or differential backup. As an independent way of booking, this option may be the best solution in educational institutions, computer clubs and Internet cafes. The fact is that the task of periodically returning the system to its original state is extremely relevant here in order to eliminate the changes made by young users, who often consider it a matter of honor to customize the computer in an arbitrary way and install all the toys at hand on it. Considering that the system settings and the required set of applications do not change often, which means that you do not need to constantly re-create the full original image, it is quite reasonable to spend a lot of time on its creation once in order to get a long-term opportunity to quickly restore the system to its original state in the future. Most often, however, full redundancy is used in combination with incremental or differential redundancy. For example, it is advisable to create a full archive once a month, and an incremental or differential (depending on the situation) - every day. This approach allows you to restore the necessary data at any time, and with a minimum waste of time and disk space.

Incremental copying is most effective in cases where it is necessary to frequently save the state of changed data and at the same time be able to return to any of the previous states at any time. In other words, incremental backups are very similar to the system restore mechanism built into Windows XP by checkpoints (System Restore), only you need to create disk images during incremental backups yourself, and the result is much more reliable and predictable. Differential backups are best used to restore the last state of the data in the event of a fatal system failure.

It should be noted that after defragmenting the disk, it is recommended to recreate its full image. The fact is that during defragmentation, the position of files on the disk changes: these changes will be reflected in an incremental or differential archive - the latter will eventually increase in size and become inconvenient to work with.

Data backup software

The total number of applications designed for one or another option for backing up information today exceeds all reasonable limits and is no longer even numbered in dozens. In some programs, only the ability to backup folders and files is implemented, others are focused on creating disk images, while others provide both capabilities. They support incremental and differential backups to varying degrees. The range of media that can be used to store backups is not the same, for example, some applications are focused strictly on writing copies to CDs and DVDs, while others are much more democratic and allow you to save backups on almost any media that can be connected to a PC. In other words, there are very, very many nuances, and you should choose an application in accordance with the characteristics of a particular system.

Due to the large number of programs offered on the market, it is impossible even to simply list them within the framework of the article, and we will only talk about the most reliable and recognized software of this kind. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with the assortment of software for data backup in more detail can look into popular software catalogs, for example, at: http://www.download.com/Backup/3150-2242_4-0.html?tag=dir.

PowerQuest Drive Image and Norton Ghost have dominated the market for hard drive backup software for quite a long time, but in 2002 Acronis True Image was added to this tandem on a well-deserved basis. And at the end of 2004, the situation changed dramatically again - the PowerQuest Drive Image software package was taken off the market (although it can be found and purchased in the online software catalogs if desired), and its best features were included in the new version of the Norton Ghost 9.0 application. As a result, only two solutions remained, competing on equal terms: Norton Ghost and Acronis True Image, recognized by experts as the most reliable and multifunctional applications for data backup and consistently leading in sales ratings. Both solutions provide reliable information recovery in critical situations, but for Russian users Acronis True Image is more attractive because it has a Russian-language interface, is accompanied by a detailed and well-illustrated user manual in Russian, and has a much lower price.

At the same time, it cannot be argued that one of the named applications should be considered the best solution for any user - everyone has different situations. For example, if the task is only to back up at the folder / file level, then it is wiser to choose a highly specialized application, which may be cheaper, easier to use and an order of magnitude more compact. Of the most popular and well-established solutions for backing up folders / files in the world, it is worth highlighting the Backup Plus and Backup to DVD / CD programs. Additionally, it can include a package from Russian developers APBackUp - it is far from being so famous and well-known, but much cheaper, has a Russian-language interface and capabilities that are quite sufficient for a general user. And if a full disk backup is required, the Paragon Exact Image package should be considered the best tool for Russian users today, which does not have such a wide range of features as Norton Ghost, but is very simple and is offered for a symbolic price.

