Does an equivalent of Time Machine exist for Windows?

Question

A simple Google search for "Time Machine for Windows" results in a flurry of different little apps. But instead of relying on forum anecdotes and advertisements, I call on the much wiser Super User beta community for some depth on this one.

Having Time Machine running on Leopard is like a warm, fuzzy blanket of comfort that I never got with RAID, rsync, or SyncToy on Windows. I'm not asking the community what the "best" backup software for Windows is, but instead:

Is there any true Time Machine clone for Windows, one that includes as many of the following as possible:

• Completely transparent, "set-it-and-forget-it" backup
• Incremental backups (changes only) for every hour for a day, every day for a month, and every week until the backup disk is full
• Ability to rebuild from this backup disk in case of main drive meltdown (the backup doesn't have to be bootable; neither are Time Machine disks)
• Extremely easy to use UI (target user == novice). Bonus points for a beautiful UI
• As originally asked, this question did not take into consideration the Windows Registry, which has no equivalent on Mac OS X or any other UNIX, and poses a significant obstacle to Time Machine-like functionality. A true replacement for Windows would need to be able to seamlessly rebuild a user's desktop appearance, settings, applications, and all data on either a replacement drive (or equal or greater size), a brand new machine, or even an upgraded version of the OS, without the need to update file paths or make any other tweaks. This is the irreplaceable attraction of Time Machine.

Answer 1

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 ;)

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

Windows Home Server may be what you are looking for.

Answer 4

Time Machine is not only about easily creating a backup, but as much about easily restoring the whole system or single items (an email message, a photo, ...) when required.

My main reasons to adore Time Machine:

• Time Machine by default backs up virtually everything, allowing it to be used to restore a full system when needed. Just select the appropriate option when using the Mac OS X install DVD. (But, see also Does Apple’s Time Machine app really copy everthing?)

• Time Machine not only integrates well with the OS, but also with Time Machine-aware applications like Mail, Address Book and iPhoto. When entering Time Machine while one of these applications is active, you'll see the regular star field with that application (rather than the normal Finder, which is the Windows Explorer on the Mac). This way one can, for example, search and restore single messages from Mail. It even makes it easy to restore messages from email accounts that you've deleted altogether, without the need to know how Mail uses the file system.

• One can easily use multiple Time Machine disks, to get some redundancy, without slowing down the backups.

Note that Time Machine works so well because no (current) Apple software uses large files to store any non-static information (well, except for the sleep image). By using small files, the changes between two backup moments are relatively small, and backups can easily be searched. Like Mail uses a single file for each message, whereas Outlook on Windows uses one large file to hold many messages.

Backing up non-static large files in a Time Machine-manner is difficult (on most file systems). For this reason, on a Mac some things are usually excluded from a Time Machine backup, such as temporary torrent files, images of virtual machines, and large log files.

So, when looking for a Windows equivalent for Time Machine, one may also need to assess the programs one is currently using. Not every system is suitable for such backup mechanism.

Answer 5

Time Machine is basically a pretty front end for what Windows has had for years known as Shadow Copy. See here for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy

Unfortunately Microsoft doesn't seem to know anything about how to be sexy, so they haven't done anything to make this service user friendly.

Answer 6

Shadow Copy has similar elements to Time Machine and it is installed in all versions of Vista and 7. Every so often (at least once a day) it creates a snapshot of your files. This allows you to restore older versions of files, just like Time Machine.

Unfortunately, although it is turned-on in every version of Vista, Microsoft grant access to it only in Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions via the Previous Versions tab in File Properties. All editions of Windows 7 provide access to the Previous Versions tab.

For Vista users there is a free third-party utility that provides a UI to Shadow Copy even if you don't have one of the aformentioned versions of Vista:

ShadowExplorer

Details on how to use it can be found here. It's not as sexy as Time Machine, but usable enough.

Shadow Copy saves previous versions of files on the same filesystem, so if your hard-drive dies, so do your previous versions, and therefore it is not a complete replacement for Time Machine which stores files on separate devices such as an external hard disk. You'll need to look elsewhere for a more complete backup solution. Services like Mozy or Jungle Disk offer online backup with file history options, as does Dropbox. These offer the advantage of off-site backup, providing protection even in the event of a catastrophic event such as a fire.

For a more complete Time Machine like experience, Genie Timeline looks like a good bet and has received favourable reviews. They even market it as "Time Machine for Windows".

Answer 7

Genie Timeline 2.0 is out as of last month.

I know, I know, "yet another timeline plug!" ... but it's not.

Timeline 2.0 has been completely rewritten, and so far, the general consensus on the web has been very positive.

Best of all, almost all the features are available in a new free edition of Genie Timeline.

Specifications of Genie Timeline 2.0 Free: http://www.genie-soft.com/Free_products/free_timeline.aspx

Download: http://download.cnet.com/Genie-Timeline-Free/3000-2242_4-10967059.html?tag=mncol

The paid versions of the product add full-system Disaster Recovery, encryption, compression, and auto-purge of older backups.

