{"id":10545,"date":"2017-05-06T16:16:52","date_gmt":"2017-05-06T10:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/?p=10545"},"modified":"2017-05-06T16:16:52","modified_gmt":"2017-05-06T10:46:52","slug":"6-best-time-machine-alternatives-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/6-best-time-machine-alternatives-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Best Time Machine Alternatives for Windows"},"content":{"rendered":"

After few upgrade OS X has been come with a magnificent accidental recovery and backup feature named Time Machine. Time Machine creates an image of your operating system, personal data, including your files, personal data, settings, installed apps and everything in between, at specified intervals and stores them in a safe location on a variety of external storage mediums. The idea is that in the event of an Operating System failure, things can be restored to their exact state at the time of restoring the backup. In preparation, Time Machine is one of the most reliable and secure backup solutions out there. And the fact that it\u2019s built-in to macOS brands it all the more beneficial.<\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

Windows by default hasn\u2019t had such a feature, despite having various alternatives. Hence, Windows users have always had to rely on third-party tools to get the work done, and with varying degrees of success. With a lot of backup tools and solutions offered for Windows, it turn into tough to pick best choice, and that\u2019s why we took it upon ourselves to do that for you. What follows are our\u00a0top picks for Time Machine alternatives that exist for Windows:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Genie Timeline<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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Of all the backup solutions out there that exist for Microsoft\u2019s Windows OS, Genie Timeline is arguably the best, or at least my personal favorite. This is one of the\u00a0closest you can get to Time Machine on a non-macOS computer<\/strong>. Genie Timeline follows a simple three-step process with a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d approach, ensuring that whatever options you selected for backup are preserved without needing any intervention from your side. It integrates with Windows Explorer with visual indicators, so not only can you control the backup process through the right-click context menu, but also see which files have been backed up.<\/p>\n

Genie Timeline supports a variety of third-party cloud storage services as well as network drives and servers, and even features iPhone\/iPad apps that allow you to view your backup status no matter where you are. It comes with version control for backed up files, has a seamless system recovery option should things go south, and it\u2019s sensitive to your usage patterns, so that the backup process doesn\u2019t slow your computer down.<\/p>\n

Genie Timeline Home comes with a price tag of\u00a0$39.95<\/strong>\u00a0(available for\u00a0free trial<\/strong>), and considering the options that it provides, it\u2019s definitely a worthy investment. The software supports all versions of Windows from XP onward.<\/p>\n

Download Genie Timeline<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

2. CrashPlan<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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CrashPlan is another very solid contender for automated backup solutions on Windows. Unlike Genie Timeline, CrashPlan comes in two flavors: a\u00a0limited free version<\/strong>\u00a0and a\u00a0subscription model<\/strong>\u00a0that boasts of\u00a0plethora of advanced features.<\/p>\n

For personal use, the free version offers a pretty decent package<\/strong>, providing backups to an external hard drive or other networked computers in an automated fashion. The free version also doesn\u2019t have any file size limitations, is smart enough to conduct incremental and differential backups, applies encryption and protected storage, has self healing archives, tracks your deleted files etc.<\/p>\n

The subscription version has all of that and then adds more, including support for backups to online locations (including unlimited storage with CrashPlan\u2019s own servers), continuous backups (the free version does once a day), provides file version control with no limit on number of versions, gives free upgrades, brings priority support and more. The subscription version also gives you\u00a0mobile apps<\/strong>\u00a0for accessing your files no matter where you are, making CrashPlan a reliable cloud storage too.<\/p>\n

CrashPlan is cross-platform, available for\u00a0Windows, macOS and Linux<\/strong>, and\u00a0subscription plans start at $6 per month<\/strong>\u00a0for individual users (apart from the free version). Enterprise and business licensing is also available.<\/p>\n