Acronis True Image 9.0

Developer: Acronis

Distribution size: 37.3 MB

Price: 49.99 USD, for CIS users - 499 rubles. (Softkey.ru)

Work under control: Windows 98 / NT / Me / 2000 / XP

The popular Acronis True Image package completely solves the problem of data backup by supporting two complementary backup methods: backing up partitions and entire disks and backing up files and folders on a disk of your choice. Additionally, the program implements the ability to clone hard drives, which provides easy and quick transfer of information, including the operating system, applications, files and folders and any other data from the old drive to the new one. The application has very broad capabilities, so mastering it will take a lot of time. However, a convenient and intuitive Russian-language interface of the program, a detailed user manual in Russian and the use of wizards containing detailed step-by-step instructions will shorten the learning process. The combination of two backup methods within one product, combined with a symbolic price for a product of this level and a Russian-language interface, make this package a good solution for Russian users.

Acronis True Image allows you to create both incremental and differential backups, which significantly speeds up the process of regular backups, since there is no need to back up all the data every time. When creating exact images of a hard disk, the program allows you to save in the disk image only those sectors that contain useful information, and the backup of files and folders is implemented using filters, thanks to which you can exclude the copying of files of certain types (system, temporary, etc.) to the archive. .). For storing archives, you can use local and network hard drives, devices with IDE, SCSI, FireWire (IEEE-1394), USB (1.0, 1.1 and 2.0), PC card (PCMCIA), as well as CD-R / RW, DVD- RW, DVD + R / RW, magneto-optical discs, Iomega Zip and Jazz devices. However, creating an archive to DVD presupposes the presence of a third-party UDF DVD burning program installed on your computer: Roxio DirectCD, Ahead InCD, etc. In the absence of a special device for storing backups, the program allows you to save them on your hard disk in a specially created security zone. The latter is a hidden partition on the hard drive, inaccessible to both the operating system and other Windows applications and therefore completely protected from accidental damage.

Other features of the program include the ability to configure the program for automatic scheduled backups; the presence of the "Startup Recovery" function, which allows you to boot the computer and initiate the data recovery process even in the event of damage to system and boot files and to check the integrity of the backed up data after the recovery process is completed and before the recovery process begins, which protects against an accidental error that occurred during the process Reserve copy. An additional advantage of the program is support for the Acronis Snap Restore technology, thanks to which it is possible to boot the system and continue the work that was performed before the failure, directly during the system recovery.

Norton Ghost 10

Developer: Symantec Corporation

Distribution size: 44.99 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $ 69.99

Running: Windows 2000 / XP, Microsoft .NET 1.1 Framework

Norton Ghost is a popular package for backing up disks / partitions by creating exact copies of them. The program has an intuitive interface, is accompanied by a detailed manual, though only in English, and is very convenient and easy to use. The somewhat overpriced does not allow us to recommend it for Russian home users, but Norton Ghost can be a good solution for data recovery in educational institutions, Internet cafes, small offices, etc.

Image archives created in Norton Ghost resemble logical drives and include not only the operating system, installed applications along with user settings, etc., but also all user files - this provides quick recovery of both the disk as a whole and individual folders and files ... In addition, disk images allow you to revert to a previous state of the system, which is useful after an unsuccessful installation of new software. Images are also irreplaceable when installing a new hard disk on a computer, as they provide a quick transfer of all information from the old disk to it, including the operating system, installed applications, documents and personal settings. It is possible to recover images created by PowerQuest Drive Image 7.0 and previous versions of Norton Ghost. Image files can be saved to local or network drives, as well as a variety of removable devices: CDR / RW and DVD + -R / RW drives, USB and FireWire (IEEE-1394) devices, Iomega Zip drives, and Jazz drives. If there is not enough space on the selected medium, the program automatically generates a multivolume image, but the possibilities of automation when working with multivolume archives are limited. To determine the integrity of the backed up data, Norton Ghost performs a cyclic checksum (CRC) check at the end of the backup and can also compare if the image contains the same files as the original disk. For added protection, image files can be password protected.

Norton Ghost allows you to perform full and incremental backups, therefore, creating, for example, a full archive once a month, all other days can be limited to committing changes in the incremental archive. This saves a lot of time and disk space. The compression system used in the program also reduces the size of the archives, which allows, depending on the selected method and disk content, to reduce the size of the image by up to 70%. It should be borne in mind that maximum compression is not always the best option, since situations are not excluded when it will be impossible to restore data from such an image. Recommended options for compressing images are presented in the documentation and are directly related to the type of media used for storing them.

