There are several categories of backup and restore utilities:
This list doesn't even attempt to be complete, as there are literally thousands and thousands of backup software titles available.
The limited space for the descriptions of these tools doesn't always do them justice, so check out the manufacturers' web sites for more details.
| Note: | |
| Note: | Always test backup software by performing a backup and restore, and comparing the restored files against the original ones. Finding out you cannot restore your data after you lost it is bad timing, to say the least! Do not rely on backup/restore products that you did not test in your own environment. And do not rely on a single backup, nor a single backup strategy! |
| System recovery & migration / Image backups | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System recovery & migration / Image backups | |||||
| Product | Programmer / Manufacturer | Download | Buy | ||
| Acronis Backup for VMWare | Acronis | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Acronis Backup for VMWare | |||||
| Acronis | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Acronis TrueImage | Acronis | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Acronis TrueImage | |||||
| Acronis | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| CloneZilla | NCHC Free Software Lab | 💾 | Free | ||
| CloneZilla | |||||
| NCHC Free Software Lab | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| DriveImage XML | Runtime Software | 💾 | Free | ||
| DriveImage XML | |||||
| Runtime Software | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| Drive SnapShot | Tom Ehlert Software | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Drive SnapShot | |||||
| Tom Ehlert Software | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| FOG (Free OpenSource Ghost) | FOGProject.org | 💾 | Free | ||
| FOG (Free OpenSource Ghost) | |||||
| FOGProject.org | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| Image for Windows | TeraByte Unlimited | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Image for Windows | |||||
| TeraByte Unlimited | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Macrium Reflect | Macrium | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| Macrium Reflect | |||||
| Macrium | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| Macrium Reflect Free | Macrium | 💾 | Free | ||
| Macrium Reflect Free | |||||
| Macrium | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| Maxtor MaxBlast | Seagate Technology | 💾 | Free (for use with Maxtor harddisk) |
||
| Maxtor MaxBlast | |||||
| Seagate Technology | |||||
| 💾 | Free (for use with Maxtor harddisk) |
||||
| Paragon Backup & Recovery Free | Paragon | 💾 | Free | ||
| Paragon Backup & Recovery Free | |||||
| Paragon | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| Powercopy Disk Imaging | DataPower | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Powercopy Disk Imaging | |||||
| DataPower | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Seagate DiscWizard | Seagate Technology | 💾 | Free (for use with Seagate harddisk) |
||
| Seagate DiscWizard | |||||
| Seagate Technology | |||||
| 💾 | Free (for use with Seagate harddisk) |
||||
| Universal Imaging Utility (7) | Big Bang LLC | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Universal Imaging Utility | |||||
| Big Bang LLC | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| UniversalRestore for Acronis True Image 9.1 Workstation | Acronis | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| UniversalRestore for Acronis True Image 9.1 Workstation | |||||
| Acronis | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| UniversalRestore for Acronis True Image 9.1 Server | Acronis | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| UniversalRestore for Acronis True Image 9.1 Server | |||||
| Acronis | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| VMWare Converter (2) | VMWare | 💾 | Free (registration required) |
||
| VMWare Converter | |||||
| VMWare | |||||
| 💾 | Free (registration required) |
||||
| VMWare Player (2) | VMWare | 💾 | Free (registration required) |
||
| VMWare Player | |||||
| VMWare | |||||
| 💾 | Free (registration required) |
||||
| XXClone | Pixelab | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| XXClone | |||||
| Pixelab | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ZLON Disk Imaging | Zero Assumption Recovery | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ZLON Disk Imaging | |||||
| Zero Assumption Recovery | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Data archiving | |||||
| Data archiving | |||||
| Product | Programmer / Manufacturer | Download | Buy | ||
| Automatic File Backup (3) | Microsoft | Native in Windows Vista | |||
| Automatic File Backup | |||||
| Microsoft | |||||
| Native in Windows Vista | |||||
| BACKUP & RESTORE (3) | Microsoft | Native in all DOS versions | |||
| BACKUP & RESTORE | |||||
| Microsoft | |||||
| Native in all DOS versions | |||||
| Backup Platinum | SoftLogica | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Backup Platinum | |||||
| SoftLogica | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Handy Backup | Novosoft | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Handy Backup | |||||
| Novosoft | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Handy Backup Pro | Novosoft | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Handy Backup Pro | |||||
| Novosoft | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| FileHamster | Mogware | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| FileHamster | |||||
| Mogware | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| NTBACKUP (3) | Microsoft | Native in Windows NT 4/2000/XP/Server 2003 | |||
| NTBACKUP | |||||
| Microsoft | |||||
| Native in Windows NT 4/2000/XP/Server 2003 | |||||
| NTBackup Restore (4) | Microsoft | 💾 | Free (validation required) |
||
| NTBackup Restore | |||||
| Microsoft | |||||
| 💾 | Free (validation required) |
||||
| RoboCopy | Microsoft | 💾 | Free | ||
| RoboCopy | |||||
| Microsoft | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| RoboCopy GUI | Derk Benisch, Microsoft | 💾 | Free | ||
| RoboCopy GUI | |||||
| Derk Benisch, Microsoft | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| XCOPY | Microsoft | Native in all DOS & Windows versions | |||
| XCOPY | |||||
| Microsoft | |||||
| Native in all DOS & Windows versions | |||||
| XXCOPY Free | PixeLab | 💾 | Free (for personal use) |
||
| XXCOPY Free | |||||
| PixeLab | |||||
| 💾 | Free (for personal use) |
||||
| XXCOPY Pro | PixeLab | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| XXCOPY Pro | |||||
| PixeLab | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ZipBackup | ZipBackup | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ZipBackup | |||||
