It happens automatically, once a day. COMTET proposes additional option- custom backup and data recovery. The client can create backups on his own using the hosting control panel (the option depends on the tariff).

To back up a domain (website):

  1. Go to section Domains>domain name> Manager Reserve copy .
  2. Click Backup.
  3. Specify the following options:
    • Backup file name prefix and description. You can specify an arbitrary file name. However, you can also configure the control panel to add a prefix to the backup file name. Keep in mind that the control panel automatically adds the date and time (UTC) when the backup was created to the names of the backup files.
    • Splitting a backup file. To create a multi-volume archive, check the corresponding box and specify the volume size in megabytes.
    • Location to save the backup file. Select the location where you want to save the backup file.
    • What data should be included in the backup. You can only back up web hosting settings or web hosting settings along with all user data.
    • Email notification after backup completes. If you want to be notified by email when the backup is complete, enter desired address Email.
    • Block the website until the backup is complete. Check this box if you want to prevent users from changing content or website settings while the backup is in progress.*
  4. Click Backup. The backup process will start. Information about the execution status will be shown on the tab Current backup tasks. Click the button Refresh to update the data displayed on the screen.
  5. After the backup is completed, the backup file will be stored in the storage of your choice, and you can access it through the FTP server or from the section Domains>namedomain> Backup manager.

To reestablish data from the backup file:

  1. Go to section Domains > domain name >Manager Reserve copy.
  1. Select desired file backup.
  2. Set the following options:
    • The types of data to be restored.
    • Block a domain (website) until the restore task is completed Select this option if you want to avoid conflicts that can occur when users change website content or settings while the sites are being restored.*
    • Send an email notification after a restore task is completed. Enter your email address if you want the control panel to notify you when the restore is complete.
    • Conflict resolution policy. Specify what to do if conflicts occur during restore.
  3. Click Reestablish.

    If errors or conflicts occur during data recovery, the wizard will prompt you to select the appropriate solution to the problem. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to complete the wizard.

    Note : the overwrite mode during data recovery means that all objects will be restored from the backup, regardless of whether they exist in the system at the time of restoration. The overwrite mode works like this:

    • If the object or settings from the backup file do not exist in Parallels Plesk Panel, they will be created and installed in Parallels Plesk Panel.
    • If an object or settings from a backup file is present in Parallels Plesk Panel, then the object or settings from the backup will replace the corresponding object or settings present in Parallels Plesk Panel.
    • If an object or settings exist in Parallels Plesk Panel but are not in the backup file, the object or settings present in Parallels Plesk Panel will not be changed.

You can choose the path for the backup base, for example, in httpsdocs (the root is not writable):
/home/vhosts/your_domain/httpsdocs/backup

* If this option is enabled, the domain will be unlocked within an hour. Not recommended for use, tk. if there are warnings during the archiving process, automatic unlocking may not occur.

Please note that custom backups created by the Client are included in the disk quota ( disk space). System backups are not included in the quota.

If you have any questions, please contact the 24/7

Everyone who is somehow connected with computers knows about the existence of archivers, and many use them. Archiving and storing files in external memory has been widely used for a long time.

If there is not enough memory on the selected storage media to file transfer, then compression is used. In addition, data compression reduces the cost of storing and transmitting data over a network or the Internet. Data compression is performed using special archiving programs such as Zip, Rar, Arj, etc. Depending on the choice of compression level, source files (especially text files) can be reduced in size by about four to five times. At the same time, it should be taken into account that data packing is much slower than data recovery, and that with modern computer performance, it is possible to compress not only rarely used data and programs, but also actively exploited ones.

However, archiving is usually used for long-term information storage, in contrast to the so-called backup, which can also be carried out with compression, but involves a more rigorous structuring of information, a high degree of automation of the process of archiving and restoring data, as well as working with large amounts of information. Of course, we all know that important files (and even the working environment) should be backed up just in case, but few of us do this regularly. Meanwhile, using one or another backup tool, you can organize the system in such a way that its backup becomes a simple and almost completely automated process.

The need to back up information and restore it after failures, virus attacks and equipment breakdowns is now recognized not only by corporate, but also by individual users, including those who do not use computer networks, but work on a single home computer. Ensuring the reliability of backup, storage and recovery of information after failures is one of the main conditions for successful work on a computer.

Basic operating system tools

the optimal organization of the reservation involves automatic copying: files are placed on the media intended for them in such a way that the user does not even notice this during the work. The explosive growth in the capacity of hard drives used has led to the fact that the organization of a hardware-software complex for storing such volumes of information has become much more complicated. Traditional tape drives, as well as Jaz and Zip drives, can no longer compete with hard drives and are not suitable for redundancy. CD-R/RW discs and relatively recently recorded DVD discs have a slightly higher capacity, but they also cannot cope with modern volumes of tens and hundreds of gigabytes. You can, of course, solve this problem by creating several separate backup systems, each of which will work on its own schedule and with its own carrier.

