Six Free backup software on Windows

Since Windows NT, Microsoft has built a set of NTBackup backup tool programs provided by Veritas in the operating system. For a long time, Windows uses this program as a built-in backup tool.

NTBackup is actually a lite version of Symantec's well-known Backup software Veritas Backup Exec in earlier versions. In terms of Backup/restoration operations, the NTBackup function is very well-regulated and has graphic and wizard-guided interfaces, provides basic complete, differential, and Incremental backup methods, as well as calendar schedules, as well as additional feature options such as log reports, filtered file types, and post-Backup confirmation.

Such features are sufficient for most individual users, but NTBackup cannot be applied to users with higher requirements on information security and management mechanisms, such as lack of management functions such as encryption and remote status notification. In addition, because NTBackup can only back up data to tape or convert data to tape. Backup files in bkf format are stored on disks. You must use the NTBackup restoration function to retrieve data. This is a regular program, but users who want to talk about job flexibility still have a lot of inconvenience.

After Vista, the situation began to change. Microsoft's Business and Ultimate versions of Vista have built-in Backup functions called Windows Backup and Restore Center, which provide Backup for individual files and disk image types, improving the ease of operation, more storage media are supported.

On Windows Server 2008, which will be launched later, a Backup tool called "Windows Server Backup" is provided, using the sector Shadow Copy Service (VSS) as the Backup mechanism, in addition to faster backup speed and improved interfaces, you can also use snap-in to switch users to other computers for backup.

Although Windows Server Backup is better than NTBackup, some old problems still exist, such as the lack of encryption, remote status notification mechanisms, and data retrieval only through restoration programs, there are also some new problems.

For example, you can only support NTFS-format disk areas (FAT or FAT32 are not supported), and the entire disk area (Volume) can only be used as the unit for backup, you cannot only back up a specific folder or file (but you can select a specific file to restore from the copy. Windows Server 2008 accounts for only a small portion of users on Windows platforms. Most Windows users still use NTBackup as their basic backup tools.

6 free Windows Backup Software

For Windows users who are not satisfied with NTBackup or Windows Server Backup, but are unwilling to pay for the Backup software, there are currently some free Backup tool programs, it provides richer functions and control mechanisms than Windows built-in backup programs. You can choose another backup tool without spending any money. Here we will introduce 6 well-known backup tools.

Cobian Backup 9.5

Cobian Backup provided by CobianSoft is currently the most complete among free Backup tools, and is close to the level of commercial software. You can provide remote email notification without job status provided by the built-in backup tool in Windows, and add commands before/after backup. You can also use ZIP or 7-Zip to compress backup files, RSA-Rijndael, Blowfish (128 bits), Rijndael (128 bits), DES (64 bits), and other four encryption algorithms.

The only drawback is that Cobian Backup does not have a restore wizard or restore interface. However, since the Backup data processed by the software is maintained in the source file format or ZIP or 7-Zip compression format, the user can pull back the copy directly to the storage media, or decompress the copy using the program attached to the software, which does not cause too much problems.

Comodo Backup 1.0.4

Comodo Backup is slightly weaker than Cobian Backup. Although it also provides features such as remote email notification of job status, additional commands before/after Backup, compression and encryption, the compression format is only ZIP, the encryption function is only used with ZIP password protection. However, synchronous replication of images can also support writable optical storage media such as DVD-RW and CD-RW.

FBackup 4.2

The FBackup function is similar to Comodo Backup. It also has commands before/after Backup and compression and encryption functions in ZIP format, but does not provide the remote email notification function for job status. Although few functions are available, Windows platforms are more widely supported, from legacy Windows 2000, XP to 32-or 64-bit Windows Server 2003 and 2008.

In addition, the FBackup operation interface is easier to use than Cobian Backup and Comodo Backup. It provides easy-to-use Backup and recovery wizard interfaces, so you do not need to find function items on the taskbar one by one.

GFI Backup 3.0

Among the six Backup software we introduced this time, the GFI Backup Home Edition operation interface is the easiest to use and has complete functions, providing ZIP compression, it also works with ZIP compression encryption and AES 256-bit encryption, supports backup of Outlook data, and also supports synchronous replication. A major disadvantage is that the supported platforms are not wide enough and can only be installed on Windows XP and Vista.

TrueSafe 3.4.6

Compared with the previous software, TrueSafe Personal Edition features are relatively simple, compared with Windows built-in backup tools, this software only highlights Backup File compression and remote email notification in ZIP format. However, in addition to the free Personal version, users can upgrade to the Professional version for encryption, remote computer backup, backup storage capacity, bandwidth usage control, and other functions.

Data backup sprite 2.05

The data backup wizard is a backup tool developed by HolaNet webmasters in China. Although this software has many features, however, it can also provide 7-Zip compression and encryption functions.

These software emphasizes encryption and ease of management.

From the previous introduction, we can see that the current trend of free backup software emphasizes better security and management convenience than NTBackup. Although some software only uses the compression encryption function, but it also provides basic protection. In terms of management operations, because these software generally does not change the file type of backup data, or convert the file into a common ZIP compression format, you do not need to enter the software operation interface, you can also directly retrieve the backup file.