Does an equivalent of Time Machine exist for Windows? [closed]
What version of Windows are you using?
If using Vista and/or Windows 7: Go to Control Panel -> Backup and Restore (or just start typing "Backup and Restore" into the Start menu search box). Select "Backup Files" (for simple file backups) or "Backup Computer" (for whole system backup). It will ask you where to back up to, and you can set schedules, etc. The interfaces differ slightly between Vista/Win7, but the process is similar.
Vista/Win7 also uses Shadow Copy Service to save previous versions of files. If you have a file you modified, but need a previous version of the file, right-click on it and select "Previous Versions". A list will come up with all if the previous versions of the file that you can either open, copy to a new location, or simply restore to the original location. These shadow copies are made at various points, including when restore points are made and backups are run. To restore a file you deleted (and hence, cannot right-click on it), simply right-click somewhere in the folder the file was in, and select Previous versions. You can then open past "versions" of that folder, find the file you deleted and restore it.
If you select "Backup Computer", this is where the fun starts. Vista/Win7 will actually back up your entire computer to a VHD file. This is the same file format that is used in Microsoft Virtual Machine technologies. So, it is a complete, full clone of your machine at that point in time. You can use it to restore the entire box. In Windows 7, you can even MOUNT the VHD file as a physical drive, and then browse the filesystem like it was a physical HDD. You can even mount a VHD from within other VHD's - its some seriously impressive stuff. Also, in a pinch, you can take the VHD of your backed-up computer and import it into a VirtualPC or Hyper-V setup and fire up the machine.
NOTES:
- I have tested all of the above with Windows 7, and some of it in Vista. So, if my descriptions vary from Vista a bit, I apologize. I'm writing this from memory (been running Win7 for quite a while :)
- If you have disabled "System Protection" on your machine, stuff like Previous Versions (and other stuff that works with Shadow Copy) will not be available, since you disabled the services used to perform that stuff.
- By default, System Protection is enabled on the system drive (C: drive) by default. If you add partitions/additional drives, double-check to make sure it is enabled on those drives as well. (Go to Control Panel -> System -> System Protection).
- As mentioned before, most of these functions can be scheduled, as well as be backed up to external drives, network shares, and DVDs.
If you are using XP, it does have System Restore on it, but I don't know if there is a nice interface to use its features. However, if you are still running XP, throw out your 2001 calendar... time has moved on, and so should you ;)
Edit: Shadow Copies allow the user to backup a file that is currently being used. Just that. The name may lead some to think that there is some ninja-trickery and your data is more secure in the shadows, it isn't.
For everyone recommending Shadow Copies: This is bogus (IMHO), as the copies are stored in the same filesystem on the same disk and will be gone when you need the backup because your disk is broken.
Time machine on the other side, uses an external volume at the least, and it might even be offsite (ie. at work, I backup to an iSCSI volume, and this would also work over an VPN from home).
In other words, shadow copies might help you if accidentally did something to a specific file, but it won't help you a bit when your disk crashed.
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(this post was copied from SO)