For example, using the Microsoft Backup utility, you can make one backup file to copy the Windows directory and root directories, another for the Program Files directory, a third for the data files, etc., but in this case the user will have to perform many manual operations. Automated backup tools appeared in Windows 95, where the Microsoft Plus package was installed, and the System Agent utility was used to launch Microsoft Backup, which could be accessed from the Start menu, Programs / Accessories / Utilities /“Data archiving”. To specify which files to copy, it was enough to select the appropriate options in the right and left panels of the window that opened, then select the desired disk or tape drive, as well as the directory for storing backups and indicate that the backup program should be closed after its completion. To automate the work of this program, it was necessary to disable the display of the confirmation request on the screen before starting the operation. Thus, having once set in the Backup tab of the "Parameters" menu all necessary settings and specifying the name and location of the future backup in the "File" / "Save as" item (another disk or directory), you could organize an automatic backup process. Because .set files have been associated with Microsoft utility Backup, simply adding a file to the list would launch Backup. The backup schedule was also set there (When to Run - when to run the System Agent). If it was necessary to schedule several backup sessions for different sets of files and different drives, then this procedure had to be repeated, giving different names to the SET files and a different execution schedule.

Microsoft version The Backup that came with Windows 98 no longer allowed automatic archiving. Of course, it was possible to run Microsoft Backup using the Task Scheduler, but in order for it to make a backup, it needed some input.

Operating Systems Windows families NT came with the NTBACKUP.EXE utility, which could be used for most data backups and supported the following five types of backups:

Normal backup, which saved the selected files and marked them as backup;

A step-by-step backup that kept only those files that had changed since the last backup was made, and after copying they were marked as backup;

A selective backup, which, like a step-by-step backup, saves only those files that have changed since the last backup was created;

Copying files to an archive, as for creating a backup (which is the same as a selective backup, only the files are not marked as backed up here);

Daily backup, that is, saving files that have changed during that day, but the files were not marked as backed up.

As you can see, this was already quite a professional approach, which was also preserved in the Windows 2000/XP operating systems, but nevertheless, the capabilities of the standard backup utility are very limited. Other programs are used for more flexible reservations.

Disk backup utilities

Let's consider a seemingly simpler, but actually very important task - the so-called replication (cloning) of hard drives. As practice shows, it is this issue that worries both individual and corporate users, and programs for creating a disk image are used more widely than backup utilities.

The thing is that such programs provide the easiest and most reliable way to restore the system in case of any software and hardware failures, and also provide the best way copying content hard drive to another computer (for example, when updating a configuration).

Such utilities work according to the following principle: they form a single and, if possible, compressed file, which contains a disk image that contains all the information available. This file can then be written to removable media (for backup storage or transportation) or to a separate partition on the same hard drive designated as a different drive (for quick recovery from crashes, virus attacks, or hardware problems). Subsequently, the program can restore the disk image on the same or on a different drive.

Windows users probably noticed that the more they install new programs (first of all, this concerns computer games), the slower and more unstable the whole system works. Sometimes the installation of new devices or just some experiments unauthorized by Microsoft lead to the destruction of the system, and the working environment after a virus attack looks absolutely deplorable. Often even a backup does not help recovery (they didn’t have time to back it up or lost the working copy altogether), and then you have to install the operating system again. In this case, only a complete saving of a working copy of the system disk (for example, on a CD-R/RW) with the possibility of restoring it to its original form will help you. Such a copy should be made after the first installation of the system, all necessary programs and drivers, and checking its performance.

Until recently, the most popular solutions for replicating the contents of hard drives have been Norton Ghost and PowerQuest Drive Image utilities. However, the recent domestic developments in the field of backup are not only not inferior, but in many ways even surpass the above programs - we are talking primarily about Acronis products (http://www.acronis.com , http://www.acronis.ru ). In addition, the developers of most Acronis products are located in Moscow (unlike their competitors PowerQuest and Symantec), so all programs have a Russian-language interface. In addition, Acronis products in Russia are easier to buy than to steal: at a price of $50-70 on the world market, all of them are sold here for 299-399 rubles. In my opinion, quite inexpensive for a clear conscience and support domestic manufacturer, and in addition, for the Russian-language support of the product itself from the manufacturer.

As a matter of fact, the main task of such utilities is to copy the contents of the hard disk, including system areas, to another drive or to a backup file. But today such programs have taken on the role of both archiving systems that work with files and backup utilities. At the same time, they are sometimes more convenient to use, versatile and even have some advantages over traditional approaches. The programs described below are also ideal for restoring a working environment in the event of a failure without having to reinstall operating system and application programs, and to save important user data, and to copy the desired configuration to another computer. In addition, disks can have different capacities during copying, and these utilities allow you to resize logical disks when preparing a new computer for work.

