Ultimate Backup Tool Download
Eden Kolander
Note that apart from these automated system backups made by SiteGround, you can create up to 5 on-demand backups with our GrowBig and GoGeek plans for free or create single backups with StartUp for an additional fee.
If you need to restore only your files, databases, or emails, go to Manage Backups > Actions Menu (next to the desired backup). Then, select the type of data you want to recover and follow the next respective steps.
For a non-important development server where I don't want the hassle/cost of setting it up on a proper backup system, and where backups would only be for convenience (I.E. we don't need to backup this server but it would save some time if things went wrong), could this be a valid backup solution or will it just fall over in a big pile of poop?
You're not a silly person. Using git as a backup mechanism can be attractive, and despite what other folks have said, git works just fine with binary files. Read this page from the Git Book for more information on this topic. Basically, since git is not using a delta storage mechanism, it doesn't really care what your files look like (but the utility of git diff is pretty low for binary files with a stock configuration).
Disaster recovery is important, however its better to automate (script) the setup of a new development box than just backup everything. Sure use git for your script/documentation but not for every file on a computer.
I use git as a backup for my Windows system, and it's been incredibly useful. At the bottom of the post, I show the scripts I use to configure on a Windows system. Using git as a backup for any system provides 2 big advantages:
You'll need to go to any remote repos and do a 'git init --bare' on them. You can test the script by executing the backup script. Assuming everything works, go to Windows Scheduler and point an hourly backup toward the vbs file. After that, you'll have a git history of your computer for every hour. It's extremely convenient -- every accidentally delete a section of text and miss it? Just check your git repository.
I once developped a backup solution based on subversion. While it worked quite well (and git should work even better), I think there are better solutions out here.
I consider rsnapshot to be one of the better - if not the better. With a good use of hard link, I have a 300 GB fileserver (with half a million files) with daily, weekly and montly backup going back as far as one years. Total used disk space is only one full copy + the incremental part of each backup, but thanks to hardlinks I have a complete "live" directory structure in each of the backups. In other word, files are directly accessible not only under daily.0 (the most recent backup), but even in daily.1 (yestarday) or weekly.2 (two week ago), and so on.
Resharing the backup folder with Samba, my users are able to pull the file from backups simply by pointing their PC to the backup server.
Another very good options is rdiff-backup, but as I like to have files always accessible simply by heading Explorer to \\servername, rsnapshot was a better solution for me.
I had the same idea to backup with git, basically because it allows versioned backups. Then I saw rdiff-backup, which provides that functionality (and much more). It has a really nice user interface (look at the CLI options). I'm quite happy with that. The --remove-older-than 2W is pretty cool. It allows you to just delete versions older than 2 weeks. rdiff-backup stores only diffs of files.
You only need a central server with ssh-keys configured for access to the backup servers and a few lines in the configuration file. For example, this is my own file for keep all /etc/ and the debian packages installed:
If you are looking for something more robust than just file and folder backup for your business, then Arcserve ShadowProtect SPX has you covered. It comes loaded with a full feature-set that allows you to quickly and easily restore your data and it has support for third-party virtual hard drives. It is also an excellent choice not just for Windows users, but also Linux users or those in mixed Windows/Linux environments. ShadowProtect is a bit pricey, but it is an extremely reliable backup software with foolproof continuous data protection.
Boot media: Should your system crash completely, you need an alternate way to boot and run the recovery software. Any backup program should be able to create a bootable optical disc or USB thumb drive. Some will also create a restore partition on your hard drive, which can be used instead if the hard drive is still operational.
Ideally, you should schedule backups of your data as often as possible. This is especially true if you are working on an important project or have data that you absolutely cannot afford to lose. It is a good idea to automate the backup process and have the Windows software back up your data every hour or so.
Windows backup software, meanwhile, provides continuous versioning and backup of all the file history on your device. It will continuously and automatically backup every specified file on a device. Windows backup software also offers additional data security measures such as file encryption. Furthermore, these backup services allow you to create a bootable optical disc or USB thumb drive for recovery after a system crash.
There are cloud backup services (distinct from those mentioned above) that offer much, though not all, of the benefits of a Windows backup program, such as continuous backups and versioning for multiple devices. You can learn more about them in our roundup of best cloud backup services.
Your Windows PC comes with a one-stop backup solution, Windows Backup, that will help you to back up many of the things that are most important to you. From your files, themes, and some settings to many of your installed apps and Wi-Fi information - Windows Backup will help protect what matters and make it easier than ever to move to a brand-new PC.
Windows Backup is an easy, single stop for all of your backup needs. Your free Microsoft account comes with 5 GB of OneDrive cloud storage (and more storage is available if you need it), and backing up your folders syncs the folders you specify to your OneDrive account, making them instantly accessible on all computers that you use with this Microsoft account. And since they are synced to OneDrive, once you sign in to OneDrive on a new PC, those files will be available to you once again.
If you want to check and make sure everything is still backed up (hey, we all want that sense of security from time to time!), you can just open the Windows Backup app and it will show you the current state of your backup, or you can check on things at the top of the Windows backup page in Settings, at Start > Settings > Accounts > Windows backup.
We have your back! When you get a new PC or if you have to reinstall Windows, when you are setting it up, just log in with the same Microsoft account that you used to make the backup here. We'll see that you have backups and ask you if you would like to restore one.
If you have more than one computer backed up, you can select More options and select the backup you wish to restore from. When you get to your desktop everything will be right there waiting for you!
Once you've turned off backup, if you wish to delete the data that has been backed up previously to your Microsoft account, you can visit your Microsoft Account Devices page , find the Cloud synced settings section at the bottom of the page and select and select Clear stored settings.
If you want to check and make sure everything is still backed up (hey, we all want that sense of security from time to time!), you can just open the Windows Backup app and it will show you the current state of your backup, or you can check on the state of your OneDrive folder sync at the top of the main Settings page; just open Start > Settings and look for the icon.
We have your back! When you get a new Windows 11 PC, when you are setting it up, just log in with the same Microsoft account that you used to make the backup here. We'll see that you have backups and ask you if you would like to restore one.
If you have more than one computer backed up, you can select More options and select the backup you wish to restore from. When you get to your desktop everything you have backed up will be right there waiting for you!
If you have to reinstall Windows on your Windows 10 PC, you'll still have your folders synced to OneDrive and your settings synced to your Microsoft account, so as long as you log in with the same account you used to make the backup, everything will restore and you'll still have your files and settings with you.
If you want to stop backing up some of your folders, you'll need to turn those off in OneDrive. To do that, right-click (or long-press) the OneDrive icon in your system tray, then select Settings > Sync and backup > Manage backup, and turn off the folders you no longer wish to back up.
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