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Fbackup program review. Cobian Backup is a free program for scheduled data backup

Recently, my friend asked me to explain to her how to backup data. She's a humanitarian, so she wanted options that didn't require any customization. Since she is not a stupid person who likes to understand the problem herself and make decisions, I decided to collect the basic principles for her and describe the pros and cons of certain options (as I see them). I decided to publish it here in case some of you find it useful - to help a friend or relative. I would be very glad to receive comments on how the text could be made simpler and clearer.

Basic principles

1. Regularity and frequency
Data backup should be as regular as taking pills. It is for this discipline that you can thank yourself if some kind of collapse suddenly occurs. Sometimes losing even just a few working days due to a failure to backup can be very painful. It’s possible to answer the question of how often you can make backups by understanding the data for what period of time would be least painful for you to lose. One of the best options is to backup data once a week on weekends.
Separateness
It is advisable that the data be saved to a separate external HDD(or other media) were stored in a separate location from the main data. The principle is quite obvious - if a problem occurs, it will be localized in one place. For example, if the hard drive on your computer fails, the backup disk will function perfectly. However, there is a balance to be struck between ease of access and security. Having a hard drive next to your computer significantly increases your motivation to use it for its intended purpose. And at the same time, this is not the safest option for very important data that should not be lost under any circumstances. That is why there is a distinction between data backup and data archiving.
Double check
As soon as the first backup copy of your data is made, you must immediately check that this data can be restored from it! This means not only that the files become visible. You need to open several files to choose from and check that they are not corrupted. It is advisable to repeat such a check once every certain period (say, once a year).
Discrimination
The best practice is to differentiate data into categories. The category could be their importance to you, the frequency of updates, or simply the topic.

Often programs Reserve copy make so-called “images”. They look like one single file. So, it is better to save various data in each such image.

What is it for. Data of different importance requires different handling, this is obvious. You will probably want to store your important documents more carefully than, say, a collection of films. By dividing the data by update frequency, you can, for example, save time spent on backups. Topic - what data is desirable to recover together in one step? A striking example of two types of backups that should be done separately:

Data backup
This Word documents, photographs, films, etc. The same applies to this, but is often forgotten - bookmarks in the browser, letters in mailbox, address book, calendar with meetings, banking application configuration file, etc.
System backup
We are talking about the operating system with all its settings. Such a backup eliminates the need to reinstall the operating system, make all the settings, and install programs. However, this is not the most necessary type of backup.

Where to make a backup

1. External hard drive. You can often buy it straight out of the box. There are laptop ones - such disks are small in size, but more expensive. Regular hard disks You can buy a 2 TB one relatively cheaply - then you won’t have to worry about disk space for a long time.

Fairly reliable (as long as you don't drop or shake excessively)
+ Relatively inexpensive

You must remember to connect the backup disk yourself.
-Not very convenient to carry (does not apply to laptop drives)

2. USB stick - suitable as an additional tool when you would like to transfer data from one computer to another and/or have it at hand. Also, if you don’t want to store the data itself on your computer.
There is one big but - a flash drive has a limited number of records, so if you store data from an application on it that will write intensively, then the flash drive (usb stick) will quickly die out. In addition, in my personal impression, they break quite often. A friend of mine, buying the most expensive flash drives, which were positioned as “unbreakable”, received a broken flash drive within a month or two. To be fair, I must say that I still haven’t had a single flash drive break; some have been working for 5 years already. However, I wouldn’t store data on a USB stick alone.

Mobile storage
+Takes up little space
+Very cheap

Unpredictable reliability

3. Data storage on remote server(or in the cloud).

There are pros and cons:

The data will be available not only at home, but also at work and while traveling.
+Local separation of main data and backup copies (for example, if, God forbid, a fire happens, the data survives)
+There is no need to connect a hard drive for backup; as a rule, everything is done completely automatically.

It is advisable to encrypt the data, since it is unknown who can access it
-A large amount of traffic is wasted (if it is limited, problems arise)
-Often you can only store data up to 2 GB for free. So, such a backup is an additional expense item

List with good description services can be found

How to backup

Here is a list of applications that are worth paying attention to (in my opinion) when backing up to your hard drive.