As a rule, such programs exist in several versions - corporate and personal. The latter are intended for use in home computers and do not have network support. However, unlike the first versions, versions for general use should have a simpler and more accessible interface and at the same time support all the necessary features and means of recovery after a failure.

true image

For Windows 95/98/Me/NT (including Server)/2000 (including Server)/XP

Acronis true image 6.0 is the best full backup product available today, allowing you to create accurate images of your hard drive and/or individual partitions right in Windows without rebooting. A disk image that includes absolutely all data, applications and operating systems can be restored to a hard disk in cases of sudden hard disk “death”, virus attacks and any other fatal software and software errors. hardware, and even in situations where conventional file backup tools no longer help.

Key features:

Quick Creation an exact disk image with a guarantee of complete data safety (hard drives of any size are supported);

Restoration of both entire hard drives and individual partitions or files and folders on them (both regular partitions with data and system ones are restored);

Easily copy an exact hard disk image to CD-R/RW, ZIP, JAZ or any other removable media storage device in a friendly environment with step by step instructions and with an interface in the style of Windows XP;

Complete cloning hard disk to a new computer.

Exclusive features:

The ability to create and restore a full disk image directly in Windows without the need to reboot into DOS or another system;

Having a friendly user interface with step-by-step instructions in the style of Windows XP, making the work accessible to a user of any qualification;

Ensuring continuous work in Windows while creating an image or restoring a disk (you can mount partitions saved inside the image as Windows logical drives, with the ability to view them and restore individual files).

Other features:

Saving only the necessary contents of disk sectors in the image, as a result of which full image disk is created in minutes;

Ability to create backups and restore hard drive images over a local network;

Setting the compression level by the user; splitting the archive into several volumes; password setting;

Setting a comment for created image section;

Creation of a boot floppy disk, CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW CD-ROMs, with which you can restore your computer even if all operating systems on it are destroyed;

Ability to change partition types during recovery, file system, sizes and location of the disk (supported file Windows systems FAT16 / 32 and NTFS, as well as Linux Ext2, Ext3, ReiserFS and SWAP, and special sector-by-sector support is provided for other types of partitions);

Full support for IDE, SCSI, PCMCIA, USB 2.0 and FireWire hard drives and burners.

After installation, Acronis True Image 6.0 will prompt you to create a bootable floppy disk or CD to work on a computer with any other operating system.

It should be emphasized that when you start Acronis True Image, you do not need to restart your computer, moreover, you can continue working with applications in normal mode, but you should not run resource-intensive applications. Although Acronis claims that its unique imaging technologies ensure the integrity of data, hard disk structures, and file systems, it's best to keep your computer to a minimum during the process. In addition, Acronis True Image does not guarantee data integrity at the level of complex applications such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and Microsoft Exchange.

drive image

For Windows DOS/95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

The Drive Image Pro utility is designed to back up information from a hard drive to a file or to other media (Jaz, Zip, CD-R / RW, etc.) and is rightfully considered not only one of the best solutions for cloning hard drives, but also very handy backup tool.

Drive Image allows you to create a compressed image of the hard drive, protect information with a password and encrypt it if necessary. When restoring, you can copy the entire disk or individual files, as well as split the disk into logical partitions (this is done by the PartitionMagic Pro utility). Drive Image supports all known file systems: FAT, FAT32, NTFS and HPFS.

Although Drive Image is installed in almost all Windows versions, it's actually a DOS application - the program runs from MS-DOS and is small (can be written to a floppy disk). It doesn't matter how you boot into DOS, because Drive Image can be run from the installation directory or from a CD-ROM using the QuickImage utility, which creates a virtual floppy disk in your computer's memory. Drive Image boots from this virtual floppy disk and performs the backup and restore tasks you choose.

The most important advantage of this program is that it can burn a disk image to CD-R/RW and make it bootable by itself. Others supported removable drives, and Drive Image includes all the necessary drivers. A function has been implemented to create a set of two floppy boot disks that will ensure the launch of the program if there is no CD-R or memory does not allow creating a virtual floppy disk. The program interface is made in the form of a wizard, intuitive and does not even require access to the user manual.

When preparing a disk image, Drive Image estimates the size target file(depending on the selected compression mode), and then allows you to test its integrity. In addition to the main disk, you can also save images of hidden partitions, which helps protect them from accidental damage.

Note that full recovery disk with Drive Image takes significantly less time than installing a Windows system (not to mention the necessary drivers and applications and subsequent configuration). In addition, disk recovery from an image thanks to SmartSector technology (the program works at the sector level, bypassing the file system) is even faster than it is necessary for regular copying of information, and the size of the image file is more than half the amount of data stored in it.

