对于我们中的许多人来说,珍贵的家庭照片、重要的工作文件或重要文件都是数字格式的。您不能因为计算机硬件或软件故障而丢失它们。
当不可想象的事情发生时,使用好的备份软件可以拯救你的培根,但专业的系统备份软件并不便宜,而且通常具有大多数用户从未使用过的功能。幸运的是,您可以将许多出色的免费Windows备份解决方案与您的Windows 11 计算机配对。
备份类型
“备份”一词可以指许多不同的不同做法。例如, macOS 上的Time Machine会备份您的整个硬盘。这使您可以完全恢复计算机,甚至将数据恢复到新计算机。
这就是所谓的磁盘映像(disc-imaging)(disc-imaging),当您担心硬盘驱动器完全故障、被盗或丢失整台计算机时,这就是您想要的。如今,像这样的整体备份解决方案比以前智能得多,只需备份硬盘驱动器映像的日常更改,称为增量备份。这可以节省大量时间,但这确实意味着您需要一个至少与整个硬盘驱动器一样大的备份介质!
事实是,您计算机上的大部分数据无需备份即可轻松替换。您的操作系统和应用程序都可以从官方来源重新安装。真正重要的是您的数据文件,在某些情况下,还有配置文件。如果您只专注于备份不可替代的数据,您将节省时间和存储空间。
您还可以将数据备份到几乎任何介质,但目前两个最佳选择是外部硬盘驱动器 ( HDD(HDDs) ) 和 Internet 服务器上的云存储备份。当然,如果您想使用外部SSD或闪存驱动器,没有什么能阻止您!只要你有足够的磁盘空间。
最好以两种独立的方式备份您的数据。这主要是由于勒索软件的威胁,它很容易被云备份所挫败,云备份提供了文件恢复的滚动窗口。
优点(Pros)
- 与Windows(Windows)紧密集成,实现无缝在线备份。
- 备份重要文件无需配置。
- 如果您碰巧订阅了Microsoft 365 ,则有大量存储空间。
缺点(Cons)
- 对于某些人来说,5GB 的免费存储空间可能会很紧张。
OneDrive是微软的云存储解决方案。您可以单独购买该服务的存储空间,但每个Microsoft 365用户都会在其订阅中获得 1 TB 的云存储空间。
免费用户获得 5GB 的存储空间,足够存储照片、文档、配置文件和其他重要的个人信息。Windows 11 应预装 OneDrive,但它不是操作系统的一部分。如果您没有,可以在Windows 应用商店(Windows Store)中找到它。
一旦安装了应用程序并且您已登录到您的Microsoft(Microsoft)帐户,您几乎无需做任何事情。文件资源管理器(File Explorer)中将出现一个 OneDrive 个人文件夹,您保存到此文件夹的任何内容都将在同步期间复制到云中。
OneDrive还会自动同步Windows中的基本文件夹,例如桌面(Desktop)、文档(Documents)和图片文件夹。假设(Suppose)您必须重新安装Windows或获得额外的Windows计算机。在这种情况下,您只需登录并使用恢复功能即可轻松恢复您的个人信息和偏好。如果您想了解它是如何工作的,请查看如何自动将文件备份到 Google Drive 或 OneDrive 以防止数据丢失。(How to Automatically Backup Files to Google Drive or OneDrive to Prevent Data Loss)
谷歌云端硬盘(Google Drive)
优点( Pros)
- 15GB 的免费存储空间。
- 伟大(Great)的在线应用程序套件来编辑和共享文档。
缺点(Cons)
- 存储空间由您的所有Google(Google)服务共享。
大多数依赖Google Drive来提高日常工作效率的用户可能并不认为它是一个存储来自Docs或Sheets等应用程序的非原生Google文件的地方。但是,您可以在Google Drive中存储(Google Drive)任何(any)类型的文件。即使是平台无法读取的。
如果您安装Google Drive桌面应用程序,您可以将重要文件从您的计算机同步(sync)(sync)到您的Google Drive(Google Drive),就像使用OneDrive、DropBox和其他竞争服务一样。
与Google Drive(Google Drive)的一个显着区别是您可以获得 15GB 的免费存储空间,尽管这在您的所有Google服务(包括Gmail)中共享。但是,使用付费的Google One订阅升级存储是非常实惠的。
投递箱(DropBox)
优点(Pros)
缺点(Cons)
- 缺少(Lacks)OneDrive或Google Drive等应用程序中的许多高级功能。
- 仅 2GB 免费存储空间。
DropBox很可能是云存储中最著名的名字,但并不是每个人都认为它是一种备份解决方案。与OneDrive不同,免费的Dropbox帐户带有 2GB 的存储空间,这很可惜。但是,实际服务非常好。
