Full backup

Handy Backup allows performing different types of backup including full backup, incremental backup and mirror backup (two-way backup).

Full backup means that all selected data will be copied and saved to the specified storage media. To be more specific, each selected file will be backed up upon each backup session. Thus the resulting backup copy will contain all files and folders in the state in which they were at the time of backup.

Naturally, first time backup is always a full backup that creates a backup file which can be later updated through incremental backup. It is recommended to run full backup from time to time to guarantee that all data are backed up and no files are lost or missed.

In general, full backup takes more time to perform in comparison with incremental backup. However, the restore of full backup is faster than the restore of incremental backup because with full backup, it is enough to back up only the last full backup, while with incremental backup, you must restore each incremental backup that followed full backup plus the full backup itself.

Beyond the fact that it requires more time to perform in comparison with other types of backup, one can add to the list of its disadvantages the fact that full backup is the riskiest with regard to data loss or data interception. Because full backup assumes transfer of all selected data, the user is running the risk of losing his entire backup set, should problems occur.

However, users of Handy Backup can protect their backups by running them over secure protocol such as SFTP.