Backup Software

Backup software is a utility that creates copies of files or data. It stores the copy so that a usable version can be restored if the original is lost or damaged.

A backup is only useful when it is kept separately from the original. If a file is on a laptop's internal drive, a backup copy on that same drive would be lost with it. Keeping the copy on a separate drive protects against a drive failure or accidental deletion, and keeping it in another location also protects against theft or physical damage such as a spilled drink.

When something goes wrong, you use the backup software to restore the copy. Restoring means copying the backed-up data back so you can carry on working with it. For example, a student saves a design project on a desktop computer. Backup software copies the project folder to an external drive each evening. When the desktop's drive fails, the student restores the folder from the external drive and opens the project as before.

Backup software is not the same as data compression software. A backup does not make a file smaller; it makes an extra copy, so it usually needs additional storage space. The aim is to protect data, not to reduce its size.