如果您安装桌面应用程序,您可以将文件夹指定为“监视”文件夹。您复制到这些文件夹中的所有文件都会同步到云端。通过这种方式与其他用户共享文档也很容易。
DropBox与(DropBox)OneDrive等应用程序的功能大体相似,但在我们看来,它是同类应用程序中最简单、最流畅、对用户最友好的应用程序。
如果您愿意为存储付费,DropBox提供了一个杀手级的“ DropBox Backup”计划,每月 5.99 美元。这使您可以备份整台计算机,而不管它有多少数据。
优点(Pros)
- 它提供了出色的备份和恢复选项。
- 包括您可以在启动Windows之前访问的软件。
- 支持云存储进行备份。
缺点(Cons)
EaseUS的Todo是此列表中的第一个传统备份工具。我们的意思是,它可以让您将整个硬盘驱动器备份到外部驱动器等媒体。
Todo支持全盘备份、增量备份和差异备份。您不必备份整个硬盘驱动器。相反,您可以选择仅备份某些分区。如果您有专用的系统分区,这将很有用。
Todo使用自己的PBD格式来备份文件。您可以将这些文件保存在任何您喜欢的位置,并且EaseUS提供自己的(付费)云存储位置作为备份存储目标。但是,如果您已经为其他服务的云存储付费,您可以自动将备份发送到您的DropBox、Google Drive或 OneDrive 帐户。这使其成为将备份移动到USB驱动器或您想要的任何本地驱动器的绝佳解决方案。
虽然系统镜像克隆等一些不错的功能被锁定在付费的Todo Home版软件之后,但免费版满足了普通用户的需求。
傲美备份标准(Aomei Backupper Standard)
优点(Pros)
缺点(Cons)
与EaseUS Todo一样,Aomei Backupper Standard是一个更传统的备份程序。您可以一次备份整个硬盘驱动器、进行增量备份或使用差异备份方法。
Backupper具有非常灵活的备份源选项。您可以备份驱动器、特定分区、特定文件夹或特定文件。它甚至可以使用卷影复制服务(Shadow Copy Service)备份Windows分区,因此您不必停止工作或将计算机启动到特殊模式。
自动备份计划和管理界面使用简单,甚至允许从一台主计算机对网络上的多台计算机进行备份控制。Backupper在其免费版本中拥有我们见过的最全面的功能集之一。锁定到付费版本的功能只有一小部分用户需要。
优点(Pros)
- 免费和开源的应用程序。
- 虽然有点老了,但还在维护。
- 伟大的基本特征。
缺点(Cons)
- 用户界面有点过时。
- 开发人员的新原创应用程序将很快取代它。
Cobian Backup 11有一段奇怪的历史。由于该软件的源代码已由原始开发商出售,因此只有 11 及更早的版本是免费的。没有第 12 版,第 11 版仍在维护中。
由于第 11 版是在无法撤销的开放许可下发布的,因此该版本将永远免费。Cobian的原始开发者也在开发一个名为Cobian Reflector的新备份应用程序。但是,在撰写本文时,该软件仍处于测试阶段。(Beta)
Cobian 11 是您可以下载的最好的免费备份解决方案之一,它特别适合小型企业。该软件作为文件级备份解决方案有很多用途,但它不适合磁盘克隆,
Cobian的一大优点是您的备份源可以是单个文件、文件夹、自定义路径甚至FTP地址的混合。同样(Likewise),您可以定位本地网络上的共享驱动器。
优点(Pros)
缺点(Cons)
Paragon 的“社区”版是软件的免费版本,只能供个人使用。如果您想在商业环境中使用该软件,您必须购买Paragon Hard Disk Manager的副本或使用此处列出的其他选项之一。
由于这仅供个人使用,这意味着我们不在乎缺少业务功能。作为个人备份解决方案,Paragon 大有可为(Paragon)。您可以备份磁盘、卷、文件夹和文件。
您还可以使用复杂的备份设置来触发备份发生的时间和方式。Paragon有备份发生的“场景”,如果你有空间,你可以维护备份的多个版本。如果最坏的情况发生,您可以使用WinPE(WinPE)恢复您的磁盘。
F备份(FBackup)
优点(Pros)
缺点(Cons)
FBackup是一个简单的应用程序,具有强大的基本功能。您可以备份到USB设备、网络位置或其他本地存储目标。它还支持备份到Dropbox、Google Drive和其他兼容的云应用程序。FBackup支持压缩或未压缩的备份。
可以手动触发备份,也可以使用计划备份功能触发备份。更好的是,该程序的免费版本被许可用于个人和商业目的。因此,这是获得简单有效的备份解决方案的一种经济高效的方式。FBackup也不是付费包的免费版本。开发人员提供了一个名为Backup4All(Backup4All)的单独应用程序,这是一个付费程序。
如果您或必须运行备份作业的用户不是特别精通技术,FBackup提供了一种清晰而简单的方式来享受大多数人需要的最重要的备份功能。
优点(Pros)
- 激光专注于磁盘克隆。
- 磁盘映像在虚拟机(Virtual Machines)中工作。