Download CrashPlan<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Backblaze<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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Backblaze is another\u00a0cloud-based backup solution<\/strong>\u00a0that doesn\u2019t cost an arm and a leg, and has a unique offering. It also follows the same set up and forget approach, but it\u2019s how your restore your data that\u2019s unique. With Backblaze\u2019s unlimited online backup, not only can you download and restore your data over the internet, but even order a physical USB drive or external hard drive containing all your backed up files. Naturally, this happens at a fee, but should come in handy in crisis situations. It also doesn\u2019t hurt that you can return the physical device within 30 days to get a full refund on your cost.<\/p>\n

Other than that, Backblaze\u2019s feature set is pretty standard, featuring version control, scheduled backups,\u00a0mobile apps<\/strong>\u00a0for accessing files and locating a missing\/stolen computer, bandwidth management for optimal usage etc. Backblaze is also one of those unique backup solutions that offer external drive backup to the cloud, ensuring that all your data, no matter where it is stored, is kept safe. The software\u00a0is\u00a0also available for macOS<\/strong>, and starts at\u00a0$5 a month for personal backup<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Download Backblaze<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Mozy<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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Mozy is different, because it doesn\u2019t brand itself as just a backup service. They label themselves as a \u201ccloud data protection service\u201d and so, naturally, the core of their business model is security. Everything backed up and synced with Mozy undergoes\u00a0military-grade encryption<\/strong>. Then, the service offers true file sync, with all backed up data accessible via the web interface or through dedicated\u00a0mobile apps for iPhone and Android<\/strong>. It also features automatic, behind-the-scenes backups with smart bandwidth management. It also doesn\u2019t hurt that Mozy comes from EMC Corp., which has made a reliable name for itself in the world of cloud computing.<\/p>\n

What makes Mozy different, however, is that it\u2019s a\u00a0data backup solution<\/strong>. Hence, Mozy won\u2019t serve as a replacement of a system image backup tool, but if it\u2019s your data that you\u2019re concerned about, Mozy will help. Pricing starts at\u00a0$5.99 a month<\/strong>\u00a0with the option for availing a\u00a0<\/strong>free trial<\/strong>\u00a0before you decide to take the plunge. And if your needs aren\u2019t more than 2 GB, there\u2019s a free version too that gives you 2GB cloud backup \u2014 the same amount that Dropbox offers.<\/p>\n

Download Mozy<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n[ad type=”banner”]\n

5. DriveImage XML<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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Of all the backup solutions that we tested, Drive Image XML is the most unique, albeit limited for the casual user. The program serves the purpose of\u00a0backing up drive images<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 both logical and partitions \u2014 to image files that can then be restored to the same drive or a different one, creating a mirror image. These images in turn are stored in the universal XML format, making them accessible and manipulable in a number of third-party tools without necessarily needing Drive Image on the target computer. Because data is stored in XML, it can be accessed and files can be retrieved from it as needed.<\/p>\n

The program uses Microsoft\u2019s VSS, so it can create images of even those drives that are currently in use. What\u2019s more, DriveImage XML can even be run from a LiveCD, so it provides true disaster recovery for backed up drives and partitions. DriveImage XML can also be set to work in background, allowing for easy deployment of this solution.\u00a0DriveImage XML comes in two flavors:\u00a0a free for personal use version<\/strong>\u00a0and a\u00a0commercial license (starts at $100)<\/strong>. The software\u2019s interface is dated, but it supports Windows versions from XP to 10.<\/p>\n

Download DriveImage XML<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

6. Duplicati<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

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For almost any kind of software, it\u2019s almost impossible to find an\u00a0open source tool<\/strong>\u00a0that is\u00a0free<\/strong>\u00a0and does the job well. Duplicati is that candidate in this list. This free program will backup your files and data to a number of cloud storage services, including Amazon S3, One Drive, Google Drive etc, as well as FTP, WebDAV and other protocols. Since you\u2019re supplying the cloud storage service, you\u2019re only limited by how much storage you have on the target destination (excellent for OneDrive users with its 1TB storage that comes with Office 365).<\/p>\n

