In our computer we regularly store all kinds of files, whether they are documents, photos, audios and videos, among others. All these files can be of vital importance to us, whether for personal or professional reasons, so it is convenient to have a good backup of them. A simple failure in the system or in some of its components, as well as the presence of a virus can mean the loss of our files. So that this does not happen we can create our backup copies for free with Cobian Backup .
Cobian Backup is a file backup program that we can use to automatically create a backup of our directories and files in a complete, incremental and differential way . It has the possibility of backing up our files, updating only the data and files that have changed, so that the entire process is greatly optimized. With this application we can make backup copies in another location within the same PC, on the network or even on an FTP server, being compatible with compression and encryption systems.
The ideal tool for our backups
This data backup software runs on Windows and stands out for consuming very few resources , keeping it running in the background. Therefore, it is an ideal application, especially for those users who have an old or not very powerful computer, who will notice how using the application will not reduce the performance of our equipment.
With Cobian Backup we can assign different backup tasks that can be executed at the moment, or be scheduled to be executed weekly, monthly or in the time that we specify. Another interesting function is that we can program it to carry out certain actions before copying, such as causing a certain program to close and restart once the copy is finished.
It has a wide range of configuration options
Once we execute the program, its main menu will appear with a simple but very intuitive interface , which is divided into two panels. In the left panel it shows us the existing tasks, while, in the right panel, we will find all the properties of each task, as well as the history and the event log. At the top it has the traditional toolbar and menu tabs.
To start creating our backup we must press “Add a new task”, represented in the task bar with an icon in the form of plus (+) .
general
Next, a new panel will appear with several configuration options, the first one being “General”. Here we must give a name to our task, as well as select the general options , such as including subdirectories or creating separate backups by creating dates. We must also indicate the type of backup that we are going to make, whether it is full, incremental or differential.
Files
Now we must go to the “Files” tab where we must choose which files are to be backed up , as well as select the destination where the copy is to be saved. For this we can choose almost any destination, such as a folder on the hard disk itself, an optical disk such as a CD / DVD, any external storage system (hard disk, pendrive …) or another computer that we have connected to the network.
Schedule
We continue with the next tab which is the “Schedule” tab, which we can use if we want to schedule our backup, which can be done on a daily, weekly, monthly basis or indicate the day of the week and the time we want it to be perform. Ideally, copies should be made periodically so that in this way we always have our backup updated.
Dynamics and Archive
We now go to the “Dynamics” tab where we can choose the priority . This can be Normal, High or Low and the number of complete or differential copies that we are going to save. In the “File” tab, we can choose if we want to compress the file (Zip or 7zip format). We can also add some encryption method such as AES 256 bits, 192 bits or 128 bits.
Filter and Event
Now we come to the “Filter” tab that will help us to exclude any file or folder from our backup. We can also choose the files that will be part of it, in case we want to make a backup of a few very specific files. In the “Event” tab, we can schedule any action that we want to happen before or after the copy. These actions can be to put a pause, close a program, stop a service, among others.
Advanced
Finally, we have the “Advanced” tab, from where we can select some additional options . These options can be like cleaning the attribute of a file, including the backup type in the name, deleting empty folders, among others.
Once the configuration of our backup is finished, we will only have to click on the “Execute the selected tasks now” button , represented in the task bar by the classic “Play” button and the program will begin to perform the corresponding backup .
Download Cobian Backup
Cobian Backup is a completely free file backup program that we can download from its website . From it we can download its installation file that barely weighs about 18 megabytes.
During the installation we will be able to choose the language of the same, being able to choose Spanish among its options. At the time of installation, we must do it as a service , to make the program available to all users. We must also indicate that we will use an account as a local system , to restrict the use of network resources, if any.
It is currently available in version 11 (Gravity) dating from 2012 , so it has been without updates or support of any kind for more than 8 years, this being its main handicap. Despite this, it is an application that continues to be fully functional and compatible with Windows XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.
Alternatives to Cobian Backup
If we need an application with which to make our backup copies, we propose a couple of alternatives to Cobian Backup that may be of interest to you.
AOMEI Backupper
With this powerful program with which we can backup, synchronize, restore and clone our computer with Windows operating system. It will also allow us to clone partitions and disks, as well as create boot disks in optical state drives such as DVD, CD or USB. AOMEI Backupper has a completely free and functional version, which we can download from its website . It also has versions with more features.
Paragon Backup & Recovery
Using this software we can make incremental backups, including the operating system, on external storage devices, disks or hidden partitions. All its operations are carried out by compressing the copy to save space, allowing us to save our backup on a CD / DVD or external disk. Paragon Backup & Recovery is a completely free tool for home use that we can download from its website