| ZipBackup | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ZipBackup with 2 years of free upgrades | ZipBackup | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ZipBackup with 2 years of free upgrades | |||||
| ZipBackup | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Undelete / file recovery | |||||
| Undelete / file recovery | |||||
| Product | Programmer / Manufacturer | Download | Buy | ||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition | EaseUS | 💾 | Free | ||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition | |||||
| EaseUS | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Professional | EaseUS | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Professional | |||||
| EaseUS | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro Unlimited | EaseUS | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro Unlimited | |||||
| EaseUS | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard WinPE | EaseUS | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard WinPE | |||||
| EaseUS | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| EaseUS Partition Recovery | EaseUS | 💾 | Free | ||
| EaseUS Partition Recovery | |||||
| EaseUS | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| FreeUndelete | OfficeRecovery / Recoveronix | 💾 | Free | ||
| FreeUndelete | |||||
| OfficeRecovery / Recoveronix | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| Handy Recovery | SoftLogica | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Handy Recovery | |||||
| SoftLogica | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ISOBuster | Smart Projects | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ISOBuster | |||||
| Smart Projects | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ReclaiMe | ReclaiMe.com | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ReclaiMe | |||||
| ReclaiMe.com | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ZAR Zero Assumption Recovery | Zero Assumption Recovery | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ZAR Zero Assumption Recovery | |||||
| Zero Assumption Recovery | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Application specific backup & recovery | |||||
| Application specific backup & recovery | |||||
| Product | Programmer / Manufacturer | Download | Buy | ||
| CLEO (Compact Library Extension Organizer) (6) | Chuck Baker | 💾 | Free | ||
| CLEO (Compact Library Extension Organizer) | |||||
| Chuck Baker | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| FileazeBackup | Rob van der Woude | 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||
| FileazeBackup | |||||
| Rob van der Woude | |||||
| 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||||
| FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) | Chuck Baker | 💾 | Free | ||
| FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) | |||||
| Chuck Baker | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| Genie Mail Backup | Genie-Soft | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| Genie Mail Backup | |||||
| Genie-Soft | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| ZAR Digital Image Recovery (5) | Zero Assumption Recovery | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ZAR Digital Image Recovery | |||||
| Zero Assumption Recovery | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| ZIP Repair | DiskInternals | 💾 | Free | ||
| ZIP Repair | |||||
| DiskInternals | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| ZMEIL E-mail Recovery | Zero Assumption Recovery | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| ZMEIL E-mail Recovery | |||||
| Zero Assumption Recovery | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||
| Product | Programmer / Manufacturer | Download | Buy | ||
| BartPE | Bart Lagerweij | 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||
| BartPE | |||||
| Bart Lagerweij | |||||
| 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||||
| BkAllDrv (Backup All Drivers) | Rob van der Woude | 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||
| BkAllDrv (Backup All Drivers) | |||||
| Rob van der Woude | |||||
| 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||||
| CDCheck | Mitja Perko | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| CDCheck | |||||
| Mitja Perko | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| CreateCD | Alex Feinman | 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||
| CreateCD | |||||
| Alex Feinman | |||||
| 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||||
| Reimage PC Repair | Reimage | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Reimage PC Repair | |||||
| Reimage | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| Reimage Three PC Repair | Reimage | 💾 | 🛒 | ||
| Reimage Three PC Repair | |||||
| Reimage | |||||
| 💾 | 🛒 | ||||
| RunBackupWithoutSleep (8) | Rob van der Woude | 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||
| RunBackupWithoutSleep | |||||
| Rob van der Woude | |||||
| 💾 | Free (donations welcome) |
||||
| TuxBoot (9) | NCHC Free Software Lab | 💾 | Free | ||
| TuxBoot | |||||
| NCHC Free Software Lab | |||||
| 💾 | Free | ||||
| HARDWARE: All-In-One USB 2.0/eSATA dual 2.5/3.5 inch harddisk docking station | Dx.com | N/A | 🛒 | ||
| HARDWARE: All-In-One USB 2.0/eSATA dual 2.5/3.5 inch harddisk docking station | |||||
| Dx.com | |||||
| N/A | 🛒 | ||||
| Notes: | ||
| Notes: | (1) | Though listed under System recovery & migration/Image backups, Genie Backup Manager is actually an All-in-One solution. |
| (2) | This isn't really a backup solution in the strict sense, but with proper preparation it may save the day in case of a system crash. Either use it to virtualize critical systems right now, making future "image backups" a snap, or use the created VM as a standby/backup system while restoring a crashed physical system. |
|
| (3) | These native tools can not be used to restore your data to a different DOS or Windows version, often not even to a different servicepack level | |
| (4) | Tool to restore Windows XP and Server 2003 NTBackup backups on Windows Server 2008 systems | |
| (5) | The digital image recovery functionality will work without limitations in the ZAR trial version. | |
| (6) | CLEO (Compact Library Extension Organizer) is an extension of FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) | |
| (7) | The Universal Imaging Utility is not backup software, but a tool to use existing image backup software to create a single universal disk image (per OS version) for "all" hardware | |
| (8) | RunBackupWithoutSleep temporarily changes the computer's power scheme to "always on" to prevent Windows 7 going into sleep mode during backups (or other tasks taking a long time) | |
| (9) | Use TuxBoot to make bootable USB sticks for CloneZilla | |
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