At the moment, people are divided into two types: those who initially create backups, and those who began to do them. Pay attention to the word became. If a person has never experienced the loss of important documents due to any mistake, his own or systemic, then he will not understand humor. If faced, then such a user will be far from laughing.

Such an incident can be easily prevented by knowing what a backup is. This is a backup of certain files. Further details.

General information

A backup is a backup of system or any other files. This is done so that in the event of any failure or virus infection of the operating system, it is possible to restore the necessary documents.

Backup is done manually and automatically using special programs. In the second case, you should download a utility that will do everything for the user. In the first case, you can copy certain files that are of value to any storage. It should be noted that the utility is able to save even the entire operating system.

And what is it - a backup, if translated from English? This term is translated as stock. The word is borrowed from this language. In addition, among other meanings of the word, one can notice that it can also be translated as reserve or repeating. That is, using this term, you can describe the action in which information is rewritten to another medium.

It should be noted that even the ancestors knew what it is - a backup. However, it was not called that at the time. All manuscripts that were of value were copied several times. In ancient times, libraries were burned quite often, so it was very important to keep the chronicles in several copies. In addition, loan sharks have mastered backups. They kept lists that described who owed them, in several copies.

When to back up

It is necessary to indicate such an example for comparison. When any human organ is no longer working, it will be useless to take pills or any mineral supplements in order to improve its functioning. Accordingly, the same can be applied to the backup process. Documents must be saved at all times. Even if a person does not store the most important information on his computer, the operating system works smoothly and without any glitches, you still need to make copies of your documents.

If a person wants to download the program and try it, but he has not used it before, then you need to make a backup of the operating system. It happens that utilities damage system files or other important documents that affect system performance.

At the same time, you need to understand that before reinstalling the operating system, you should definitely transfer your music and movies to a spare hard drive. As a rule, the installation program now works as ideally as possible, preventing a person from deleting important information for him, but sometimes there are incidents. Moreover, it never hurts to play it safe once again.

Where can I save a backup

What is it - a backup, we already understood, then you should figure out where you can backup? As a rule, there are two most reliable methods that will allow you to save data as much as possible.

They must be transferred either to the cloud, or written to a flash drive, disk or other physical media. Consider both methods, considering all their pros and cons. Every person should know where backups are stored.

Recording to an external drive

As a rule, the capacity of any external drive is several terabytes, respectively, a large number of important files, huge archives can be written to it. The advantage of this method is also not only a large capacity, but also ease of use and transportation.

It should be noted that the only drawback of this method of creating backups is the instability to mechanical damage. That is why you should buy more expensive devices that are not only able to withstand any kind of shock, but are also immune to moisture.

Flash drive

If you need to save system files, then an ordinary flash drive will be quite enough for this. It is quite cheap, every year more and more options with maximum capacity appear on the market, and you do not need to install drivers to use it. The reliability of such a device will be on top. In addition, now modern models are able to withstand the influence of humidity.

Among the shortcomings, it should be noted that the flash drive can fail. At the same time, utilities that could recognize that a flash drive is no longer usable simply do not exist. The storage time of data on the device is not infinite, and the write speed is low. If you put a USB flash drive and safely forget about it, then, unfortunately, after about six months, the user, turning it on, will notice that there is no data on this device. This problem is especially relevant for devices with a large volume, where manufacturers have not learned how to properly protect the device from information leakage.

CDs

Despite the fact that these devices have already gone out of fashion, they are still indispensable in some cases. No need to use the 700 MB options. A disk with almost 9 GB of memory may well be a good medium. However, it should be noted that these devices must be protected from temperature extremes, defects, and sunlight. If we talk about reliability and capacity, then you should choose DVD discs. Such blanks are quite reliable.

CDs are also good, but their maximum capacity is 700 MB. At the moment this is ridiculous. Blu-ray discs are very capacious. They are capable of holding more than 30 GB of information. However, drives to read and write to them are not installed in every device. Moreover, they are extremely sensitive to mechanical influences.

Cloud

Over the past few years, the cloud has become very popular. How to make a backup in this system? You just need to upload the necessary files to the cloud, and autosave will allow you not to worry about the security of the downloaded information. It should be noted that the cloud is a server of a third-party company that provides a certain volume or free space for a nominal fee or free of charge.

The most popular clouds now are Dropbox, Google and Yandex services. It should be noted that the second option gives the user 15 GB of free space, which will be enough for home use.

How to back up Windows

If a person has previously worked with Windows 98, then he remembers system failures very well. The operating system was, in principle, not bad, however, with the incompatibility of any utilities, it was always 100% clear that a system error would lead to a reinstallation of the operating system. However, in new versions, the manufacturer still provided a Windows backup. In Vista, as well as versions 7 and 8, this feature has been brought to near perfection.

Using an example, consider creating a backup of the Windows 7 operating system. You can make it very simply. You should go to the control panel, there find the item "Backup and restore". You should click on the menu with the left mouse button and go to the "Image Creation" sub-item. A pop-up window will open again, in which you need to select any of the three options for creating a backup. You can do this on a blank, upload it to the network or use a hard drive. You should check the box next to the item where the person is going to backup. After that, you should save the settings. It should be noted that if the Internet connection is poor, as well as unstable, then an attempt to save the operating system to the network will fail.

All this can also be done using special utilities. The most famous backup programs are those created by Norton and Acronis. Often, users use utilities from Nero. It should be noted that although their functionality is excellent, not everyone is willing to pay for it. But if a person needs increased reliability and security, then you still have to pay attention to paid services. Ordinary users will be quite enough internal means of the system to create backups.

Mobile devices

How to make a backup on a computer, we have already painted. But what about mobile devices? These units now store a large amount of important information, and we are talking not only about phones, but also about tablets. At the moment, the Android system is the most common, and we'll talk about it. How to make a backup of such a device?