Popular among the free ones

1. Genie Backup Manager - very convenient program, but is a little slow when working
2. Handy Backup - simple interface, works quickly.

Additionally

Often in the settings of backup programs there is an option to make an incremental or differential backup. The practical difference is quite simple. With differential backup, you can save on the space it takes up. But there are only two recovery options: data in the state when a full backup was made + data at the time when a differential backup was made.

Incremental backup allows you to roll back to any point in the past when the backup was made. However, especially if changes in data occur frequently, the space will be consumed quickly.

  • The program is free for personal and commercial use.

    FBackup is a backup program that is free for use at home and in the office.

  • This means you save money instead of paying for another data backup program.

    Automatic reservation.

  • You create a backup profile, set it to run automatically, and you'll never remember about it again. FBackup will automatically create copies of data at the appointed time, which gives you not only confidence in the safety of your files, but also additional free time.

    zip packaging of backup copies.

  • When backing up the full type, the source files are archived using the standard zip algorithm. FBackup uses ZIP64 compression, which allows you to create archives larger than 2GB. Moreover, you can protect archives with a password, which will be requested when extracting data from them.

    Perform actions before/after backup.

Select the user interface language from the currently supported ones ( Good day to you, my dear readers . The frost hit hard, so you won’t be able to go outside for very long, although it’s great there, to be honest. But that's not the point. In the previous article I talked about that. But it turns out that most people don't want to work with standard means

operating system.

Well, they are right. The built-in tools do not have very good functionality, although they are quite good, but the programs are made specifically for specific needs, so the developers are trying to make it so cool that people use this particular application. Well, that’s logical, right?

And there are sooo many such applications and the abundance is dizzying. I will show you several of these applications that I consider the best, but you decide for yourself which one is worthy of the title “Best backup program?” Because no one will give you a specific answer, but will only express their opinion. Well, if you don’t mind, then I’ll express my opinion. An excellent program for backing up your system, files, folders, messages, entire disk and other information important to you. This is a really powerful thing that can help you protect your information. IN you can configure the frequency of copying yourself, and only those files in which changes have occurred. This greatly facilitates your work and in case of some “Oops”, you can return to almost any point in time. The schedule can be set up simply and clearly.

In addition, the program has very broad functionality and an excellent task scheduler. You can find a specific file in the image and isolate it from it separately, without affecting the image itself. And a huge advantage of the program is that it has its own remote space. There is, of course, a fly in the ointment. Firstly, it's paid, and secondly, some people started complaining about the last few versions.

Aomei Backupper

good and free program. And this is already an important factor. Backupper has a number of functions useful for backup, such as a simple interface, encryption and compression of backups, increased speed, copying separate files, partitions and even disks, etc. But how can there be no downsides? Of course they will always be there. I will focus on only one thing, but the most important one is the lack of a schedule. Those. you can only make backups manually and cannot set the time automatic creation image.

EasyUs Todo Backup

Another good free backup program. Just like other programs, this one is capable of archiving not only the entire hard drive and system images, but also individual files and folders. The system also has the ability to change and replace any file that has undergone changes. Well, among other things, the program automatically overwrites the old image, and the schedule is just a classic. It's a shame that the program doesn't support the Russian language, but in principle it's not difficult to figure out.

Macrium Reflect FREE

Great program. I'm just delighted with it myself. With its help you will quickly create a system image, the built-in scheduler works like clockwork, the interface is simple and convenient, and there is a high degree of security. And this is far from full list all the advantages. But it turns out there is one minus. Here you can only create a system image, but to create a backup of individual files and folders, you will have to purchase the paid version. Just like that.

Cobian Backup

Another pretty good free program that I would highlight among others. It has, in principle, everything you need for backup: copying individual files and folders, good encryption, a good scheduler with a schedule, and much more. This program Suitable for any user, although beginners may find it a little difficult to use.

Here I showed you five of my favorite backup programs. I do not advise you to choose at random. First, look at the reviews of each program, compare the functions, but most importantly, it’s better to test it on yourself, since one of the programs failed to restore from a backup miserably, when everything went fine for another person.

There are many factors due to which some will do well and others will not. Everything may depend on the computer itself, your system, etc. So, if you don't succeed with one, it doesn't mean the app is crap. Although many will not agree with me. But I expressed my opinion, and you can express yours.