Restoring information is not difficult (especially if you have chosen the disk-to-disk copy option), but if you want to restore your working environment on a computer with a different hardware configuration, then you will need the professional version of Drive Image Pro, which includes auxiliary utilities such as PowerCast (a program for simultaneous replication of information to an arbitrary number of computers on a local network) and full version Partition Magic Pro. And to work with image files, you need the Drive Image File Editor utility, with which you can copy partitions from one image to another, compress a disk image, delete information from it, split it into several files (which is necessary, for example, to copy a large disk to various removable drives) or, conversely, merge several files into one, as well as selectively restore partitions and read the necessary information from the disk image file. To extract individual files, use the Image Explorer utility that comes with Drive Image.

In addition, Drive Image includes a separate DataKeeper program that can be used to organize automatic backup of changed information to an already created disk image, that is, each time the contents of files (on the whole disk or in selected directories) change, they will be saved to the image file automatically. At the same time, different versions of files can be accumulated with virtually no restrictions. By default, all files are copied, except for program modules, but you can explicitly specify the necessary extensions or templates. You can also schedule automatic execution backup and restore tasks, such as bringing a public machine into working condition or to copy some disk partition to a CD-R/RW (or other removable media) or to a compressed file located on another partition on the same hard disk.

In addition, the program works very efficiently in the background and has almost no effect on computer performance.

The latest version of PowerQuest Drive Image 7.0 differs from previous versions in a number of new features. In particular, it allows you to save images of entire discs or individual partitions to DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW media, and also supports a variety of external drives With USB interfaces(including version 2.0) and FireWire. Some improvements have also been made in the area of ​​network support, as a result of which users can save images and restore content from disks over a network. In addition, thanks to Virtual Volume Imaging (V2i) technology, it is possible to design backup images as virtual hard disks.

Norton Ghost

For Windows XP/2000/NT/WS/Me/98

Symantec's Norton Ghost 2003 (originally developed by Binary Research) can protect information from various problems related to computer crashes. Norton Ghost, although not the most convenient program for creating a copy of a disk, is the most complete in its capabilities. It allows you to copy and restore both individual partitions and the entire disk, and the disk image can be read and written over the network, via a parallel or USB port, and also saved to CD-R / RW or other removable media.

This program implements all the main functions that one can only expect from such a solution: copying data from a hard disk to another hard disk or to a file (disk image), copying disk partitions to HDD, removable media, and password-protected and compressed files. The package contains very good editor Disk Image Ghost Explorer, which allows you to view a disk image and recover individual files. The program also provides functions to check the disk surface for errors and bad sectors and has the ability to copy "sector to sector" if the user wants to get an exact copy of the disk. A fairly simple and intuitive interface makes it easy to backup your hard drive and simplifies the procedure for restoring it later. In the Ghost Explorer window, you can drag and drop files and folders into or out of an image file. Launched from command line The Gdisk Disk Formatting Utility contains a unique set of features designed to experienced users who know how to deal with them.

The program can also make regular backups, easily and reliably restore files, and simplify any system upgrade. Ghost can burn copies to hard drives or removable drives, including CD-R/RW and DVD+RW drives, as well as removable drives like the Iomega Zip and Jaz. Recording can also be done directly to supported USB devices or FireWire (IEEE-1394), and a fast connection between multiple computers via local network, USB, or high-speed parallel ports provides the ability to create a variety of clones.

However, it should be noted that, unlike, for example, Drive Image, before performing any operations to create an image or restore a disk, Norton Ghost must be loaded from a floppy disk or from a bootable CD, and you must also enter serial number programs before restoring the image. At the same time, one boot disk you must create one to write copies of the images to CD-RW, and another one to read them from the CD-RW disc. You cannot use the same floppy disk for reading and writing, although you can copy the contents of the second disk to a CD-RW disk during preparation.

If you have a need for a disk management program, take a look at the corporate version of this package. Such a feature of Norton Ghost, as a multicast function for transferring copies of an image to several computers at the same time, is most suitable for the needs of corporate offices (for example, to create or restore several workplaces). But for backup at home, you may need to think about other programs - simpler and faster.

The program has a detailed tutorial and is properly supported on the Symantec Web site.

The retail price of the program is about $70.

Paragon Drive Backup

For Windows: 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP

Drive Backup is a utility for backing up data, including creating copies of partitions in order to quickly restore them in case of an accident, a virus attack, or, if necessary, transfer all data, including the operating system and installed software, on the new hard disk. Reinstalling the operating system and applications after a hardware failure or a virus attack will not take you much time and effort. The best way to protect your system is to make a backup system partition with the operating system installed on it and all the necessary applications. Copies can be created on the hard drive and removable media (ZIP, JAZ, Sequest, CD-R/RW), as well as on network-connected drives.

