(Approx. 954 words)

Vista Backup and Shadow Copy
by Lynn Page, Editor, Crystal River Users Group, Florida
www.crug.com
newsletter(at)crug.com

Obtained from APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Windows Vista helps easily back up computer settings, files, and applications. The new Windows Backup feature provides more choices for storing backed information. You can choose to back up to CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, external hard disk, another internal hard disk, or to another computer or server connected to your network. Automated scheduling allows for backup when and where you choose. Just use a wizard to schedule when and where you want to backup. If a disaster strikes and you need to recover a wizard helps select the files or folders to restore and prompts you for restore media. Then it restores the selected files.

Accidental file deletion or modification is a common cause of data loss. Windows Vista includes Volume Shadow Copy to help protect data. Shadow Copy automatically creates point in time copies of files as you work, so you can quickly retrieve versions of a document you accidentally deleted.

Shadow Copy

Shadow Copy is one of Vista’s new features. It is available with Vista Ultimate, Business and Enterprise editions. Windows uses Shadow Copy to store copies of files and folders. With Shadow Copy, you can go back to an earlier version of a document or restore entire folders.

If you ever accidentally deleted or saved over a file you know how easy iy is to loose data. Accidental file deletion or modification is a common cause of data loss. Windows Vista includes a useful innovation to help you protect your data: Shadow Copy. It automatically creates point in time copies of files as you work, so you can quickly retrieve versions you may have accidentally deleted. Shadow copy is turned on by default in Windows Vista and creates copies of files that have changed on a scheduled basis. Only incremental changes are saved, so little disk space is used.

To access shadow copy, right click a file or folder and select "Restore previous versions." Preview each file in a read-only version to determine which file to restore. To restore it drag the file to a folder, or select it and click "Restore" to restore it to its original location.

Shadow Copy archives the current version of your files when a restore point is created. So if you delete your restore points, you lose the saved copies of a file. All the copies are stored on the computer’s hard drive. So think of Shadow Copy as a version restorer for emergency use not a backup utility.

Windows Backup and Restore Center

The file backup and restore features in Windows Vista make it easy to keep data safe from user error, hardware failure, and other problems. The Windows Backup and Restore Center provides a single place to manage backup and restore features.

Automatic Backup

Automatic File Backup is available in most editions of Windows Vista (not included in Starter and has only basic functionality in Home Basic edition). It aids in keeping data files safe by backing them up. Windows Complete PC Backup is available in the Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. It performs a complete, image-based backup of the entire computer.

Scheduled and Network Backup

Two features in Automatic Backup are the ability to do a scheduled backup and the ability to back up files to a network location. (Available in all editions of Windows Vista except for Home Basic.)

With Automatic Backup, you can back up files to an external hard drive, secondary hard drive, writable CD or DVD, or to a network location. File Backup Scheduling Wizard lets you schedule when to backup. Then Windows Vista will automatically make backups on the schedule you set.

Backups are incremental so they require only a small amount of disk space. If only a small part of a file changes (one slide in a presentation), only that portion gets tracked and saved.

Recovery

Windows Vista makes the recovery process a snap. A recovery wizard helps select the files or folders to restore and prompts you for the backup storage medium used. Then it restores the files or folders.

Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore

Available in Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions, Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore is a comprehensive, image-based backup tool in case you need to recover your entire system.

While file restore is useful for file loss and data corruption, Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore is useful for disaster recovery when your computer malfunctions. It helps create complete computer backups. Then in the event of a serious system issue or data loss, Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore can restore your entire computer environment, including the operating system, installed programs, user settings, and data files.

Restore your computer back to its original state or onto another computer. Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore can be initiated from Windows Vista or from the Windows Vista installation CD. So even if the computer can’t start up normally from the hard disk it can be restored.

System Restore

System Restore allows a computer to be restored to an earlier state without losing data. This is ideal if the computer is not operating well because of a configuration change, a problem with an application, or the introduction of viruses or unwanted software. Restoring to an earlier point, before the computer began displaying problems, may resolve the problems. System Restore automatically creates identifiable restore points. Or you can manually create restore points at any time.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).