DISCLOSURE: I was a project leader on version 2.0

(this post was copied from SO)

Answer 8

I just finished researching this (on Super User, among other places). My answer is Rebit. It makes a disk image backup to a USB drive and keeps it updated all the time. Includes tools for recovering old versions of files or a full system bare metal recovery. It's sold pre-installed on USB drives, or you can buy a CD for about $30.

It has a few quirks and the install hasn't been as smooth as promised. But I'm optimistic it will work for me. If you ask me again in a week or two I can tell you how well it works in practice.

[Update: a January 7 2010 press release claims Rebit [..] today launched SaveMe. Hence, the current Rebit SaveMe is different from what was available while writing this.]

[Update Jan 2011: I can no longer recommend Rebit. Too many bugs.]

[Update, February 2011: there is a new version again, no longer named SaveMe but simply Rebit 5.]

Answer 9

CrashPlan seems to work nicely.

Answer 10

I'd say Crashplan is what you want.

Smart resource usage, differential backups, and saves backups to multiple targets. (attached drive, another computer with crashplan, or their cloud storage service)

So far, the peer to peer back up is the neatest part of the system. It even works over the internet. Its got clients for windows, mac and linux.

Its been pretty solid for me and I've been using it for about 2 years now. Its pretty much just install it and it works.

Answer 11

Oops!Backup is quite similar to Time Machine ($29) :

• Very Fast & Reliable Backup
• Fully Automatic - Never Forget to Back Up Anymore
• Fantastically Easy to Use with BackInTime Technology
• Double-Protection with Backup Drive Redundancy
• Continuous Data Protection (CDP) for Best Protection
• Back up directly to a UNC path
• Automatic Backup on Connect with Plug & Protect™ - for Laptop Users
• Save Space - Only back up sections of files that changed using ReverseDelta™ Technology
• Back up to NAS, Network Drive & USB

In addition, a beautiful UI:

Another but more remote possibility is TimeTraveler ($19.95) :

Windows Explorer bar that allows you to look, search, restore and compare your documents, files and folders as they were at previous times. You can also restore your system to a prior time. The bar presents a timeline populated with ticks called points-in-time. You can bring Windows Explorer back in time by moving the time cursor to a point-in-time. When a new point is selected, TimeTraveler translates the address from the Explorer address bar into its equivalent at the selected time so Explorer displays the folders and files exactly as they were at that time.

Answer 12

Windows 7 backup by default keeps a copy of the system image that can be used to restore the system after a hard drive failure. It also backs up user profiles and documents and allows you to restore previous versions of the file with relative ease. I don't know exactly how Time Machine works, but if your curious about backup functionality from a usability and protection stand, you might at least look at it (Windows 7 backup) to see if it meets your needs. :)

Answer 13

• ZDNet article: Small business backup for Windows.
• ReBit – Time Machine for Windows

^{moved from backup-software-for-windows-xp.}

Answer 14

Acronis True Image will allow you to "mount" it's backup files as regular disk drives. You will have a choice from all the backups included in a given archive, by date. Then you can browse the archive in Explorer and access them from any program.

It's not sexy but it does work.

I don't think Shadow Copy by itself is what you want, even if you can access it with a nice UI. If you start running out of disk space there's nothing holding Windows back from overwriting the previous versions of your files. It's good for getting the previous version of a file you just overwrote by accident, but it's not a backup solution.

Answer 15

I found a really nice freeware application that I think fits the bill. It's called AutoVer.

It can make infinite backup versions of all your files, within seconds of their creation or modification (unlike Genie Timeline). It's really quick, fairly low on resources, and so far, it seems to work really well.

The only problem I see with it so far, is that it can't automatically delete old backups when the space on the drive gets low. You can set it to delete or zip old versions of files after a specified time, but it would be nice if it could manage drive space by itself. Then again, it's freeware, so I can't complain.

So far, I'm really impressed with it. It works much better than any of the paid-for applications I've tried.

Answer 16

Personally I use SyncBack. Yes it is a syncing tool like SyncToy, but it is much more fully featured and is really more of a backup tool than syncing in my opinion. It's features include versioning, incremental backups, compression, automation, scheduling etc... http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbse-features.html

I use it at home for my personal use and also my wife's business.

Answer 17

See also my reply about using ShadowProtect on another thread.

The UI is not really that user friendly, but you don't have to use it, unless you are trying to recover lost data or restore after a system crash. I'd recommend using Windows' own Previous Versions feature to get back to a previous version of a document, for instance, in a day-to-day job.

Answer 18

I like the rdiff-backup command line backup program. With it you can backup to a remote location using delta compression, so only the changes in files are sent over the network (just like rsync). Also, it keeps X days worth of backups automatically for you so that you can always go back to a specific day's data. There is also a web interface for it to make it easier to navigate your backups and extract older files.

I use it to backup my desktop and all our servers.

Unfortunately it's a little tricky to get configured but once it's running it's great.

Answer 19

The closest solution to Apple's Time Machine for a PC would be based on shadowing technology similar to RollBack Rx. This software allows you to restore to any point in time to an exact PC state. You can also recover entire files from other snapshots.

The Genie and others are simply glorified backup utilities similar to those which already exist in Windows 7.

Answer 20

I've just ordered a Seagate BlackArmor 1TB drive for my boss's laptop. I'll be testing it out next week. It sounds promising since it's based on Acronis.