Personally, of all these programs, my favorites are Acronis and Macrium Reflect. And I would recommend using one of them, although, as I said above, with Acronis latest versions people had problems. But on version 11 I didn’t notice anything bad. Everything was going great for me.

But what I recommend even more is to watch the stunning backup course. Here you will receive the most comprehensive information on this topic and you will quickly learn how to protect your files from loss without a hitch. No, seriously, the course is built so beautifully that just anyone can handle the backup. No water, just business.

Well, on this cheerful note I end my review. I wish you to protect and protect all your necessary data from any circumstances.

Well, I say goodbye to you for today. I was very glad to see you on my blog and really hope to see you again. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog updates to stay up to date with the most interesting information. See you in the next articles. Bye bye!

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin

In this article I want to talk about the problem of saving data.

We all come across something we need to save at some point. important information, be it photographs, text documents, 1C:Enterprise databases of all configurations or any other information important to us. Many users do not want to waste their time or do not know how to correctly write a small “batch file” to copy their data. That's what they exist for small programs for backup of various data. You can read more about backup.

I encountered the need for automatic backup when I needed to copy databases from 1C:Enterprise on a daily basis. When searching for a program that was convenient and met my requirements, I found what I needed - the Cobian Backup 11 program. This program turned out to have a very clear and uncomplicated interface, and most importantly, it is free, which is very good in our time.

1. Installation of the program

And so let's move on to installing the program. Download the program distribution from the official website and run the downloaded file. On the first page of the installer, select the language you need and click "Further" .

On the next page we will be asked to read the license agreement and accept the terms of this agreement. Click "Further" .

This window appears before us with a choice: where and what to install.

  • "Shadow Copy Initiator" serves to copy files even when they are open or in use by applications. I recommend installing it, but if, say, you need a backup for one time, then, in principle, you don’t have to install the shadow copy initiator. The Shadow Copy Initiator requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 to be installed. How to install the .NET Framework component in, read.
  • "Installation script" needed in order to remember all the parameters of the current installation, and during the next installation, do the same thing, without your participation.

By default, we are offered to install this program as a service; I recommend leaving everything as it is if you use it on a server or on a computer where there are several users. Firstly, as a service, the program will work even if no one is logged in; secondly, the program will be able to use network resources, for storing data on an ftp server, on another local computer on your network or network storage.

If you need it, for example, for one-time use or you don’t have to access it very often, then you can choose any of the items of your choice.

When installing the program as a service, you must specify account administrator and password.

That's it, the installation is complete.

2.Setting up the program

Let's move on to the main task of setting up a backup job. We launch the program, select from the menu "Exercise" , then "New task".

The New Job Creation Wizard will launch. Here we set "Name" tasks, check the necessary boxes and select "Copy type» .

Go to the tab "Files", then press "Add", to indicate what we should copy and where.

Specify a file, directory or folder to ftp server which you need to copy. We also indicate where to copy by selecting from the list. Everyone should understand that making a backup and saving it to the same hard drive, if it physically collapses, nullifies all your efforts, restoring information will be problematic, saving it to different partitions of the disk will save you only in cases when your computer crashes. section where the basic information is located or when deleted. Therefore, try to save it on an independent storage device, such as network storage, external hard disk, flash drive or to a computer located on the same network, and of course to an ftp server.

Go to the bookmark "Schedule". As you can see, the settings are here for any occasion, you can configure them as you wish: at least once a year, at least every day at a certain time.

Go to the tab "Cyclicality". Z Here you can configure the priority of your job and, to save space, you can configure the number of full copies to be stored.

Go to the tab "Compression" and indicate what kind of compression and division into parts of your files we need.

3. Conclusion

Overall, I really liked this program, I think many people will like it. A very clear and simple interface will not cause problems with setting up those tasks that you may need in everyday life.

Did this article help you?

Backing up your operating system will allow you to quickly restore the functionality of your computer and all installed programs in case of failure in Windows work or infecting your computer with viruses.

1. What you need for backup

In order to create a reliable copy of the system, you need to set up your computer from scratch, make a complete image of the “C” drive and the boot partition (if any). This can be done using special program Reserve copy. In this article we will look at the Acronis True Image program.