In addition, when you replace your hard drive, this utility will transfer all your data (operating systems, applications, files) from old hard disk to a new one. Every file and directory will be carefully restored. New disk may have different sizes and organization, but the size of the partition will be set during copying exactly as needed for the new disk.

True, the Paragon Drive Backup utility could not achieve such a serious commercial success as Acronis True Image did. And the reason here, apparently, is in the user interface and the convenience of working with the package: it is obvious that Acronis has created a more user-friendly program.

Universal Backup

For Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

If you do not have 300 rubles. for the purchase of Acronis True Image, then for backup you can use a free program with a Russian-language interface, which is called Universal Backup (universal "reserver"). This multifunctional program is intended primarily for creating archives containing any files and directories, with the possibility of their subsequent recovery both from under the "deaf" DOS, and directly from Windows. The utility allows you to scan any files, directories, registry keys and variables, as well as DOS files and files windows settings. Scanning information is stored in report files, which can then be compared and archived based on the differences. Although the program is very small (189 KB) and does not require installation, it is quite suitable for backing up any individual program or the operating system as a whole.

Key features:

Creation of archives containing any files, directories, keys and system registry variables;

Restoring files, directories, keys and registry variables to their original locations (both from DOS and directly from Windows);

Scans any directories, registry keys, Windows configuration files (control.ini, system.ini, win.ini) and MS-DOS system files (boot.ini, winstart.bat, dosstart.bat, autoexec.bat, config.sys, msdos.sys);

Comparison of reports on previous scans to identify differences between them (creation, deletion and modification of files, directories, registry keys and variables);

Creation of archives based on detected changes (the archive includes created and modified files, directories, registry keys and variables);

Reinstallation (recovery) of the operating system;

Additional installation necessary components systems.

This program will make life easier for a huge number of users, and it fits on just one floppy disk. Just imagine: a complete reinstallation of Windows from under DOS will take you a few minutes! Usually, most of the time is not so much the installation of the operating system itself, but its further configuration and optimization, and with the help of Universal Backup you will solve this problem. All you need is to install the operating system, configure it to your liking, install necessary programs, and then create a backup archive file using Universal Backup.

Data backup is an essential feature for every responsible computer user. There is nothing worse than realizing while sitting in front of a computer that the result of your monthly work or important files have just been lost, which there is no way to recover.

Data is often very valuable. And it doesn't matter if these are personal files or information that is used for work. Let's see what functions for data backup and recovery Microsoft developers equipped with the latest version of their operating system - Windows 10, and also consider the possibility of backing up data recovery using third party programs.


Data backup is an important feature for every responsible computer user. There is nothing worse than realizing while sitting in front of a computer that the result of your monthly work or important files have just been lost, which there is no way to recover.

Data is often very valuable. And it doesn't matter if these are personal files or information that is used for work. Let's see what functions for data backup and recovery Microsoft developers equipped with the latest version of their operating system - Windows 10, and also consider the possibility of backing up data recovery using third-party programs.

Data Backup: What is it?

File backup

We sometimes hear about the need to "back up your computer". But it’s not entirely correct to say so, since there are two ways to back up data. First, creating a backup copy of files, with which you can create copies of individual files and folders stored on a computer or any other storage medium. Each user who has important data stored on the computer should back it up on an external hard drive in case the original source is lost or deleted.

System backup

Another way to back up data is known as a System Backup or System Image. It's over hard way data backup, since in this case we are talking about creating a copy of the entire operating system of a particular computer, along with programs, files and settings. A system backup is used to restore it if Windows becomes unstable or stops working altogether.

Reserve a copy of Windows can take up hundreds of gigabytes of memory. But using special data backup software, you can configure the function to save only changes that have been made since the last backup of the system.

Backing up and restoring data using Windows

Windows 10 has built-in tools that are designed to create backup copies of files and the system, as well as restore information with their help. Many users do not use them, not knowing about their existence or how to properly configure them. They are more likely to use third-party programs than tools built into the operating system.

File History

by the most in a simple way backing up files and folders, as well as restoring them, is File History. With this function, you can copy data regularly, according to a user-defined schedule, and save it to an external hard disk or other external storage media. Copies of files can also be saved to the computer's hard drive (although this is contrary to the basic rule of backup).

To set up File History, go to the Start menu and select Settings. In the Options menu that opens, go to Update & Security / Backup Service.

On the right side of the panel, in the Backup using file history section, click Add Disk. You will be prompted to select one of the external storage media connected to your computer. Select the one to which you want to backup data and set the archiving parameters: the interval for saving file copies and the duration of their storage, if necessary, you can specify a specific folder for a copy of files from which you want to create or remove an unnecessary one.