It should be noted that we will not copy ordinary photos and videos, but programs and their settings. It should be noted that if all this is lost, then not only will it take a lot of time to restore, there is also no chance that they will be completely restored. To begin with, we should note the excellent Titanium Backup utility.

What you need to back up

To get started, to make a backup, you need to do two things. Get root rights, that is, administrator rights. At the moment, you will hardly find phones that already have such rights when sold. Therefore, the user will have to suffer a little to get the administrator options. The second thing you need is the Titanium Backup utility. It works great and is of high quality. To create a copy, be sure to use it.

1. Regularity. Making backups should be as regular as brushing your teeth in the morning.
2. Examination. Check the backup you just made. It will be very disappointing if, at a particularly tense moment, your lifesaver turns out to be a dummy. Open several files from the archive and make sure they work.
3. Separation. It is better to store backups not in one place, but at least in two. For example, on an external hard drive and in the cloud. After all, disks sometimes fail, and cloud storage may be unavailable at the right time.
4. delimitation. Divide into several clear categories what you are going to store. Data of different importance requires a different approach to archiving.

System solutions

Windows

Windows has a regular backup and restore tool that allows you to save both individual files and an entire image from which you can restore the system in case of failure.

Windows 7

Go to the "Control Panel" by left-clicking on the "Start" button and selecting the appropriate item. In the "Control Panel", select "System and Security" → "Computer Backup" → "Set up Backup".

Next, the system will ask you to specify a location to save the archive. Please note that if you want to back up data from drive C, you will not be able to save it there. To do this, you will have to choose another medium, for example, a second physical disk, USB flash drive, DVD, or a folder on the local network. If you recall the principles of creating a backup, the archive must be stored on a separate medium, and not on the very computer from which the copy was made.

Next, the system will prompt you to automatically or manually select folders for archiving. Click on “Give me a choice” and in the window that opens, check the boxes for the folders you want to save. Click Next → Save Settings and Exit.

Now in the "Backup or restore files" window there is a button "Archive". Clicking on it will start the process of archiving your data.

Recovery follows the same principle. To do this, click on the item "Select another backup to restore files" and specify the one into which the backup was performed.

Windows 8 and above

The built-in File History tool allows real-time archiving. It only requires initial setup to work.

Go to "Control Panel". To do this, click on the "Start" button with the right mouse button and find the desired line in the context menu.

As a storage location, select a drive other than the system drive, a flash drive, or a network folder. Click "Enable".

"File History" will automatically copy the following libraries: "Documents", "Music", "Images", "Videos" - and standard user folders: Windows, "Desktop", "Favorites".

By default, backups are made every hour, but you can change this time, for example, to 10 minutes. However, this will require more disk space. The retention time for each copy can be configured in the Advanced Options menu.

macOS

Time Machine is Apple's standard solution for backing up applications, files and folders, documents, videos, and music.

To work with Time Machine, you will need a third-party data storage, such as a flash drive, external hard drive, or network solution.

When you connect an external drive to your Mac, you should be asked if you want to use it as backup storage? Select "Use as a backup drive".

If the window does not appear, the backup drive must be selected manually:

• go to the menu and open the Time Machine settings;
• click on "Select backup disk";
• select the one you want and click on "Use disk".

Backups will be automatically created once an hour, copies for the past month - every day, and backups for all time - every week. Do not be afraid that the volume of your hard drive will be small. Time Machine will save only changed information, and old copies will be automatically deleted as disk space fills up.

Android

Android Backup Service

Designed to create backup copies of Google account data. With it, you can save:

• data about Wi-Fi networks;
• desktop wallpaper;
• Gmail settings
• Google Play apps;
• language and input settings;
• date and time;
• settings for a number of third-party applications.

To create a backup you need:

• open device settings;
• go to "Personal data" → "Restore and reset";
• turn on Data Backup.

To restore data on another device, just log in with your account. To restore the settings of saved applications, go to "Personal" → "Backup and Reset" → "Auto Restore".

Synchronization

Android has a built-in synchronization tool that allows you to save user contacts installed from the Google Play application, calendar, display settings, languages ​​​​and input methods, Google Drive data, and settings for some third-party applications. The tool requires a mandatory Google account.

Synchronization in Android is enabled by default. If you want to get the latest backup, do the following:

• open phone settings;
• in the "Accounts and sync" section, select Google;
• check the boxes and click "Synchronize".

The data will automatically be sent to the Google cloud storage. To restore them on another Android device, just connect your account on it.

You can also synchronize most popular accounts: Skype, Telegram, Viber and VKontakte. Android has a built-in Google Photo solution for syncing photos and images.

iOS

iTunes

Apple's universal app for getting and playing content. Allows you to save data locally from a device connected to a computer running Windows or macOS. This is especially handy when you don't have internet access.

To create a copy using iTunes, do the following:

• connect the device to the computer;
• go to the "Devices" tab;
• click Sync.

• Photo;
• notes;
• contact list;
• calendar;
• SMS/MMS messages;
• Safari browser;
• access point settings;
• application data;
• view of the main screen.

iCloud

Cloud service for storing user data. Like any cloud, it has two limitations: the need for Internet access and a relatively small (5 GB) amount of free dedicated space.

To save data using iCloud on your device, open Settings → iCloud → Backup and start the process of creating a copy.

Stored in iCloud:

• purchase history in the App Store;
• Photo;
• Phone settings;
• application data;
• view of the main screen;
• ringtones;
• voice mail.

Software

Windows

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: there is.

A simple backup solution. Allows you to save both individual files (photos, music or movies) and mail files, for example, from Microsoft Outlook or TheBat.

In the main program window, click "Create a new task" → "Create a backup copy". From the catalog tree, select the data you want to save. In our case, this will be the Music folder on the desktop.

Finally, give the task a name and click Finish. Archiving completed.

