A Quick Guide to Various Types of Microsoft Backups

As a user or administrator of Windows Server, you should know that there are many different ways in which you can back up your valuable data. Your choice of backup method will typically depend on what kind of data you are backing up as also on how convenient you want the entire recovery process to be. Typically, when you look at files or folders in the Explorer window and view the properties, you will notice a particular attribute called Archive. Windows Server uses this attribute to indicate to the user whether the file or folder would need backing up. We will now look at the different kind of backups you can take and how you can repair bkf files if they get damaged.

·        The most common type of backup is the normal or full backup. When you choose this type of backup, regardless of what the attribute 'Archive' suggests, the files or folders selected will be backed up. The archive attribute is cleared indicating that the file has been backed up. Of course, if these files or folders are modified at any later stage, the 'Archive' attribute will be set again indicating that they may need backing up.

·        Along with the occasional full backups, you might also want to take daily backups of the most important files. If a file has been modified on the same day as the backup is being taken, it will be backed up.

·        In the differential kind of backup, only those files whose archive attribute indicates that they need backing up are backed up. However, you should bear in mind that during this backup, the archive attribute is not modified and this gives you the full freedom of performing any other kind of backup at a later stage.
In the incremental kind of backup too only those files whose archive attribute indicates that they need backing up will be backed up. The only difference is, once the files are backed up, the archive attribute is cleared and other types of backups may not work on these files.

Taking these backups will ensure that you have taken an important step towards protecting your data. However, if the files containing your backup data get corrupted, you may need a more advanced solution to repair bkf files.

A thorough backup plan will include taking all the backups that we mentioned above. For example, it is advisable that you perform a full or normal backup of all files and folders in use, every week. You can then supplement this by taking daily or differential backups of the most important files. Some may even suggest that you take monthly or quarterly backups of the files that are not in regular use and hence are not backed up on a regular basis.

Despite these precautions, if you are faced with a situation where your backup files have become corrupted, you should use a tool that will quickly and effortlessly repair bkf files such as Advanced BKF Repair from DataNumen. With an easy to use interface and powerful repair features, this software will truly ensure that your data stays protected.