2. Using Backup and Restore
Windows has always included a utility for backing up your files
and folders. Windows 8 continues to do so by including a backup utility
that’s easy and simple to use. Of course, you don’t have to use the
backup utility in Windows 8. However, as an IT professional, I use a
third-party solution that offers me more flexibility.
What backup software you use is also determined by where you store
your backups. If you exclusively use a cloud service such as Mozy or
Carbonite, Windows Backup won’t be good for you. It is a good basic
backup solution, however, and worth the time to learn how to set up and
use.
Backing Up Files and Data
Backup And Restore saves your files
as a secure, compressed archive called a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD).
Backup and Restore can be very useful if you don’t want other people
looking through the files
you’ve backed up. However, if you will eventually want to access these
files on another computer—for example, if you want to save the backup to
a network-attached storage drive on a home or office network, or to an
external USB hard disk for working in different locations—you won’t be
able to access them. If you want to save your backup to an external hard
disk, you should consider a third-party backup solution instead of
Backup And Restore.
Microsoft has renamed the Backup And Restore option that was offered in Windows 7 to Windows 7 File Recovery. To access it, perform the following steps:
-
Open the Control Panel and click Windows 7 File Recovery.
-
In the Backup Or Restore Your Files window, click the Set Up Backup link, as shown in Figure 5.
The Set Up Backup dialog box appears with a list of locations on
which you can store your backup. This list includes any hard disks and
partitions on your computer. You can also choose to save your backup to a
network by clicking Save On A Network.
-
Indicate a location for your backup and press Next.
-
Decide what you want to back up. If you want to assign that task to Windows, select Let Windows Choose (see Figure 6). If you want more control over what is backed up, select Let Me Choose.
You should note that the default option will also create a full
backup of your Windows 8 installation. If you have already done this
separately, you should select Let Me Choose.
-
Choose what files and folders you want to back up.
In Figure 7,
the item in bold (Mike Halsey’s Libraries) includes all of your
standard shell user folders for documents, music, photos and pictures,
and videos. Select and clear the check boxes as appropriate to indicate
which items to back up. Also note that you can choose whether Windows performs a system image backup of your Windows 8 installation. When you have finished selecting the files you want to back up, click Next.
A list appears of what you have chosen to back up and the schedule
to which the backup will be performed. You can change the schedule to
suit your own needs and preferences by clicking Change Schedule.
-
When you are ready to perform the first backup, click Save Settings And Run Backup.
Restoring Files and Data from a Backup
If you have performed any backups,
they will appear in the Restore section of the Backup And Restore
window that appears. The backup and recovery tool is automated and will
give you the option of choosing to restore all of your files and data or
only selected items. The restore tool will find your most recent backup
very quickly and will restore all of your files to their original
locations.
Cloud storage is
becoming increasingly popular, and there are many benefits to keeping a
backup of your files online, away from your physical location, not the
least of which is that your files and data will always be secure if you
suffer a fire at home or at work. It is the ultimate offsite backup.
On the downside, many people are concerned about the privacy and security of
files that reside who knows where, accessible by who knows who.
However, Services from providers such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon
are very trustworthy, however, and maintain tight security.
Cloud-based backup services include Microsoft SkyDrive,
Amazon S3, Carbonite, and Mozy. SkyDrive offers a massive 25 GB of free
storage space. Generally, though, you will need to pay a subscription
fee to maintain your online backup. The price will depend on the service
you use and how much data and the number of files you back up.
