Handy Backup is backup and synchronization software for Windows PCs and servers. It saves selected files, email and application data to local, network or cloud storage, with disk imaging and business data plug-ins available in its higher editions. Backup, restoration and synchronization are separate task types, each with its own data selection and execution settings.
Building a backup task
A backup task connects a source plug-in to a destination plug-in. The source can be a folder tree, Outlook data, an email account or another supported application. Checkboxes select the objects to include, while filename masks narrow a folder selection to particular file types or exclude unwanted contents. This lets a task preserve a collection of documents without copying every temporary file alongside them.
Handy Backup can write to internal and external drives, USB devices, NAS storage, FTP and WebDAV servers. Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive are also available in Standard. Professional expands these choices with SFTP, FTPS, Amazon S3, other S3-compatible services and business editions of OneDrive and Dropbox. The destination belongs to the task, so separate collections can use different storage locations.
How backups are stored
With compression and encryption disabled, Handy Backup preserves files in their native format. A full file backup can be browsed in Windows File Explorer, and an individual document can be copied out of the backup folder.
Compression changes the output to ZIP archives. The advanced wizard can collect the backup set in one archive or compress its data objects separately. Encryption is another choice: AES-128, AES-256 and Blowfish are available, with a password required to decrypt the saved data.
Restoring selected files
For managed recovery, a restore task presents the backed-up objects in a tree with their original paths. Users can select a subset of files or folders and restore them to those paths, or choose compatible alternative destinations. The same selection system also represents other supported objects, such as database tables and disk partitions, when the relevant plug-in is licensed.
Backup methods and version rotation
The backup method determines what subsequent runs add. Full backup copies the complete selection each time. Incremental backup collects files changed since the preceding run, while differential backup retains changes since the last full backup. By default, Handy Backup identifies changes using file size and modification time; these comparison settings can be adjusted per task.
Mixed modes combine a full copy with incremental or differential runs. The task starts another full backup after a chosen interval or number of runs, creating a repeating cycle. Timestamped versions keep separate backup states. Full and mixed methods offer rotation controls based on the number of retained versions or a retention period; standalone incremental and differential methods retain all their versions.
Schedules, triggers and reports
Tasks can run at a selected time and repeat automatically, or start when a related USB device is connected. Handy Backup can operate as a Windows service and launch another program or batch file before or after a task. Logs, backup reports and email notifications expose the results of those runs, including tasks that encounter errors.
Synchronization
Synchronization uses two selected folders and a copying direction. Handy Backup can update the second folder from the first, reverse that direction, or exchange changes between both. For files with matching names, two-way synchronization provides rules such as keeping the newer, older, larger or smaller file, or skipping it. Include and exclude masks limit which files participate, and each synchronization task can have its own schedule.
Drive imaging for system recovery
Professional and the business editions add drive imaging and system recovery. Handy Backup saves a drive image as a VHD file that can later be restored or attached as a virtual drive to browse its contents. Bootable recovery media provides a way to use the recovery tools outside the installed Windows system.
Handy Backup for server data
The Small Business edition includes plug-ins for database systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle, alongside Exchange and supported virtual machines. Individual database plug-ins can also be purchased for Professional.
Server Network adds centralized backup and restoration for multiple workstations and servers. Its control panel runs on Windows and can manage network agents on supported Linux systems as well as Windows machines. Handy Backup is paid software; the trial temporarily provides access to all plug-ins, while the purchased edition determines which remain available.