缺点(Cons)
Macrium Reflect Free主要针对磁盘克隆和完整系统恢复。您可以克隆可移动媒体、运行操作系统分区以及直接克隆磁盘。
可启动备份映像的存储方式使得它们可以在VirtualBox中立即启动。这意味着您可以在不更改源计算机的情况下访问您的数据。
您还可以创建WinPE 11应急媒体,以便在硬盘或数据完全故障时恢复系统。Macrium Reflect Free不能做的一件事是备份目录或查看单个文件历史记录。但是,现在Acronis True Image不再有免费版本(和新名称(new name)),这是次佳选择。
以正确的方式备份
如果您有不可替代的数据或无法承受任何停机时间,则使用良好的备份解决方案至关重要。我们强调的所有应用程序和服务都有其独特的优势。
也就是说,值得将传统备份实用程序与云服务结合起来。上面突出显示的一些应用程序可以本机执行此操作,或者您可以根据需要设置并行备份解决方案。
如果您不想因磁盘故障而措手不及,请务必查看如何检查硬盘错误(How to Check Your Hard Drive for Errors)和6 种最佳免费硬盘测试和诊断软件(6 Best Free Hard Drive Testing and Diagnostic Software)。
Best Free Backup Software for Windows 11
For many of υs, treasured family phоtos, crucial work documents, or important papers are in digital format. You can’t afford to lose them because of a computer hardware or software failure.
Using good backup software can save your bacon when the unthinkable happens, but professional system backup software isn’t cheap and often has features most users never use. Luckily, you can pair many fantastic free Windows backup solutions with your Windows 11 computer.
Types of Backup
The word “backup” can refer to many different distinct practices. For example, Time Machine on macOS backs up your entire hard drive. This allows you to completely restore your computer or even restore your data to a new computer.
This is what’s known as disc-imaging, and it’s what you want when you’re worried about total hard drive failure, theft, or loss of your whole computer. These days total backup solutions like this are much more intelligent than before and only need to back up the day-to-day changes to your hard drive image, known as an incremental backup. This saves a lot of time, but it does mean you need a backup medium at least as large as your entire hard drive!
The truth is, most of the data on your computer can be replaced easily without a backup. Your operating system and applications can all be reinstalled from official sources. What’s really important are your data files and, in some cases, configuration files. If you only concentrate on making backups of irreplaceable data, you’ll save both time and storage space.