During backup, File History also automatically copies all folders account user: Images, Documents, Downloads, etc.

This feature can be turned off at any time, but in order for user-specified data to be backed up at a set time interval, Automatic File Backup must be turned on.

By default, files are backed up every hour. The minimum time that can be set is 10 minutes, the maximum is Daily. You can also set the duration for storing copies: from one month until the moment when free space is needed (in this case, older backups will be deleted automatically to make room for new backups).

Restoring files from a backup

To restore files from a backup drive, go to the Control Panel and select the File History menu.

In the left column of the window that opens, select Restore personal files, navigate to the folder and find the file you need to restore. To restore a file, click the green button below and specify the path to restore it. Versions of backup copies of files by date and time of their saving can be selected by pressing the buttons from the right and left arrows.

OneDrive cloud service

Another way to protect yourself from losing important files is to move them to cloud storage and sync it with your computer. There are many such storages: Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. But a feature of the latest versions of Windows (10, 8, 8.1) is the presence of its own Microsoft cloud service built into the operating system, called OneDrive.

When using one of cloud services, they usually create a folder on the computer disk under their name, the files from which are synchronized. AT latest versions Windows folder OneDrive exists by default, i.e. The service is available to every user immediately after installing the operating system.

Any file. which will be saved to this folder will be immediately copied to the cloud storage and synchronized with it. The user can also access the files in this folder from any other device, just go to your OneDrive account from it.

Recovery Point

Another side of backup and recovery Windows Data 10, there is a restoration of system files and the health of the operating system. Creating and restoring an operating system backup is a more complicated process than with a user's personal files and folders. But for this, Windows 10 provides a special function - System Restore. With its help, the user can return the operating system to working capacity by “rolling back” to the saved early state - the Recovery Point.

By default, the restore feature in the operating system is not enabled. In order to be able to use it, it must be configured. System Restore works by creating Restore Points that save Windows state on the a certain moment time. Along with the settings and state of the operating system, the Recovery Point includes installed applications(for example, Microsoft Office) and device drivers (for example, video cards).

The user can create a restore point at any convenient time. It is also created automatically if you install some application on your computer or download system updates, etc. But remember that System Restore does not restore a user's personal files.

If you begin to notice that the operating system is not working correctly or with failures and errors, then you can run one of the previously saved restore points and Windows will return to the state at the time of its creation.

To do this, go to the Control Panel and select the menu Recovery / System Recovery Settings / Customize, with which you activate and configure the function.

To restore Windows from a restore point, go to the Control Panel and select the menu Recovery / Start System Restore, select the required restore point and click Next.

System Image

Probably the most basic and complex Windows backup feature is a feature called System Image.

Using this option, you can create a “duplicate” of the entire computer disk, including Windows 10, as well as all programs and user personal data. The system image is saved to an external hard drive, from which, in case of need or failure of the computer, it is deployed back to the computer's hard drive. As a result, the user receives a working version of the operating system, along with programs and files.

This is very useful feature, but its disadvantage is that the user does not have the ability to restore individual files from the system image, as from the File History. You can only fully expand the entire image. Therefore, users often use these functions in parallel.

To create a System Image, go to the Control Panel and select the File Backup and Restore menu. In the column on the left, click Create a system image, and select the drive where you want to save it. Keep in mind that the System Image is usually large.

To restore the system from a System Image, go to System Settings / Update and Security / Recovery, and select special boot options. After Windows 10 reboots, select System Image Recovery from the menu provided.

Recently, a friend of mine asked me to explain to her how to back up data. She is a humanitarian, so she needed options in which nothing needs to be configured. Since she is not a stupid person who likes to understand the problem and make decisions herself, 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 here in case that it will come in handy for some of you - to help a friend or relative. I would be very glad to comments on how the text could be made simpler and clearer.

Basic principles

1. Regularity and frequency
Backup data should be as regular as taking pills. It is for this discipline that one can thank oneself if some kind of collapse suddenly occurred. Sometimes losing even just a few working days due to the fact that the backup was not done can be very painful. To answer the question - how often it is possible to backup, having understood the data for which period of time it would be the least painful for you to lose. One of the best options is to backup data once a week on weekends.
separateness
It is desirable that the data be stored on a separate external hard drive (or other media), stored in a separate place 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 is broken, the backup drive will function just fine. However, there is a balance to be struck between ease of access and security. A hard drive next to a computer significantly increases the motivation to use it for its intended purpose. And at the same time, this is not the safest option for very important data that cannot be lost in any case. That is why there is a distinction between data backup and data archiving.
recheck
As soon as the first backup copy of the 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 desirable to repeat such a check then once in a certain period (say, once a year).
distinction
The best practice is to differentiate data by category. The category could be their importance to you, the frequency of updates, or just the topic.