The same principle applies to data recovery. Select the saved backup, and then specify where you want to restore it.

The trial period for using the program is 30 days. The developers offer to purchase the full basic version for 800 rubles. There are other versions of Handy Backup - Professional and Expert. Their capabilities are much wider and tailored for professional needs, but for our purposes, the Standard version is enough.

License: shareware software.

Russian language support: no.

Another solution for creating backups and recovering lost files. The interface is so simple and clear that even the absence of the Russian language will not be an obstacle.

First of all, choose where to save the data. Let it be removable disk E.

The next step is to specify the data to save. The program offers both a smart choice where you can mark desktop files, the system folders "Pictures" or "Videos" at once, and a directory tree. Go to it and save the already familiar "Music" folder.

After clicking on the checkmark, the archiving window will open. On the selected disk, the program automatically creates the Genie TineLine folder, where it places the saved files.

Save and restore features are available in the basic version of Genie Timeline Free. The advanced paid versions of Genie Timeline Home and Genie Timeline Pro have much more features: sending email notifications, highly secure data encryption, and scheduling. But for saving home files, the Free version is enough.

Genie TineLine has an iOS app with which you can check the status of backups on your computer.

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: there is.

Powerful backup and restore tool. You can store backups not only on physical disks, but also on Acronis' own cloud service. True, for this you will have to subscribe for a year, and the amount of space provided will depend on the tariff plan. With a standard subscription, 50 GB is allocated, with the purchase of a premium version - from 1 TB.

Immediately after installation, the program prompts you to choose what data to send to the copy: from the entire computer, from disks and partitions, or individual folders.

Select "Files and Folders" and select the ones you want. Let it again be the "Music" folder on the desktop. Click "OK" and proceed to the storage selection.

Select flash drive E, click "OK" again → "Create a copy". A copy of the Music folder is created on a flash drive.

Acronis also has other useful features. For example, "Archive" allows you to free up disk space by compressing large files, and the "Disk Clone" tool creates a complete copy of local disks, which, in the event of a failure, will allow you to restore the original state of the system.

The cost of the program is 2,700 rubles. A standard subscription for a year will cost users 2,400 rubles, an extended one - 5,100 rubles. Mobile applications work in conjunction with the desktop version and are downloaded for free.

macOS

Carbon Cope Cloner

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: no.

A utility for creating a duplicate disk. Support for the Russian language is not provided, but it will not be difficult to understand the interface.

In Source Disk, select the disk you want to copy. In Target Disk, specify the location to store the copy. Start the process with the Clone button.

The free period of using the program is 30 days. After the Carbon Cope Cloner will cost 2,405.65 rubles.

Android

License: shareware software.

Russian language support: there is.

A convenient solution for backing up and syncing apps on Android without requiring root rights. However, for full-fledged work, you will have to install Helium on a computer running Windows, Linux or macOS.

After installing the application on your smartphone, you will immediately receive a notification about the need for a desktop version. For ease of installation and saving time, the program offers to send a link to a user-friendly messenger or by email. From there follow the link to the program website, download and run. Installation in the style of "Next" → "Next" → "OK" is straightforward.

While the program is being installed, the mobile application asks you to connect your phone to the computer and enable USB debugging.

After receiving notification of successful synchronization, the smartphone can be disconnected from the computer.

Open the mobile app. From the list of installed programs, select the ones you need and click on the "Backup" button. Specify where the backup will be stored and wait for the process to complete.

To restore from a backup, go to the "Restore and Sync" tab, select the location with the copy, select the desired applications and click "Restore".

The basic version of the program is free, the cost of the extended version is 149.86 rubles.

The extended version allows:

• disable ads;
• set scheduled backups;
• enable synchronization between Android devices;
• store data in the cloud.

The application cannot be installed by owners of Motorola devices and some Sony models.

License: shareware software.

Russian language support: there is.

The most popular app backup tool among Android users. Requires root access to the device.

To back up one or more applications, open the "Backups" tab, which displays a complete list of installed software. An exclamation mark next to an application indicates that a copy has not yet been created for it. The phone icon means that the program is stored on the internal memory of the device. The SD card icon indicates applications stored on the memory card.

Select an application and click "Save" in the menu that opens.

The backup has been created. Now, if you enter the application again, you can see the "Restore" button.

Titanum Backup supports group work with applications and backups. To do this, go to "Menu" → "Batch actions".

This function allows:

• check backups - both recently created and the whole - for errors;
• make backup copies of all installed applications;
• make backup copies of all system data;
• delete old backups;
• restore all backups;
• restore all system data;
• clear application cache;
• uninstall system or user apps.

The functionality of Titanium Backup is much wider, but for our purposes, the listed features are quite enough.

The extended version of Titanium Backup costs 349 rubles. Its main features:

• creating multiple backups for an application;
• backup data encryption;
• checking all archives;
• batch freezing and defrosting applications;
• synchronization of backups with the cloud.

iOS

iMazing

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: there is.

Compatibility: Microsoft Windows, macOS.

In fact, this is a file manager with a backup option provided. In many ways, it is similar to iTunes, but it is much easier and more pleasant to work in it. You can transfer data both via cable and via Wi-Fi, and iMazing has no limit on the number of connected devices.

When you connect your device to your computer, iMazing automatically makes a backup of it. The function of changing data directly in the saved copy is very useful: the next time you connect, the changed data is instantly synchronized.

The free period is 30 days, after which you will have to pay $39.99 for use on one computer.

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: no.

Compatibility: iOS.

Device backup tool with . Allows you to save notes, contacts, photos, messages, call histories and more.

To create a backup, just select what you want to save and click on the corresponding icon. A copy can be stored on a smartphone, computer, in the cloud, or sent by email.

To restore data, click on the Restore button in the menu on the left side of the screen.