You can also make data backups to virtually any medium, but these days the two best options are external hard disk drives (HDDs) and cloud storage backups on internet servers. Of course, if you want to use an external SSD or a flash drive, nothing’s stopping you! As long as you have enough disk space for it.
It’s always best to have your data backed up in two independent ways. This is mainly thanks to the threat of ransomware, which is handily thwarted by cloud backups that offer a rolling window for file restoration.
Pros
- Tightly integrated with Windows for seamless online backups.
- No configuration is needed to backup important files.
- Lots of storage if you happen to subscribe to Microsoft 365.
Cons
- 5GB of free storage can be tight for some people.
OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage solution. You can buy storage space on the service separately, but every Microsoft 365 user gets a terabyte of cloud storage included with their subscription.
Free users get 5GB of storage space, which is ample for photos, documents, configuration files, and other important personal information. Windows 11 should come with OneDrive pre-installed, but it’s not a part of the operating system. If you don’t have it, you can find it in the Windows Store.
There’s very little to do once the application is installed and you’ve logged in to your Microsoft account. A OneDrive personal folder will appear in File Explorer, and anything you save to this folder will be copied to the cloud during synchronization.
OneDrive also automatically syncs essential folders in Windows, such as your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders. Suppose you ever have to reinstall Windows or get an additional Windows computer. In that case, you can easily restore your personal information and preferences by just logging in and using the restore function. Check out How to Automatically Backup Files to Google Drive or OneDrive to Prevent Data Loss if you want to see how it works.
Pros
- 15GB of free storage.
- Great suite of online apps to edit and share documents.
Cons
- Storage is shared across all your Google services.
Most users who rely on Google Drive for their daily productivity probably don’t think of it as a place to store files that aren’t native Google files from apps like Docs or Sheets. However, you can store any type of file in your Google Drive. Even ones that the platform can’t read.
If you install the Google Drive desktop application, you can sync essential files from your computer to your Google Drive in the same way you can with OneDrive, DropBox, and other competing services.
One significant difference with Google Drive is that you get 15GB of free storage space, although that’s shared across all your Google services, including Gmail. However, upgrading the storage using a paid Google One subscription is surprisingly affordable.
Pros
- Extremely simple to install and set up.
- Syncing files across computers is very easy.
Cons
- Lacks many of the advanced features in apps like OneDrive or Google Drive.
- Only 2GB of storage for free.
DropBox is quite possibly the most famous name in cloud storage, but not everyone thinks of it as a backup solution. Unlike OneDrive, a free Dropbox account comes with 2GB of storage, which is a shame. However, the actual service is excellent.
If you install the desktop application, you can designate folders to become “watched” folders. Any files you copy into those folders are synced to the cloud. It’s also easy to share documents with other users this way.
DropBox is broadly similar when it comes to features in apps like OneDrive, but it’s the easiest, slickest, and most user-friendly app of its type, in our opinion.
If you are willing to pay for storage, DropBox offers a killer “DropBox Backup” plan for $5.99 a month. This lets you back up an entire computer regardless of how much data it has.
Pros
- It offers fantastic backup and restores options.
- Includes software you can access before booting Windows.
- Supports cloud storage for backups.
Cons
- Some features are locked behind a paywall.
Todo by EaseUS is the first traditional backup tool on this list. By that, we mean it lets you back up your entire hard drive to media such as external drives.
Todo supports full-disk backups, incremental backups, and differential backups. You don’t have to back up your whole hard drive. Instead, you can choose to only back up certain partitions. That’s useful if you have a dedicated system partition.
Todo uses its own PBD format for backup files. You can save these files wherever you like, and EaseUS offers its own (paid) cloud storage location as a backup storage target. However, if you’re already paying for cloud storage on another service, you can automatically have your backups sent to your DropBox, Google Drive, or OneDrive account. That makes it an excellent solution for moving backups to USB drives or any local drives you want.
While some nice features such as system image cloning are locked behind the paid Todo Home version of the software, the free version satisfies the needs of average users.
Pros
- Good general backup app.
- Flexible choice of sources and destinations.