You can control the backup process manually or automatically using the capabilities of the built-in task scheduler. The latter allows you to configure the program to perform a backup at any convenient time, for example, on a specific day and hour, or before shutting down the computer. It is possible to carry out a backup while working on a computer - in this case, it is worth reducing the speed of creating a backup copy in order to free up system resources for the normal functioning of open applications. All nuances of the backup process are recorded in the activity log.

Paragon Exact Image 7.0

Developer: Paragon Software Group

Distribution size: 11.6 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $ 39.99, for Russian users - 125 rubles. (company "New Disk")

Work under control: Windows 95/98 / Me / NT / 2000 / XP

Paragon Exact Image is a simple and reliable solution for backing up hard drives by creating and saving their exact compressed copies-images. The presence of images even with a complete system crash ensures recovery of both the disk as a whole and individual folders and files. The program allows you to return your computer to its original, optimal operating state in the event of a virus penetration, clogging of the registry, incorrect installation of software or a decrease in the overall performance of the OS. Archives can be stored on CD and DVD disks, network drives or in the so-called Backup Capsule - a special, reliably protected area of ​​the hard disk designed for storing backups. Additionally, to increase the level of reliability, it is possible to protect the archives with a password. The backup process can be extremely automated, and the program can be easily configured to create regular hard disk backups, for example, when the OS boots or when the computer is turned off, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

The main highlight of the program is the presence of a group of wizards that turn the backup process into an extremely simple operation that does not require any additional knowledge of the backup from the user (as well as the need to study a manual of hundreds of pages, which is a prerequisite in the above applications). Simplicity and affordability, coupled with a symbolic price for Russians, make Paragon Exact Image one of the best backup tools for home users.

Backup Plus 7.7.1 and Backup Plus DVD Edition 1.1

Developer: AVANTRIX, Inc.

Distribution size: Backup Plus - 5.3 MB, Backup Plus DVD Edition - 5.4 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $ 39.95

Work under control: Windows 95/98 / NT / Me / 2000 / XP / 2003

Designed for backing up and restoring critical information, Backup Plus is a hugely popular suite around the world for its reliability, ease of backup and restore, and intuitive interface. The application comes in two editions: Backup Plus and Backup Plus DVD Edition, the latter is distinguished by the ability to write archives to CD or DVD in the absence of specialized software installed on the computer, such as Roxio DirectCD, Ahead InCD or similar.

It is quite easy and convenient to work with the program, even with minimal preparation. The task manager provides step-by-step creation of data backup tasks, the total number of which is unlimited. When forming a task, it is allowed not only to include individual folders and files in the usual way, but also to add or, conversely, exclude files for which a certain set of conditions is met, for example, you can include / exclude files with certain extensions. In addition, it is possible to add special system folders and files to the archive: the “My Documents” folder, Internet browser bookmarks, cookies, “Startup” data, etc. checkboxes in the settings window. The type of archive created is determined by the backup style, and the backed up data can be saved to any external storage medium, including Iomega Zip and Jazz devices, floppy disks, other hard drives, network drives, CDs and DVDs, and FTP sites.

The list of supported styles includes "single archive", "single with duplicate to FTP" (for which it is enough to specify an FTP server, enter a password and login), "multivolume with copying to a network drive", "multivolume with copying to a CD" and others. The size of a single archive is limited to 4 GB; however, it is also possible to back up large amounts of information into multivolume archives. In addition, the user can determine the degree of data compression, the principle of creating an archive (creating a new archive or updating an existing one). In the case of forming an updated archive, the maximum number of copies in the archive chain is indicated, which allows you to return to any of the previous states of files and folders, etc. Additionally, it is possible to encrypt the reserved data using the AES algorithm with a key length of 256 bits.