The cost of BackupAZ is $2.99.

iLex

License: free software.

Russian language support: there is.

Compatibility: iOS.

And this software product will require you to have a mandatory jailbreak. The free iLex application allows you to save absolutely any data from the device, besides, it does not require a computer to work.

After creating a backup copy, save it where it is convenient for you, and after flashing the device or in case of loss, copy the archive to your phone and restore the necessary information.

Cydia

License: free software.

Russian language support: there is.

To do this, just go to Manage Accounts, enter your account and select Installable Purchases. That's the only way to do this only for purchased applications. Information about free Cydia does not save.

Cloud Solutions

Google Drive

License: shareware software.

Russian language support: there is.

Compatibility:

Allows you to store user data on Google servers, differentiate access rights to files and folders, open access and share them with other Internet users.

The repository includes:

• Google Drive - used to store files;
• Gmail - saves the user's contacts and is a powerful email client;
• Google Photo - automatically finds images on devices and saves them to the cloud.

15 GB is free. For a larger volume, you will have to pay from 2.99 to 299 dollars. The maximum storage capacity is 30 TB and the maximum file upload is 5 TB.

2 GB of storage is available for free use. The cost of 1 TB will be 9.99 euros. Unlimited space can be purchased for 10 euros per month.

Yandex.Disk

License: shareware software.

Russian language support: there is.

Compatibility: browsers, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.

Cloud service of Russian origin, former Yandex.People. Like previous solutions, it allows you to save data in the cloud and share it with other Internet users. Supports synchronization between different devices.

Users are provided with 10 GB free of charge. For an additional 10 GB, Yandex asks to pay 30 rubles, for 100 GB - 80 rubles, while the cost of 1 TB will be only 200 rubles.

December 17, 2012 at 03:53 pm

What is "backup"?

• Information Security

Very often I hear phrases like “why do I need a backup, I have a RAID!”. Or “I make backups on the second HDD in the server!”. Or something similar. Very often, a few months after that, I hear the question “how can I recover the killed data?”. And it's sad.

In the article, I want to speculate a little about what “backup” is and what scheme of such copying will help protect against the loss of your data. Well, try to expose some myths and bad habits.

Most, I think, will not find anything new for themselves, but if you still belong to the category of those who do not make backups or do, but these are not backups - welcome!

Requirements?

Let's define the terminology. What is a backup?
It is logical to assume that this is a copy of the data previously saved for the purpose of restoration in case of destruction of the original.
This is where the first requirement comes in. isolation. It makes no sense to make a copy of the documents for the apartment and keep it in the same place as the original. So it doesn't make sense to make a copy of the data and store it on the same drive/server as the original. Is it logical? Quite.

Let's go further. If we make a copy of the data, then we are afraid of losing it. So? So. This means that all reserved data is valuable to us. So? Again so. Hence the second requirement integrity. There is no point in copying without checking the integrity - at the output we may well get broken data or lose part of it irretrievably.

One more point. Let's say you delete a file. Or not a file, but many files. For example, they accidentally did "rm -rf ./test". And they went to bed with a clear conscience. And at midnight there was ... a backup. But here's the problem - it was configured in such a way that it created a complete copy of the data without taking into account versions and changes. Those. deleted the file you deleted and on the backup media too - did the opposite thing to its purpose. Represented? The third requirement is versioning. You should be able to return the previous state of your data, not just have two identical copies.

Well, that's enough, I guess. The article is focused on SOHO users, not on the enterprise, so we will not consider the requirements for security, disaster recovery speed, limited redundancy, and so on.

And what is the result?

As a result, we got three requirements that a backup system must meet in order to bear this proud name and store your data securely. isolation will protect against equipment failure or external factors (fire, flood, etc.), as well as malicious deletion of data (will not allow an attacker or a virus to infect / delete the backup too), control integrity ensures that all your data is backed up and you are not left with nothing if you lose the main instance, learning about the problems too late, versioning will not allow the backup system to move a bullet from the leg of a user who shoots himself in the knee - in his head.

Closer to practice.

No problem.

When analyzing an existing or inventing a new IBS for yourself, think about whether it meets the criteria outlined above?
Do primary and backup overlap in the same place? Does this ensure the isolation of the backup? Is it possible to simultaneously modify files in the main and backup storage? Is there a significant (more significant than an atomic explosion) probability that both carriers will be simultaneously destroyed or lost? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, there is a bug in the system. For example, if you backed up files from a laptop to usb flash and put it in a safe - well done. If you made this backup and put the flash drive in your laptop bag, you didn't make a backup.

Does your schema enforce data integrity? For example, if the backup medium runs out of space and the copy cannot be saved correctly - will you know about it?
Does it provide completeness? If this is an application, are the settings saved, if the database is a schema, etc.?
Is it possible to get a working original from an existing copy? Or is something missing?

Can you imagine what you will do if you lose the main data? Is there a (albeit simple) recovery technique? Are all of its points feasible and sufficient to obtain data? Practice knows examples when a backup was made to an encrypted HDD, and a complex and secure encryption key was not stored in the owner’s head and not even on a yellow piece of paper, but ... yes, yes, on the laptop from which the backup was made. As you understand, when the laptop was stolen, the data was lost forever.

Conduct "exercises" - imagine that the main carrier is lost and try to recover. I am sure that the first time you will not succeed, or it will turn out that a lot is actually not quite the way you imagined before.

Answered? Spent? Everything is fine? No, not at all. Don't forget about IBS. Keep it up to date. Started using new software? List its directories for backup. Think about how to restore it. Monitor the status of the backup media (if it is a single drive, flash drive or NAS, it is not at all eternal). Think about your data, no one will do it except you.