Often, backup programs make so-called "images" (image). They look like one single file. So in each such image it is better to save different data.

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

Data backup
These are Word documents, photos, movies, etc. The same applies to this, but often forgotten - bookmarks in the browser, letters in mailbox, address book, appointment calendar, configuration file banking application, 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, install programs. However, this is not the most necessary type of backup.

Where to backup

1. External hard disk. Often you can buy directly in the box. There are notebook ones - such disks are small in size, but more expensive. Ordinary hard drives can be bought relatively cheaply with a capacity of 2 TB - then you won’t have to worry about disk space for a long time.

Reliable enough (if not dropped or shaken excessively)
+ Relatively inexpensive

You must remember to connect the disk for backup 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 the data itself does not want to be stored on a computer.
There is one big but - a flash drive has a limited number of entries, so if you store application data on it that will write intensively, then the flash drive (usb stick) will quickly die. In addition, in my personal experience, they break quite often. My friend, buying the most expensive flash drives, which were positioned as "not killed", received a broken flash drive in a month or two. To be fair, I must say that so far not a single flash drive has broken, some have been working for 5 years. Nevertheless, I would not store data on just one usb-stick.

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:

Data will be available not only at home, but also at work, while traveling.
+ Location separation of main data and backups (for example, if it happens, God forbid, a fire, 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 not known who can access it
- A large amount of traffic is spent (if it is limited, then 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 you should pay attention to (in my opinion) when backing up to a hard drive.

Of the free ones are popular

1. Genie Backup Manager is a very handy program, but it slows down a little when working
2. Handy Backup - simple interface, fast.

Additionally

Often in the backup program settings 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 occupies. But there are only two recovery options: data in the state when the full backup was made + data at the time when the differential backup was made.

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

Every computer user knows for sure that no system is immune from errors and even critical failures, when it is not possible to restore it by conventional means. For this, programs have been developed for and including utilities that allow you to create backup copies of hard drives and logical partitions. Consider the most popular utilities of different levels of complexity.

Programs and data recovery: expediency of use

Some users misunderstand how powerful these types of utilities are. Unfortunately, they mistakenly believe that the most simple option will be the usual copying of user files to other logical partitions other than the system one. There is another category of users who believe that it is possible to copy the entire system partition to another location, and then, in case of failure, from this copy. Alas, both are wrong.

Of course, this technique is applicable to user files, but not everyone wants to clutter up another logical volume with a bunch of information or constantly keep an external drive like a USB HDD, a bunch of disks or flash drives, the capacity of which is clearly limited, at hand. And with large amounts of data, you should also take into account the time of copying from one volume to another. Backup and restore programs for both the system and partitions work a little differently. Of course, in most cases, removable media will be needed, but the created backup copy will take up many times less space.

Basic principle of operation and options for operation

As a rule, most of today's well-known and widely used utilities mainly use the principles of creating images and compressing copied data. At the same time, images are most often used specifically to create copies of the operating system, which allows you to later restore it after an unforeseen critical failure, and utilities for copying partitions or user files involve compression according to the type of archiving.

As for reservation options, there can be two of them. In principle, almost any system backup program offers to use external media (DVD, flash drive, etc.). This is due only to the fact that when restoring the system, you will have to boot not from the system partition, but from removable media. The image on the logical partition will not be recognized.

Another thing is disk backup software. They can save necessary information in other logical partitions or, again, use removable media. But what if the volume of the hard drive used is hundreds of gigabytes? No one will allow you to write down this information even in a compressed form. Alternatively, you can use external HDD if, of course, it is available.

As for choosing a suitable utility for saving user files, the best solution- scheduled file backup program. Such a utility is capable of performing this operation without user intervention, saving all changes made over a certain period of time. New data can be added to the backup, as well as old data can be removed from it. And all this in automatic mode! The advantage is obvious - after all, the user only needs to set the time interval between copy points in the settings, then everything happens without it.

Native Windows backup software

So, to begin with, let's dwell on the native tool of Windows systems. Many people think that the Windows backup program built into the system does not work very well, to put it mildly. Basically, they do not want to use it only due to the fact that the utility spends too much time creating a copy, and the copy itself takes up a lot of space.

However, she has enough advantages. After all, who better than Microsoft specialists to know all the subtleties and nuances associated with the components that are essential for the correct Windows recovery? And many users clearly underestimate the capabilities of the tool built into the system. After all, it is not for nothing that such a backup and recovery program is included in the main set of the system?

The easiest way to access this utility is from the standard "Control Panel", where the backup and restore partition is selected. Three main points can be used here: creating an image, creating a disk, and copying settings. The first and second difficulties do not cause. But the third one is quite interesting. The system will prompt you to save a copy to removable media, having previously determined the device itself. But if you look at the parameters, you can save a copy on the network, which is perfect for "locals". So in some cases, such a system backup program will be a good tool for creating a backup with the possibility of later restoring Windows from this particular copy.