Backup Plus's built-in backup wizard allows you to automate the process of completing tasks - the latter can be performed, for example, when loading a program, in accordance with the calendar principle, when the backup data changes, etc. Detailed reports on the results of the backup, which record the start and end time of the backup, the degree of data compression, the presence of errors, etc., are saved in log files that can be opened directly from the program and printed and / or automatically sent by e-mail ... For a list of all possible redundancy errors, see the accompanying detailed documentation. The Step by Step Data Recovery Wizard allows you to recover both absolutely all data from the archive, and only the folders and / or files specified by the user.

Backup to DVD / CD 5.1

Developer: Willow Creek Software

Distribution size: 3.8 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $ 29.95

Work under control: Windows 95/98 / Me / NT / 2000 / XP / 2003 Server

Backup to DVD / CD is an affordable and compact solution for backing up important data, which is of interest to both home users and small office users. The program has a simple and intuitive interface, and its main advantage in comparison with analogues is the support of the incremental backup technology, which can significantly reduce the time and amount of disk space required for storing archives. This is very reasonable, since a significant part of the backed up documents are not updated frequently and it is not worth spending a lot of time and valuable disk space on a regular basis in order to back up unchanged data.

Backup to DVD / CD is flexible in defining the folders and files to back up, and the Backup Wizard will help you quickly find any data scheduled for backup on your computer. The program allows you to back up folders with and without subfolders, and files can be specified implicitly - using masks or based on the applications in which they were created, for example, you can tell the program that all Microsoft Word documents are to be backed up. If necessary, the Windows registry can be included in the archive. Any, even the most complex choice of data to be backed up can be saved in the form of a so-called Backup Plan, which allows you to significantly speed up the process of generating tasks in the future by selecting the desired plan from the list. With regard to the selected folders and files, a full backup can be carried out with the inclusion of all archived data in the archive, an incremental backup, in which only the data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup will be recorded, or synchronized with data on another hard or network disk. Backups can be done with or without compression one-to-one (in the case of a full backup), and backups can be stored on a wide range of external media: DVD and CD disks, floppy disks, Zip disks, network drives, etc.

Recoverable folders and files can have their original position on the hard disk at the time of backup or be saved in any folder specified by the user and on any supported external media, folders can be restored with the inclusion or, conversely, with the exclusion of subfolders, it is possible to recover not all data, but only user-specified folders and files. The built-in scheduler allows for scheduled backups, automatic backups are possible when the computer is idle.

APBackUp 2.7

Developer: AVPSoft

Distribution size: 2.34 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: commercial license - 590 rubles, personal license - 490 rubles.

Work under control: Windows 98 / NT / Me / 2000 / XP / 2003

APBackup is a utility for backing up folders and files, including automatic scheduled backups. The program is compact in size and low in price, has an intuitive Russian-language interface and a detailed illustrated help system in Russian and allows you to fine-tune the data backup process up to its complete automation, which makes it interesting for a wide range of Russian users.

A list of all backup jobs available in the system is displayed in the main window of APBackup, where the current status of each job is recorded using the legend and sorting mode is supported for easy management. Tasks can be performed both manually and according to a schedule, which can be compiled according to a calendar principle (for example, make a reservation every third week on Tuesdays and Thursdays) or in accordance with other criteria, for example, perform a task every time the OS boots, when the program starts, or after detecting a change in the source files. The program provides the ability to determine the priority of the archiving thread (parallel execution of tasks).

The backed up data is saved in the form of standard zip archives, but if necessary, the program allows you to connect any other archiver or back up data without archiving. The archive can be saved as a local disk or CD-R, as well as another computer in the local network and an FTP server, it is possible to automatically duplicate backups to different media at the same time. To write archives to CDR / RW, you need to have specialized packages on your computer, for example: Ahead InCDT, Roxio DirectCDT, etc. The number of the most recent archives, as well as the number of duplicates created, the backup depth and many other parameters are user-definable. If necessary, you can set a password for access to the program and additionally protect the created archives with a password.

An additional advantage of APBackup is the ability to archive files occupied by other applications, as well as ample opportunities for adjusting the load on the processor, which allows archiving in parallel with other work.