Myths and Examples of Bad Decisions

For some reason, people like to deceive themselves. For example, many believe that RAID replaces backup and guarantees data safety. Especially if the RAID is not simple - the first, but heaped up, for example, the 5th.
But RAID is not a backup. Of the criteria defined above, in the general case, all three are not met - mirrored disks are not isolated, not controlled, and not versioned. A file system crash, an accidental "rm -rf /" or a partitioning error will destroy the data on both drives and RAID will do nothing to save it. Moreover, if a damaged FS on one disk can usually be restored at least partially, then a collapsed array is almost always not possible.

The common scheme “a separate HDD for backup” is also not viable. First, the backup data is accessible and vulnerable to an attacker, a virus, or a common bug like the aforementioned "rm -rf /". Secondly, there are many situations, and very likely ones, that will destroy both disks at the same time. For example, the stormy and beautiful (with special effects) death of the power supply. Or a bucket of water overturned on the computer by a cleaner. Or... a lot of them.

Utilities like drop box are also not suitable for backup - unless, of course, versioning is provided. If you accidentally damage the data in the main copy, you will lose the backup as well, as soon as changes are synchronized between them. The data will no longer be returned.

Instead of a conclusion

Save your data by spending 15 minutes "before" - you can save 15 hours "after". Do not forget the bearded joke about those who do not make backups and those who already do.

Many users of Android devices know that experimenting with firmware, installing various add-ons and fixes quite often lead to device inoperability, which can only be fixed by installing the system cleanly, and this process involves completely clearing the memory of all information. In the event that the user has taken care of creating a backup copy of important data in advance, or even better - a full backup of the system, restoring the device to the “as it was before ...” state will take a few minutes.

There are many ways to back up certain user information or a full system backup. What is the difference between these concepts, for which devices it is advisable to use one or another method, will be discussed below.

A backup copy of personal information means the preservation of data and content generated by the user during the operation of the Android device. Such information includes a list of installed applications, photos taken by the device's camera or received from other users, contacts, notes, music and video files, browser bookmarks, etc.

One of the most reliable, and most importantly, simple ways to save personal data contained in an Android device is to synchronize data from the device’s memory with cloud storage.

Full system backup

The above methods and similar actions allow you to save the most valuable information. But when flashing devices, not only contacts, photos, etc. are often lost, because manipulations with device memory sections involve clearing them of absolutely all data. To reserve the opportunity to return to the previous state of the software and data, you only need a full backup of the system, i.e., a copy of all or certain sections of the device’s memory. In other words, a complete clone or cast of the software part is created into special files with the ability to restore the device to a previous state later. This will require certain tools and knowledge from the user, but it can guarantee the complete safety of absolutely all information.

Where to store the backup? When it comes to long-term storage, the best way is to use cloud storage. When saving information using the methods described below, it is advisable to use the memory card installed in the machine. If it is not available, you can save the backup files to the internal memory of the device, but in this case, it is recommended that you immediately copy the backup files to a more reliable place, such as a PC disk, immediately after creation.

Method 1: TWRP Recovery

From the user's point of view, the easiest way to create a backup is to use a modified recovery environment for this purpose - custom recovery. The most functional among such solutions is.

Method 2: CWM Recovery + Android App ROM Manager

As in the previous method, when creating an Android firmware backup, a modified recovery environment will be used, only from another developer - the ClockworkMod team -. In general, the method is similar to using TWRP and provides no less functional results - i.e. firmware backup files. At the same time, CWM Recovery does not have the capabilities necessary for many users to manage the process of creating a backup, for example, it is impossible to select individual partitions for creating a backup. But the developers offer their users a good ROM Manager Android application, using the functions of which, you can start creating a backup directly from the operating system.

Method 3: Titanium Backup Android App

Titanium Backup is a very powerful yet easy to use system backup tool. Using the tool, you can save all installed applications and their data, as well as user information, including contacts, call logs, sms, mms, WI-FI hotspots and more.

The advantages include the possibility of a wide range of settings. For example, a choice of applications is available, which and whose data will be saved. To create a full backup of Titanium Backup, you must provide root rights, that is, for those devices on which Superuser rights have not been obtained, the method is not applicable.

It is highly desirable to take care of a reliable place to save the created backups in advance. The internal memory of a smartphone cannot be considered as such, it is recommended to use a PC disk, cloud storage or, in extreme cases, a MicroSD card of the device to store backups.

1. Install and run Titanium Backup.



2. At the top of the program there is a tab "Backups", let's go to it.



3. After opening the tab "Backups", you need to call the menu "Batch Actions" by clicking on the button with the image of a document with a checkmark located in the upper corner of the application screen. Or press the touch button "Menu" under the device screen and select the appropriate item.



4. Next, press the button "START" located next to the option “Make r.k. all user software and system data".A screen appears with a list of applications to be backed up. Since a full backup of the system is being created, nothing needs to be changed here, you need to confirm that you are ready to start the process by clicking on the green checkmark located in the upper right corner of the screen.



5. The process of copying applications and data will begin, accompanied by the display of information about the current progress and the name of the software component that is currently being saved. By the way, you can minimize the application and continue using the device as usual, but in order to avoid failures, it is better not to do this and wait until the copy is created, the process is quite fast.



6. At the end of the process, a tab opens. "Backups". You may notice that the icons to the right of the app names have changed. Now these are peculiar emoticons of different colors, and under each name of the software component there is an inscription indicating that a backup copy has been created with the date.



7. Backup files are stored at the path specified in the program settings.

   

   To avoid loss of information, for example, when formatting the memory before installing the system software, you should copy the backup folder to at least a memory card. This action is feasible using any file manager for Android. A good solution for carrying out operations with files stored in the memory of Android devices is.

Additionally

In addition to the usual copying of the backup folder created using Titanium Backup to a safe place, in order to reinsure against data loss, you can configure the tool so that copies are created immediately on the MicroSD card.