Most Popular Utilities

Now let's look at the utilities that, according to many experts, are the most popular among users today. We note right away that it is simply impossible to consider all backup programs, so we will focus on some of them, given the level of popularity and complexity of their use. An approximate list of such utilities might look like this:

  • Acronis True Image.
  • Norton Ghost.
  • back2zip.
  • Comodo BackUp.
  • Backup4all.
  • ABC Backup Pro.
  • Active Backup Expert Pro.
  • ApBackUP.
  • File Backup Watcher Free.
  • The copier.
  • Auto backup and many others.

Now let's try to look at the top five. Please note! On the this moment considers backup programs, mainly used for workstations (user computers). Solutions for server systems and networks will be discussed separately.

Acronis True Image

Of course, this is one of the most powerful and popular utilities, enjoying well-deserved success and trust of many users, although it belongs to programs. entry level. However, she has plenty of opportunities.

After launching the application, the user enters the main menu, where you can select several options for action. In this case, we are interested in the backup and restore section (there are additional utilities in the menu, which for obvious reasons will not be considered now). After entering, the "Master" is activated, which will help create a backup. In the process, you can choose what exactly you want to create a copy of (a system for restoring from scratch, files, settings, etc.). In "Copy Type" it is better to select "Incremental" because it will save space. If the media volume is large enough, you can use full copy, and to create multiple copies - differential. When creating a copy of the system, you will be prompted to make a boot disk.

Here's what's interesting: the utility shows enough high performance by the speed of creating a backup copy, time, compression. So, for example, it will take an average of 8-9 minutes to compress data of about 20 GB, and the size of the final copy will be a little more than 8 GB.

Norton Ghost

Before us is another powerful utility. As usual, after starting the program, the "Wizard" is launched, helping you go through all the steps.

This utility is remarkable in that it can be used to create a hidden partition on the hard drive where the copy will be stored (and both data and the system can be restored from it). In addition, many parameters can be changed in it: type of read control, write type, compression, number of points for simultaneous access, etc. As for performance, the same 20 GB application compresses to a size of just over 7.5 GB, which time takes about 9 minutes. In general, the result is quite good.

Back2zip

And here is the scheduled backup program. It differs in that its installation takes only a couple of seconds, and after launch, it automatically creates a new task and starts copying data, assuming that user files are stored in the My Documents folder. Unfortunately, this is also the main disadvantage.

At the start, the task must be deleted, and then the source destination folder must be selected. There is no "master" in the usual sense, everything is done from the main window. In the scheduler, you can set the copy interval from 20 minutes to 6 hours. All in all, the easiest solution for entry-level users.

Comodo Back Up

Before us is another interesting utility that can compete even with commercial products. Her main feature is the presence of as many as five modes of operation and great amount settings.

Interestingly, the utility is able to respond to changes in the files included in the backup in real time. As soon as the original file is changed and saved, the application immediately creates a copy of it, adding and replacing the final element in the backup. Not to mention the scheduler, one can separately note the start of creating copies either at the time of start or at exit.

Backup4all

Finally, let's look at another free utility that allows, so to speak, in one fell swoop to make backups for everything that you may need in the future at the same time.

This utility is interesting in that it allows you to save copies not only on external or internal media, but also on networks, or even on FTP servers. There are quite a lot of editable parameters and settings, among which there are four copy methods, as well as support. In addition, the interface is very simple, and the display of folders and tasks is presented in a tree structure similar to "Explorer". Also, the user can divide the copied data into categories such as documents, drawings, etc., assign each project its own label. Naturally, there is also a "Task Scheduler", in which you can specify, for example, the creation of copies only at the time of low processor load.

Solutions for server systems

There are also specialized backup programs for server systems and networks. Among all this diversity, three of the most powerful can be whitened:

  • Symantec Backup Exec 11d System Recovery.
  • Yosemite Backup Standard Master Server.
  • Shadow Protect Small Business Server Edition.

It is believed that such utilities are good tool reservations for small businesses. At the same time, restoration "from scratch" can be carried out with any workstation located on the network. But the most important thing is that the backup needs to be done only once, all subsequent changes will be saved automatically. All applications have an interface similar to "Explorer" and support remote control from any terminal on the network.

Instead of an afterword

It remains to be added that far from all data backup / recovery programs that allow you to create backups of both systems and files, and then restore them from the created copies, were considered here. However, it seems that even brief information about the above programs will give many an idea of ​​​​how it works, and why all this is needed. For obvious reasons, we leave the question of choosing the right software open, since it already depends on the preferences of the user or the system administrator.