For successful system backup and subsequent quick recovery You need to follow a few simple conditions.

User files should not be stored on the C drive, otherwise they will be lost when the system is restored. Please note that files on the “Desktop” and in user folders such as “My Documents”, etc. physically located on drive "C". Therefore, store all your files on another partition, such as the “D” drive.

Do not install games on the “C” drive, as they take up a very large amount of space, which will make backing up and restoring the system difficult. Install games on another partition, for example on drive “D”.

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2. Where to download Acronis True Image

Acronis True Image is one of best programs Reserve copy. Its only drawback is that it is paid. But you can download a free one trial version. With its help, you can make system backups and bootable media for restoring backups within 30 days. After 30 days, only restoring the system from previously created backups and creating bootable media will be available.

3. Acronis True Image system requirements

For Acronis True Image to work successfully, it is desirable that the computer meets the following requirements:

  • Processor with a frequency of 1 GHz or more
  • Volume random access memory from 1 GB
  • Free disk space from 1.5 GB
  • Screen resolution from 1152×720
  • Availability of a CD/DVD drive or flash drive (for creating bootable media)
  • Keyboard and mouse with PS/2 connector (for older PCs)
  • Administrator rights (for working under Windows)

You can try to use the program even if your computer does not meet one or more of the requirements.

4. Supported operating systems

Acronis True Image supports the following versions of Windows:

  • Windows XP SP3
  • Windows 7 SP1 (all editions)
  • Windows 8 (all editions)
  • Windows 8.1 (all editions)
  • Windows 10
  • Windows Home Server 2011

To work from Windows, all 32/64-bit versions are supported, except Windows XP x64. When working from bootable media, you can create and restore backup copies of partitions with any Windows versions and Linux.

5. Supported storage media

Acronis True Image can back up partitions located on the following media:

  • Hard drives (HDD)
  • Flash drives (USB)
  • Memory cards (SD, MicroSD, etc.)

Supports backup of partitions in FAT16, FAT32, NTFS (for Windows), Ext2, Ext3, Ext4, ReiserFS, SWAP (for Linux). To back up partitions of other formats and data from damaged or deleted partitions You can use copying the entire disk in sector-by-sector mode.

6. Supported backup media

Backups can be created on the following media:

  • Hard drives (HDD)
  • Solid State Drives (SSD)
  • External drives (USB, eSATA, FireWire, PC Card)
  • Flash drives (USB)
  • Optical discs (CD, DVD, Blu-ray)
  • External network drives
  • Disks on other PCs
  • FTP servers
  • Cloud storage Acronis Cloud (paid service)

You can store a backup copy of the operating system on another partition hard drive(for example, on drive “D”). For greater reliability, it is also advisable to copy it to the disk of another computer. But the best option is external drive, on which you can also store .

Bootable media is a CD/DVD or flash drive from which you can run Acronis True Image if Windows does not boot. You can create a bootable CD/DVD or flash drive using the Bootable Media Builder.

Insert a blank CD/DVD or flash drive and select "Acronis Bootable Media".

Select your CD/DVD drive or flash drive.

The flash drive must have file system FAT32 or FAT16. The files on the flash drive are not deleted and you can use it as usual, so this is a pretty convenient option.
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It’s better to play it safe and copy all the files from the flash drive to your computer.

Click the "Proceed" button and the bootable media will be created.

8. Startup Recovery

If your computer (laptop) does not have a CD/DVD drive or it does not work well, you for some reason cannot use a flash drive, or you just want to be on the safe side, then you can enable the “Startup Recovery” option.

To do this, select the “More tools” section.

Then “Activate Acronis Startup Recovery Manager”.

And confirm activation.

After this, the following message will appear when you boot your computer.

Pressing the F11 key will launch the Acronis True Image program, with which you can restore your system from a backup.

Please note that if your hard drive fails severely, Startup Repair may stop working. Also, “Startup Repair” is deactivated when Acronis True Image is removed from the computer. Therefore, it is recommended to create boot disk or flash drive.

9. Create a system backup

The backup copy of the operating system must necessarily include a partition with Windows (drive “C”) and a boot partition “Reserved by the system” (if any) of 100-350 MB in size (depending on the version of Windows).