Method 4: SP FlashTool+MTK DroidTools

Using applications is one of the most functional ways that allows you to create a truly complete backup of all sections of the memory of an Android device. Another advantage of the method is the optional presence of root rights on the device. The method is applicable only for devices built on the Mediatek hardware platform, with the exception of 64-bit processors.

1. To create a full copy of the firmware using SP FlashTools and MTK DroidTools, in addition to the applications themselves, you will need installed ADB drivers, drivers for the MediaTek boot mode, as well as an application (you can also use, but regular Notepad will not work). Download everything you need and unpack the archives into a separate folder on the C: drive.



2. Turn on the device mode "USB Debugging" and connect it to the PC. To enable debugging,
   mode is activated first "For developers". To do this, we follow the path "Settings" — "About device"- and tap five times on the item "build number".

   

   Then in the menu that opens "For developers" activate using the switch or checkmark the item "Allow USB Debugging", and when connecting the device to the PC, we confirm the permission to conduct operations using ADB.

   

3. Next, you need to run MTK DroidTools, wait for the device to be detected in the program and press the button "Map of Blocks".



4. The previous manipulations are the steps that precede the creation of the scatter file. To do this, in the window that opens, click the button "Create scatter file".



And choose the way to save the scatter.



5. The next step is to determine the address that SP FlashTools will need to specify when determining the range of blocks in the reader's memory. Open the scatter file obtained in the previous step in the Notepad ++ program and find the line partition_name: CACHE: , under which a line with the parameter linear_start_addr is located just below. The value of this parameter (highlighted in yellow in the screenshot) must be written or copied to the clipboard.



6. Direct reading of data from the device's memory and saving them to a file is carried out using the SP FlashTools program. Launch the application and go to the tab Readback. The smartphone or tablet must be disconnected from the PC. We press the button Add.



7. There is only one line in the window that opens. Double click on it to set the reading range. Select the path where the future memory dump file will be saved. The file name is best left unchanged.



8. After specifying the save path, a small window will open, in the field Length: which you need to enter the value of the linear_start_addr parameter obtained in step 5 of this instruction. After entering the address, press the button "OK".

   

   We press the button "Read Back" tab of the same name in SP FlashTools and connect the switched off (!) device to the USB port.



9. In the event that the user has taken care of installing the drivers in advance, SP FlashTools will automatically detect the device and begin the reading process, as evidenced by the filling of the blue progress bar.

   

   Upon completion of the procedure, a window is displayed "Readback OK" with a green circle, inside which is a confirmation checkmark.

10. The result of the previous steps is the file ROM_0, which is a complete dump of the internal flash memory. In order to make it possible to carry out further manipulations with such data, in particular, upload firmware to the device, several more operations are needed using MTK DroidTools.
    We turn on the device, boot into Android, check that "USB Debugging" turned on and connect the device to USB. Launch MTK DroidTools and go to the tab root, backup, recovery. Need a button here "Make a backup from the ROM_ flash drive", press it. Open the file obtained in step 9 ROM_0.



11. Immediately after pressing the button "Open" the process of splitting the dump file into separate partition images and other data needed for recovery will begin. Process progress data is displayed in the log area.
    
    

    When the procedure for splitting the dump into separate files is completed, the inscription will be displayed in the log field "mission completed". This completes the work, you can close the application window.



12. The result of the program's operation is a folder with image files of the device's memory sections - this is our backup copy of the system.

Method 5: System backup using ADB

If it is impossible to use other methods or for other reasons, to create a complete copy of the memory sections of almost any Android device, you can use the OS developers toolkit - the Android SDK component -. In general, ADB provides all the possibilities for carrying out the procedure, you only need root rights on the device.

It should be noted that the method under consideration is quite laborious, and also requires the user to have a fairly high level of knowledge of ADB console commands. To facilitate the process and automate the introduction of commands, you can turn to a wonderful shell application, this automates the process of entering commands and saves a lot of time.

1. The preparatory procedures consist in obtaining root rights on the device, enabling USB debugging, connecting the device to the USB port, installing ADB drivers. Next, download, install and run the ADB Run application. After the above is done, you can proceed to the procedure for creating partition backups.
2. We launch ADB Run and check that the device is detected by the system in the desired mode. Item 1 of the main menu - "Device attached?", in the drop-down list we perform similar actions, again select item 1.

   

   A positive answer to the question of whether the device is connected in ADB mode is the response of ADB Run to the previous commands in the form of a serial number.



3. For further manipulations, it is necessary to have a list of memory sections, as well as information about which “disks” - /dev/block/ partitions have been mounted. Using ADB Run, getting such a list is pretty easy. Go to the section "Memory and Partitions"(item 10 in the main menu of the application).



4. In the menu that opens, select item 4 - "Partitions /dev/block/".



5. A list is opened with a list of methods that will attempt to read the required data. Let's try each item in order.

   

   If the method fails, the following message is displayed:

   

   Execution will have to continue until the full list of partitions and /dev/block/ appears:

   

   The received data must be saved in any way possible, there is no automatic saving function in ADB Run. The most convenient way to fix the displayed information is to create a screenshot of the window with a list of sections.

To quickly restore lost data on a smartphone, you need to know what a backup is and how to create it on Android.

With it, you can quickly return all deleted files, restore settings for games and programs, as well as IMEI, identification numbers, passwords and all other information that is contained on the device.

Content:

Definition

Backup is an archived backup of your phone or computer files. A backup can be created on any operating system. Its purpose is to save all user data and set up the system at the time the archive was created.

After a factory reset or a forced system restore using a backup, you can quickly return all lost data and not waste time reinstalling programs and setting up the OS.

A copy of the data is created using special programs. Most popular utilities:

• Titanium Backup;
• super backup;
• nandroid manager;
• Helium and others;
• SP FlashTools.

Varieties of backups in Android

On Android OS, users can create a backup copy of the entire system or its individual components:

Why is it important to create a backup periodically?

