Appcopier is a new open source application by Built By Bel, known for apps such as CleanmgrPlus, ThisIsWin11 or Bloatynosy.
The app, which is in an early development stage, lets Windows 11 users back up and restore system settings. Its developer designed the app to replicate functionality of Microsoft’s new Windows Backup app.
You may remember my rather harsh review of Microsoft’s app, which I called “not a real backup app”.
Appcopier
The developer of the application describes it in the following way:
This small project is still in the making. It allows you to back up and restore your most important Windows 11 preferences and settings offline and locally.
Appcopier has several advantages over Microsoft’s creation. It is open source, portable and it does not require a Microsoft account. In other words, you may use it to back up Windows settings and customizations locally. One downside is that you need to find a way to transfer the backup to another PC, if you want to restore the settings and customizations there.
Using Appcopier is straightforward. After you pass the dreaded “Windows protected your PC” screen by selecting “run anyway and an UAC prompt, you are greeted with a simple interface.
The tested version displays a tree structure in the interface. You may expand the tree to list all available backup options.
There are, at the time of writing:
- Windows Configurations
- Personalization settings
- Taskbar settings
- Privacy settings
- Apps Privacy settings
- Windows 11 Telemetry settings
- Windows Update settings
- Windows 11 Wallpapers
- Apps
- 7-Zip
- Notepad++
The program may support other apps and list them under the section. Check some or all of the options and activate the backup button afterwards. Note that the root checkbox did not work during tests to select all items.
Backup and restore
Backups are saved to a subfolder of the program folder. The folders use a date – time naming scheme, which makes it easy to find the right one.
All settings are saved as Registry keys. Wallpapers and themes do get stored in their native formats.
You have two options to restore a backup. Either use the “reload” button in the program interface to select a backup that you want to restore, or execute the Registry files directly on target systems.
These settings are regular Registry keys, which you may import on any compatible system.
Closing Words
Appcopier is an interesting program, especially for users who sign-in to a local account on their Windows devices. The app is in an early stage of development and you may run into bugs currently while using it.
I did not encounter any major issues, but your mileage may vary. The developer announced plans to improve it in the future to add more backup options for “things” that are more complicated to backup than saving Registry values.
The app was only tested on Windows 11, but it should also run on Windows 10 devices according to the developer.
All in all, this is an app that you may want to put on your watchlist if you find it interesting.
Now You: do you sync settings or use backup tools? (via Deskmodder)