If you plan to use Startup Repair, it must be activated before creating a backup.

9.1. Selecting a backup source

To create a backup, open the top "Backup" tab and select the backup source.

Then "Disks and partitions".

Select the checkboxes for the boot partition “Reserved by the system” (if any) and “Local disk (C:)”.

There is no need to select the data partition where all your files will be located (drive “D”). There may be other partitions on your computer's disk.

If your computer supports the UEFI interface, then you may see an “Encrypted (EFI) system partition” of 200-450 MB in size, which contains the files necessary to boot the system. It is also advisable to include it in the backup copy.

If you bought a laptop with a pre-installed operating system, then its disk may have additional partitions for system recovery. Then, in addition to drive “C”, I recommend checking off all small partitions (somewhere up to 1 GB).

9.2. Selecting a backup location

Now you need to select the location where the backup will be located.

Click Browse.

It is best to make a separate folder on another partition of your hard drive and save the backup copy there, and then copy the backup file somewhere else. I made a "Backup" folder on drive "D".

If your computer or laptop does not have a separate partition for data (drive “D”), then to create a backup copy you will need an external drive, a large flash drive (from 16 GB), blank DVDs (from 4 pcs), network folder on another PC or access to Acronis Cloud (paid).

I recommend using an external drive to store a system backup, which is also useful for . Not only will you be able to quickly restore the system in the event of a failure, but you will also save your valuable documents, photos and videos.

9.3. Starting a backup

Once you have selected the partitions to back up and the backup location, click “Create a copy.”

The process of backing up an operating system with installed office programs on modern computer takes 10-20 minutes and should end with the new backup being added to the directory and the file appearing in the selected folder.

Backup file copies of Windows 7-10 x64 s installed drivers and basic office programs takes up about 15 GB on average.

10. Restoring a backup

If your computer starts to slow down, malfunctions, is infected with a virus, or stops booting altogether, all you need to do is restore the system from a backup copy.

Please note that all files located on the “C” drive, on the “Desktop” and in user folders such as “My Documents”, etc. will be deleted. Therefore, place all your files on another partition (D drive) and back them up regularly.

10.1. Recovery from Windows

If the computer boots, then system recovery can be launched from Windows. To do this, select the backup copy and click the “Restore Disks” button.

Select all partitions from the backup by checking the boxes and click “Restore now”.

To successfully restore the system, you must restart your computer.

The process of restoring an operating system with installed office programs on a modern computer takes 5-10 minutes.

10.2. Recovery from bootable media

If Windows does not boot, then system recovery can be performed using a bootable CD/DVD, flash drive, or Startup Repair.

If you have activated Startup Repair, then when the following message appears, quickly press F11.

To start Acronis from media, insert a boot disk or flash drive, turn on the computer and hold down the call key " Boot Menu» (Download menu).

To call the boot menu, the “F8”, “F10”, “F11”, “F12” or “Esc” keys can be used. They can often be seen in tips on home screen computer boot. This information can also be found in the instructions on the manufacturer’s website. motherboard or laptop, searching on the Internet or at random.

Immediately after turning on the computer, press and hold the “Boot Menu” key until the boot device selection menu appears.

Use the down and up arrows to navigate to the DVD drive or flash drive and press Enter.

Wait for the menu to appear on blue screen and use the mouse to launch “Acronis True Image”.

If the mouse does not work, then all actions in the program can be performed using the keyboard. The transition between items is carried out using arrows or the “Tab” key, checking boxes with the “Space” key, and confirming actions and pressing buttons with the “Enter” key. The transition between buttons is carried out using the “Tab” key.

Click the Browse button.

Find your backup, select it and click OK.

In this and the following windows, the drive letters may differ from those assigned in Windows. Be guided by the size of the partitions and the folders on them.

Make sure "Recover disks or partitions" is selected.

Select all sections and click “Next”.

Next, depending on the number of partitions being restored, several identical windows will appear to allow you to manually compare the partitions from the backup with the partitions on the disk where the restoration is taking place.

Here the drive letters usually don't match those assigned in Windows, but the partitions are mapped correctly and it's just a matter of clicking "Next" a few times.

If you have several hard drives, then to restore the master boot record (MBR), select the drive on which Windows is installed.