Backup allows you to get rid of the problems associated with the sudden loss of data on your smartphone.

If you encounter errors that require you to reset your phone, you can easily get back all the deleted information. In the Android OS, you can create a backup using the built-in options of the system or use special programs.

When should a backup be made?

1 Before updating the firmware . Whether you're downloading a new version of Android over the air or installing updates manually, create a copy of the installed OS. We recommend moving all photos, videos and music to a memory card or uploading this data to cloud storage;

2 Before resetting. Over time, smartphone users may experience a decrease in the performance of their gadget. This is due to the load of RAM, viruses. The easiest way to restore devices is to reset the OS to factory settings. Before that, it is better to create a backup of the phone book and SMS, so as not to lose important data;

3 To reset the lock password. If you have set a password, pattern or pin code and forgot it, you can reset it without losing data using a backup. The only requirement is that an archive with a copy of the data must be created before the password is set.

Also, periodic backup of the phone book will allow you to quickly return the lost numbers in case of a SIM card error or after clearing the memory card.

What do you need to make a copy?

To create a backup in Android OS in the standard way, you will need:

• Superuser rights – ROOT must be active on the smartphone at the time of copy generation;
• Media for copy storage - it can be a built-in memory card, any cloud storage or the memory of your computer;
• Backup program . Software that works with backups with active ROOT rights allows you to create a copy of all data in the operating system - from contacts to arbitrary files and settings of each program.

Another way to create a backup- this is the use of third-party programs that do not require superuser rights. They allow you to archive only basic OS data. For example, a phone book, messages, accounts linked to the OS. Creating and restoring a copy can be done using one program that must be installed on the smartphone.

Backup programs

After flashing your gadget, you get an absolutely “clean” software shell.

You will not be able to return any programs, accounts and settings of their previous version of the OS if you did not take care of creating a backup copy in advance.

Many users prefer to install applications from scratch. However, it is much easier to use a backup and restore all application settings using a single archive.

Restoring previous settings does not affect the operation of the OS in any way, does not provoke bugs and errors.

The actual backup programs will be for those applications that are not in the official play market .

Titanium Backup and Helium- These are the two most popular programs for working with backup copies of applications in the Android OS of any version. To start working with each of these utilities, you will need superuser rights.

To create a backup of one installed program or several types of software at once, use the instructions for one of the following utilities.

Titanium Backup

The utility has over 5 million official downloads in the Play Market.

The application allows you not only to restore operating system data, but also works with software tools installed by the manufacturer, removes components and settings that a normal user cannot remove using the standard settings window.

Main features of Titanium Backup:

• Setting up backup according to a specific schedule;
• Move programs between internal and external memory without having to close the application;
• Quick scan for a new firmware version;
• Firmware installation;
• Storing the history of calls and text messages of a cellular operator;
• Backup of browser bookmarks;
• Backup access point of the router;
• Data synchronization with cloud services DropBox, OneDrive, Google Drive;
• Assigning a system status to any program (the option is configured by the user);
• Creating a backup archive that can be re-installed on a smartphone using the console;
• Sync settings and app data across multiple gadgets.

Convenient transfer of settings from one gadget to another is the most useful feature of Titanium Backup.

If it happens that your smartphone is broken or you have lost it, thanks to the backup, you can easily restore all contacts and messages in popular instant messengers and transfer information to another device.

You don't need an old SIM card to transfer data. All you need is a second gadget, a backup archive and the Titanium Backup utility.

All backups created in the program are automatically synchronized with one of your cloud storages:

• Go to utility window Titanium Backup;
• In the list of programs installed on the smartphone, select the desired messenger or other application to back up its settings. In our case, we will archive all numbers and messages from Whatsapp;
• Click on the name of the program, holding it for a few seconds. In the pop-up window, click on the field "Save";
• Next select cloud storage, to which the archive with software settings will be sent.

To move the program data to a second gadget or restore settings after a factory reset, reinstall Titanium Backup as well.

Open the recovery tool and sync the utility with the cloud.

In the list of all programs installed on your smartphone, select the desired messenger, click on it and click on "Restore" in the options menu.

Titanium Backup will automatically put on the necessary backup in the cloud and return all lost files to the programs. You will be able to use all contacts again and access lost chats.

Similarly, you can transfer this any other program to the second gadget. Most often, the application backup function is useful for transferring messenger data, saving progress in games.

Helium

Helium is another simple and useful utility for quickly restoring your device. The software works on all devices, regardless of the presence of superuser rights. The only requirement is . The utility does not save a backup to a memory card or external drive.

Helium features:

1 Sync apps across multiple devices;

2 backup systems;

3 Convenient file explorer;

4 Remove programs and roll back their updates.

To back up the data of an installed program, follow instructions:

• Open the Helium app. The Carbon file explorer will appear in the main window of the utility - this is a built-in service for viewing a list of all installed applications. Click on the desired program and select from the action menu backup;
• Wait for the copy to complete. The created archive will be sent to the cloud;

To restore information from a copy using Helium, open the utility on another device. In the settings, activate the item "Cloud Sync".

Select the program whose data you want to return and click on "Restore".

To create any other type of backup, go to the "Browse" tab and select one of the backup options.

Save IMEI

IMEI is the international numeric ID of your device. Using this set of numbers, you can find out the manufacturer of the gadget, its model and status. without IMEI are considered stolen and unofficially banned for use in the CIS.

As a result of resetting settings or software errors, it may be lost. However, you can restore it using a backup.

Signs of a lost IMEI:

You can restore the identifier only with superuser rights.

To return the IMEI, you will need to install the Android Terminal Emulator console emulator utility (if the phone does not see the network, download and then move the file to the phone).

