Backup Types

You can choose from three different backup methods. Most backup strategies use a combination of two or three of these methods.

Full Backup:
A complete set of all files you wish to back up. Think of this as your 'reference set'. You only need perform a full backup occasionally.

Provides a complete copy of all your data; makes it easy to locate files which need restoring.

Takes a long time and the most space on backup media; redundant backups created, as most files remain static.

Incremental Backup:
A backup of those files which have changed since the last backup of any type.

Uses the lease time and space as only those files changed since the last backup are copied; lets you back up multiple versions of the same file.

Makes the job of restoring files fiddly, as you have to reinstall the last full backup first, then all subsequent incremental backups in the correct order; also makes it hard to locate a particular file in the backup set.

Differential Backup:
A backup of those files which have changes since the last full backup. Should be performed at regular intervals.

Takes up less time and space than a full backup; provides for more efficient restoration than incremental backups.

Redundant information stored, because each backup stores much of the same information plus the latest information added or created since the last full backup. Subsequent differential backups take longer and longer as more files are changed.