The last window will display a summary of all operations performed.

Carefully check that the partitions are restored to their original location, otherwise you may wipe the partition with your files (drive “D”). For comparison, it is easy to navigate by the sizes of the sections. The partitions to be deleted must be identical in size to those being restored.

If everything is normal in the summary, then click the “Proceed” button and partition recovery will begin. If a partition does not match in size, select it in the left column and indicate where it needs to be restored manually.

The process of restoring an operating system with installed office programs on a modern computer takes 5-10 minutes and should end with a message indicating a successful restoration.

Remove the bootable media, close the program window using the red cross and the computer will reboot.

Before starting the backup or restore procedure, you can configure some settings.

Usually this is not necessary, but I will tell you a little about some of them. The most interesting settings are located on the “Advanced” tab.

I will describe the most useful of them that may be useful to you.

Splitting a backup– allows you to divide a backup into files of a given size to write them to disks of different sizes.

Examination– checking the integrity of the backup after it is created or before restoring it to ensure that it is in good working order.

Settings removable media – allows you to make backup media simultaneously bootable media Acronis. The recovery program is written to the first backup disk.

Turning off the computer– allows you to configure automatic shutdown computer after the backup is complete.

The remaining settings relate mainly to periodic backups and scheduled backups. You can download a detailed description of all parameters of the Acronis True Image program in the "" section.

12. Additional features

Acronis True Image has a number of additional features, which I will briefly describe, but we will not consider them in detail in this article.

Disk cloning– creating a copy of all or some partitions from one hard drive to another. This is useful when replacing an old hard drive with a new one. If new disk has a larger or smaller size, then the sections are increased or decreased proportionally or new sizes are set manually, which is very convenient.

TransferWindowsonSSD– performed using a cloning operation or the usual backup and restore method as described in this article, changing the partition sizes if necessary.

Universal Restore– allows you to restore a backup copy of the operating system to another computer. This is useful if you bought new computer or significantly updated the old one. In this case, restore the system to it in the usual way It may not work, Windows simply won’t boot.

Backing up files and folders– allows you to make backup copies of individual folders and files to a selected media or network storage. Convenient in that the files are compressed into an archive, which can be password protected. The disadvantage is that the archive with files can only be accessed using the program itself and it is inappropriate to store large incompressible files such as videos, disk images, etc. in such an archive.

Acronis Cloud – cloud storage, into which you can back up system partitions and folders with user files. May be useful for owners of small disks (SSD) if they have a stable fast internet. You can access your files through a browser from any other computer. But this is a paid service with an annual subscription.

Data synchronization– allows you to synchronize selected folders with the Acronis Cloud. This is mainly used to sync files between multiple computers and mobile devices.

Data archiving– designed for transferring old files that take up a lot of space and are used very rarely to the Acronis Cloud. The disadvantage is that space in Acronis Cloud is limited and operations with large files require a stable, fast Internet connection.

Scheduled backups– allows you to set up a flexible schedule for regularly creating backup copies of the system and folders with files in automatic mode. This may be convenient on computers that are actively used for demanding tasks, but ordinary users to nothing.

Continuous protection– constantly monitors changes on the computer disk and makes backup copies of system and user-important files and their versions. Constantly consumes computer resources and disk space.

Try& Decide(Try and Decide)– a very useful addition for safe experiments. After enabling this feature, all changes on the computer are recorded in a special storage. For example, you can explore various programs and Internet sites without fear of harming your computer. When you disable Try&Decide mode, you will be prompted to save or cancel changes made to the system.

Security zone- special hidden section on a hard drive where you can save backups. I do not recommend using this method, as it has a number of disadvantages. It is not known in advance what volume of the partition is needed and access to backups difficult.

Adding a drive– allows you to create partitions on new disks connected to the computer.

Disk Cleanup – secure deletion files from the disk without the possibility of recovery.

Cleaning system disk – freeing up disk space by deleting temporary files.

Dashboard– allows you to manage backups on all your devices through a single control panel using a browser.

Parallels Access– allows you to get remote access via the Internet to any of your computers or mobile device and manage backups on it.

13. Links

Below you can download Acronis True Image and complete guide along it with detailed description all functions and answers to frequently asked questions.

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