Follow instructions:

• First we need to know the EFS code. To do this, enter the command mount and press Enter to execute it;
• A text will appear in the console window in which you must find the EFS command, written through a slash. The text identifier before the command is the code we need. Code lookup example:

• Write down the found code on a piece of paper and restart the application. After restarting the emulator, enter the command to restore IMEI (each of the lines must be entered through Enter). XXXXX is the found EFS code;

• To save the IMEI settings without leaving the program, enter the following lines:

After the successful execution of all commands, exit the emulator window, restart your smartphone and check the operation of the cellular network, geolocation and Internet connection.

Everything should work fine. If desired, you can check for IMEI using the engineering menu.

Backup photo and video

As a result of a smartphone theft or a factory reset, the most frustrating thing is the loss of photos, videos, music and other personal data.

All programs can be reinstalled, but it is almost impossible to return personal information without premature preparation.

Using the Google+ App

The standard application from Google is preinstalled on all Android devices. The purpose of Google+ is to unite and sync everyone in one account.

If the Google+ application is also installed on your device, this does not mean that file synchronization is set up.

2 Further, for devices with OS Android0 and above, it is not necessary to allow access to all folders and files on the smartphone. To do this, simply open the FolderSync program immediately after the first installation and in the pop-up window press the button "Allow";

3 To set up automatic backup of photos, videos and other files in the main FolderSync window, click the button "Create New Sync";

4 Then the built-in help window will open. In it, you must enter a name for the created pair "folder-cloud storage";

8 To confirm the action and save the settings, click on "Authenticate Account";

All user data is added to the repository. Whatever happens to your phone, you can always get your photos back using any computer or browser.

At the stage of choosing a directory, you will be prompted configure one of the following options for connecting to the cloud storage:

• Connecting to a local folder(select if the backup data will be created and located only on your smartphone);
• Synchronization with a remote folder(if you want to create a backup for a folder on your computer);
• hybrid variant(to create a backup of this smartphone and other remote gadgets).

In the connection settings, you can select the schedule according to which the synchronization will take place. We recommend sending data to the cloud every day.

In case of an error or breakdown of the phone, everything.

other methods

In addition to Google Drive storage, you can also choose from any of the following services:

drop box is the most popular cloud storage in the world. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the program can automatically create a backup of the phone's photos and immediately delete them, freeing up memory. You can access the folder with all the images at any time from all devices. All you need is an internet connection;

MEGA - a cloud that provides free 50 GB of virtual disk space. The user can set up synchronization with any device, download client programs for PC and smartphone, manage access to folders and files;

Mail . en cloud - after registration, you will have access to 100 GB for free. Manage simple file sync and view in any browser.

All these cloud storages have client and the ability to synchronize phone data with the server through the usual program settings.

Create a backup of any files

In addition to the options described above for creating a backup of photos, music, videos, users can download such programs to their smartphone for work with backup copies of documents of any format:

• datasync;
• Dropsync.

DataSync

The application works by analogy with the FolderSync discussed above and allows you to create a backup of any information that is stored in the internal or external memory of the device (with the exception of installed programs and system settings).

Also, DataSync allows you to set up sending a backup from one device to another, which is convenient at times when you need to save important information, but there is no Internet connection.

Thanks to the two-way sync option, two gadgets will be able to exchange game data. Thus, all missions and progress will be saved on both devices at once.

DropSync

DropSync- This is another popular utility for sending backups. Its peculiarity lies in the additional monitoring of phone performance. If the smartphone has a low battery, the application will not sync data so as not to reduce the operating time of the device.

Users can choose the type of synchronization:

(after synchronization, the data remains in the smartphone’s memory);(automatic deletion of information from the phone's memory to free up space. Users can access files using the cloud storage associated with the program);

Download only- getting a backup from the cloud and adding its contents to the smartphone's memory.

Backup for all data and settings

NAND (or Nandroid Backup)- This is a concept that is used in the Android OS to refer to a complete backup of the firmware installed on the smartphone, including all system data and its settings. The backup also includes all installed programs.

The full backup function is supported by the menu or CWM.

TWRP is an advanced recovery menu that is installed on the phone by the user, while CWM is an alternative recovery menu.

Firmware with one of two types of recovery is installed in the system partition of the smartphone’s memory, after which you can create a backup of absolutely all data.

After recovery, you will be able to use all the lost programs, contacts and files again.

ADB is a console application in which the user enters system programs that run on the phone.

ADB features:

• View the contents and system settings of connected gadgets;
• Client-server interaction between smartphone and PC;
• View logs;
• Deleting or clearing the DATA system partition;
• Fast copying of files of any format between devices;
• Execution of the firmware;
• Application of control scripts;
• Removing superuser rights;
• Manage network connection settings.

Immediately after creation, rename the TXT format to CMD ).

Open devices.cmd and write in the file the following commands:

• echo off
• adb devices
• pause

After the text about the successful completion of the operation appears, enter a new command for the current state of the firmware:

adb create backup [- l ] [- r ] < name > , where name is the name of the archive with the firmware copy.

The backup will be saved to the root folder of the ADB Run utility on your computer. You can move it to any other folder or cloud.

Also, the application is able to install programs or restrict access to programs by creating an access password.

Super Backup is synchronized with the linked cloud storage.

To start working with the program, select the desired type of data that will be backed up.

To restore information, restart the program, go to the section "Recovery". Next, go to the cloud memory and select the desired archive.

Conclusion

To never lose important data on your smartphone, Follow these tips for backing up:

• Always keep at least one phone backup on each of your gadgets . In case of simultaneous failure of several devices, you can always restore their work;
• Automatic copy creation . It is recommended to set up regular backup generation and upload it to the cloud. The operation will take place in the background, and you will never forget to copy the necessary data for recovery;
• Using a backup is a last resort . Try to restore the OS only in cases where you can no longer find an opportunity to correct an error or return data;
• Don't make too many copies of the same operating system, and label each