Cons
- Some advanced features are locked behind a paywall.
Like EaseUS Todo, Aomei Backupper Standard is a more traditional backup program. You can back up your entire hard drive at once, do incremental backups, or use a differential backup method.
Backupper has very flexible backup source options. You can backup drives, specific partitions, specific folders, or specific files. It can even back up the Windows partition using the Volume Shadow Copy Service, so you don’t have to stop working or boot your computer into a special mode.
The automatic backup scheduling and management interface is simple to use, and it even allows for backup control of multiple computers on your network from one main computer. Backupper has one of the most comprehensive sets of features in its free version that we’ve seen. The features that are locked to the paid version are only going to be necessary to a small group of users.
Pros
- Free and Open-Source application.
- Despite being a little old, it’s still being maintained.
- Great fundamental features.
Cons
- The user interface is a little dated.
- A new original app from the developer will replace it soon.
Cobian Backup 11 has a curious history. Since the source code for this software has been sold by the original developer, only version 11 and older is free. There is no version 12, and version 11 is still being maintained.
Since version 11 was released under an open license that can’t be revoked, this version will forever be free. The original developer of Cobian is also working on a new backup app named Cobian Reflector. However, the software is still in Beta at the time of writing.
Cobian 11 is one of the best free backup solutions you can download, and it’s especially suitable for small businesses. The software has a lot going for it as a file-level backup solution, but it is unsuitable for disk cloning,
One of the best things about Cobian is that your backup source can be a mix of individual files, folders, custom paths, and even FTP addresses. Likewise, you can target shared drives on your local network.
Pros
- Comprehensive backup options.
- Great automation features.
Cons
Paragon’s “community” edition is the free version of the software that can only be used for personal use. If you want to use the software in a business setting, you’ll have to purchase a copy of Paragon Hard Disk Manager or use one of the other options listed here.
Since this is only for personal use, it means we don’t care about business features being missing. As a personal backup solution, Paragon has a lot going for it. You can back up disks, volumes, folders, and files.
You can also use sophisticated backup settings to trigger when and how backups happen. Paragon has “scenarios” where backups are happening, and you can maintain multiple versions of your backups if you have space for it. If the worst happens, you can recover your disk using WinPE.
Pros
- Perfect for beginners.
- It can be used commercially.
Cons
FBackup is a simple app with powerful fundamental features. You can back up to a USB device, network location, or other local storage targets. It also supports backing up to Dropbox, Google Drive, and other compatible cloud apps. FBackup supports compression or uncompressed backups.
Backups can be triggered manually or using the schedule backup feature. Even better, the free version of the program is licensed for personal and commercial purposes. So it’s a cost-effective way to get a simple and effective backup solution. FBackup isn’t the free version of a paid package either. The developer offers a separate application named Backup4All, which is a paid program.
If you or the users who have to run your backup jobs aren’t particularly tech-savvy, FBackup offers a clear and simple way to enjoy the most important backup features most people need.
Pros
- Laser-focused on disk cloning.
- Disk images work in Virtual Machines.
Cons
Macrium Reflect Free is aimed mainly at disk cloning and full system recovery. You can clone removable media, run OS partitions, and directly clone disks.
Bootable backup images are stored in such a way that they can be instantly booted up in VirtualBox. This means you can access your data without altering the source computer.
You can also create WinPE 11 rescue media so that you can restore your system in case there’s a total failure of your hard drive or data. One thing you can’t do with Macrium Reflect Free is back up directories or look through individual file histories. However, now that Acronis True Image no longer has a free version (and a new name), this is the next best thing.
Back Up the Right Way
Using a good backup solution is essential if you have irreplaceable data or can’t afford any downtime. All of the apps and services we’ve highlighted have their own unique strengths.
That said, it’s worth combining, for example, a traditional backup utility with cloud services. Some of the apps highlighted above can do this natively, or you can set up a parallel backup solution if you prefer.
If you don’t want to be caught off guard by a disk failure, be sure to have a look at How to Check Your Hard Drive for Errors and 6 Best Free Hard Drive Testing and Diagnostic Software.