To save the data on your hard drive, you need to make a backup at least once a month. Here are the best programs
Computers have become a little box of memories: inside the hard disk you can find the photos of our childhood, the videos recorded on Saturday night with friends, the images of the graduation party and many other data concerning our private sphere.
Unfortunately, however, the data are not indestructible: the hard disk is one of the most delicate parts of the computer, it takes very little to send up in smoke a piece of our lives. For this reason it is necessary to back up your data at least once a month, to be sure you always have a lifeline in time of need. Creating a copy of the photos, videos and all the documents saved on your hard drive is a must, especially for those who work with computers every day. To back up your data, you can install one of the many free programs on the Net.
Different types of backups
You can make a distinction between system backups and file backups. While the former create an image of the entire operating system of the PC, the latter duplicate only the documents on the hard disk (photos, videos, word files). Not only that. File backups can be divided into full, differential and incremental backups. The first type creates a copy of all the files on the hard disk and for this reason it takes quite some time to complete. Differential backup, on the other hand, copies all files added since the last full backup. Infine, quello incrementale copia tutti i file aggiunti sull’hard disk dopo l’ultimo backup effettuato, qualsiasi fosse stata la tipologia di backup effettuata.
Come fare backup dati con i programmi gratuiti Windows
Per chi non vuole installare programmi sviluppati da aziende terze, può utilizzare i servizi offerti da Windows 10 per effettuare un backup dei dati del proprio computer.
Come fare il backup tramite il File History
Il primo strumento che possiamo utilizzare è File History che permette di creare una copia di tutti i file in un hard disk esterno. Per utilizzarlo è necessario entrare nelle Impostazioni del computer, premere sulla sezione Aggiornamento e sicurezza e successivamente su Backup. This will open a window that will give you the option to choose an external drive where you want to backup your data so you can recover them in case they get damaged or deleted.
How to create a system backup with Windows
With the second tool, instead, you can make a backup of your system, so you can use it when you need it. Entering the control panel, you’ll have to click on the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) heading in the System and Security section. A window will open and in the left column you’ll have to press Create System Image. The computer will give you the choice of backing up your system to an external hard drive or to a DVD.
AOMEI Backupper Standard
For those who are not great computer experts, AOMEI Backupper Standard is the best program they can install on their computer to back up their data. The software offers the possibility to do both system backup and differential or incremental backup. It supports any type of device (USB sticks, external hard drives, DVDs), except cloud storage services. AOMEI Backupper Standard also allows you to back up a single partition of the hard disk.
Personal Backup
Personal Data is a fairly lightweight software (it is just over 15MB in size) and allows you to back up your personal data but does not offer the possibility of making a system copy. The user can choose the tool to backup to and to zipper the files to save space. The user can schedule when to backup and the software will backup itself.
EaseUS Todo Backup Free
Most likely the best program to backup your files. EaseUS Todo Backup Free allows you to create a system image, a copy of all the files on your hard drive, a partition or even just a document. It supports full, differential and incremental backups. The program is free but if you want to take advantage of some additional services you need to purchase the Premium version for about twenty-five Euros. You will have features that allow you to back up files to your Android smartphone or limit the writing speed of documents so as not to affect the performance of your computer.
Cobian Backup
Very comprehensive software that allows you to perform both differential and incremental backups and encrypt documents with the AES 256-bit key. The user has the possibility to set the program according to his needs thanks to more than 100 customizations that Cobian Backup offers.
Cloud Storage Services
Most likely, cloud storage services are the most widely used method of data backup. There are dozens and dozens of companies that offer free space on the cloud to save your files: it is necessary to study the offers present online and see which service perfectly suits the user’s needs.