Duplicati also comes with\u00a0strong encryption and automated backups<\/strong>. It works with scheduling and performs incremental backups to save bandwidth. A bunch of other options are also available to ensure that you have full control over what gets backed up through this program.<\/p>\n

Download Duplicati<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Bonus: Windows Built-in Tools<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

If for any reason you\u2019re not comfortable using any of these third party tools, there are a couple of features native to Windows that you should be employing right away, and that can save you from a lot of trouble should your system face an unexpected mishap. These are\u00a0File History and Windows Backup &\u00a0Restore<\/strong>. Both of them have been around for some time, but work best with Windows 10 and there\u2019s no reason to not have them turned on right away.<\/p>\n

Note<\/u><\/em><\/strong>: <\/em>For both of these features, you\u2019ll need either an external hard drive, a network storage drive or a networked computer to serve as your backup location.<\/p>\n

\u00a0File History<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

File History keeps different \u201cversions\u201d of specified files. With Windows 10, you can choose which folders need to be monitored and for how long different versions of those files should be kept. So, for instance, if you were to turn on File History for your \u201cUser\u201d\u00a0folder, everything in that folder will be monitored by the operating system and new files will be backed up as soon as the changes are detected. Keep in mind that you will need an external drive to back up these files.<\/p>\n

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File History works best for documents or PowerPoint presentations; the types of files that go through rapid changes throughout their life cycle. To turn this feature on, simply head over to\u00a0Control Panel->System and Security->File History<\/strong>\u00a0or search for \u201cFile History\u201d in Cortana. You\u2019ll need to specify what to monitor\u00a0and\u00a0a backup location, as well as for how long to keep these files.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 Windows Backup and Restore<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Windows Backup and Restore is used for creating\u00a0complete system images<\/strong>. The tool was introduced back in Windows 7 and has since carried on as a legacy application. You can access it by going to\u00a0Control Panel->System and Security->Backup and Restore (Windows 7)<\/strong>\u00a0and proceed to set up a backup. This involves choosing a backup location (external hard drive, for instance) and what to backup (best to let Windows choose, since that encompasses everything and is the easiest option), and specify a backup schedule. The full system images created by this tool can be used to recover a crashed PC and restore it back to the last backup state in its entirety.<\/p>\n

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Try these Time Machine Alternatives to Completely\u00a0Backup Your PC<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Well, that concludes our list of the best Time Machine alternatives for Windows. We have a backup solution for everyone, be it someone who prefers cloud storage or someone looking to back things up on an external drive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

6 Best Time Machine Alternatives for Windows – PC – The event of an OS failure, things can be restored to their exact state at the time of restore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5739],"tags":[31481,31494,31475,31490,31476,31497,31471,31485,31499,31479,31488,31496,31487,31500,31495,31480,31474,31478,31469,31473,31472,31492,31493,31498,31482,31483,31491,31477,31489,31486,31470,31484],"class_list":["post-10545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc","tag-apple-time-machine","tag-apple-time-machine-for-windows","tag-apple-time-machine-for-windows-10","tag-backup-time-machine","tag-genie-timeline-review","tag-mac-time-machine","tag-time-machine-alternative-for-mac","tag-time-machine-apple","tag-time-machine-backup","tag-time-machine-backup-for-windows","tag-time-machine-backup-for-windows-10","tag-time-machine-backup-software","tag-time-machine-backup-windows","tag-time-machine-cloud-backup","tag-time-machine-equivalent-for-windows","tag-time-machine-for-pc","tag-time-machine-for-pc-windows-10","tag-time-machine-for-windows","tag-time-machine-for-windows-7","tag-time-machine-for-windows-7-download","tag-time-machine-free-alternative","tag-time-machine-like-backup-for-windows","tag-time-machine-nas-pc-time-machine","tag-time-machine-on-windows","tag-time-machine-pc","tag-time-machine-software","tag-time-machine-software-for-windows","tag-time-machine-windows","tag-time-machine-windows-10","tag-time-machine-windows-7","tag-windows-10-version-of-time-machine","tag-windows-time-machine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wikitechy.com\/technology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}