Tag: backup

Microsoft’s Windows operating system comes with several features that enables users to restore the system. While the functionality helps at times, it falls short at other times.

That’s why third-party backup software remains important. The main advantage is that it can be fully independent of the operating system, provided that it supports backup media that you can boot from.

This allows you to run the software and restore the system, even if Windows refuses to boot or load, or when Windows recovery features fail.

There are numerous good and free apps out there that support all of this. My favorite for the past several years has been Paragon’s Backup & Recovery Community Edition.

It is free and supports full system backups as well as scheduled backups. While it lacks some advanced features, such as direct disc cloning or advanced partition tools. However, for the purpose of creating a full system backup, Paragon’s free solution is just fine.

What you need

Here is what you require:

• Download the latest version of the free backup software from Paragon’s website. Install the software on the Windows PC.
• An external hard drive or large USB stick. How large depends on the size of the system drive. I suggest several Terabytes, as you may want to store multiple backups on the drive. Otherwise, you’d have to delete old backups to make room.
• A recordable disc or USB thumb drive for the recovery media.

Launch the backup software after installation and connecting the external drive. You should see the following screen:

Follow these steps to create your very first backup:

1. Click on “Backup source”. You get the option to backup up the entire computer, disk/volumes, or files/folders.
2. Select Disk/Volumes. All connected drives are displayed.
3. Pick the main drive that Windows is installed on. Look for “Local Disk (C:)” when i doubt. Make sure the entire drive is selected and not just a volume by clicking on its name. Confirm with OK.
4. Click on “Destination” next.
5. Select the letter of the external drive that you connected. You may alternatively create a folder on it for the backups. Confirm with OK.
6. Switch to Options once back in the main interface. Here, you have several options that you may want to configure:
   • Password Protection: This blocks access to the backup file unless the password is provided.
   • Backup compression: Set to normal by default. If you pick “Best”, the backup file size may be smaller, but the operation will take longer. If you have enough space, you could also pick “none” or “fast” for quicker backups.
   • Check backup integrity after creation: This verifies that the backup has been created successfully. Will take longer to complete.
7. Go back to “backup strategy”.
   • Select “is not scheduled” to schedule backups. This can be used to create automatic backups, but the external drive needs to be plugged in.
   • Select “full backups only” to change that. The two other options, “chain of full and incremental backups” and “chain of full and differential backups” reduce the storage requirements, but it takes longer to restore. Here you can also select the retention, which is set to “forever” by default. You could change it to “until storage is full”.
8. Activate the “back up now” button to start the process.

Once done with the first backup, launch the Settings of the app and activate the “Recovery Media Builder”. Use it to create media to boot when you need to recover a system backup.

The easier option is to pick “Use this Windows image” under creation mode. Note that you need an USB thumb drive or burn the recovery media to disc. This, along with the external drive are required to initiate a recovery process from outside of the Windows operating system.

Now You: do you use a backup software and create backups regularly? If so, which application do you use and how do you store your backups?

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)

Microsoft developed a new app for Windows 10 and 11, called Windows Backup, which is rolling out to systems that install the latest updates for these operating systems.

Previous backup options, such as File History, remain available for now.

The backup application uses Microsoft OneDrive to save some data. While that sounds like a good feature on paper, it is far away from that.

Windows Backup: the functionality

Windows users may run Windows Backup from the Start Menu. Open the Start Menu, type Windows Backup and select the result.

The application opens after a brief moment. It displays the “Let’s back up your PC” screen on start. The app lists the various backup elements in the middle, the estimated storage space on OneDrive, and back up and cancel buttons.

Apps, Settings, and Credentials are automatically transferred if the user is signed-in with a Microsoft account. Only the content listed under Folders is not.

Windows Backup lists just the special folders for backup there: Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music. The app may omit some folders, especially if they don’t contain any user files. There is no option to select a custom folder for backup.

Each supported folder is listed with its size and a toggle to remove it from the task. A click on back up transfers the files to OneDrive.

The length of the process depends on the number of files in the selected folders. There is no option to restore files directly from the app. You need to open OneDrive, either on the local system or online, to access the files and restore them to the local system.

The “other” sources that backup uses

Windows Backup supports backing up information about apps, settings and credentials.

• Remember installed apps and pinned app preferences.
• Remember Windows settings and preferences: accessibility, language preferences and dictionary, other Windows settings, personalization.
• Remember Wi-Fi networks and other passwords.

Here is what’s wrong with the Backup app

Windows users may only use the app if they sign-in with a Microsoft Account. Additionally, it can’t be used if Enterprise or Education accounts are used to sign-in.

If there is one point to criticize, it is the lack of backup options. Windows Backup supports backing up just the special folders. There is no option to select custom folders, let alone back up an entire drive.

Windows users who want to back up these folders can do so already using OneDrive, which is also available on Windows PCs.

Even File History, which remains available, supports backing up any folder to local drives or network drives.

The Windows Backup app lacks any option to restore files using it in addition. While Windows uses the backups on new PC setups or resets, it is the extent of the feature.

Not surprisingly is the focus on OneDrive as the only backup location, at least currently. All Microsoft account users get some OneDrive storage free of charge, but it is only 5 gigabytes. Microsoft charges a monthly subscription fee if users require more storage. Since OneDrive is the only option, there is little that users can do about that.

Manage Backups

Windows users may open Start > Settings Accounts > Windows Backup to control the backups. There, they may deselect the syncing of preferences and also add or remove folders from the backup process.

Note that these settings are specific to the active PC. There is no option to manage the backups of other Windows PCs from the Settings.

How to remove Windows Backup

Windows Backup is a system component. As such, it is not possible to remove it from the Windows device according to Microsoft.

A better backup alternative

There are quite a few free backup solutions available for Windows. The one that I use is Paragon Backup & Recovery, which ticks all the right boxes. Free, lets you back up files, folders, disks and the operating system, schedule backups and includes recovery options.

It is a full backup solution for Windows. You do need a second hard drive or optical disk device for the backups though, as cloud backups are not supported by it.

Now You: which backup application do you use?