Nero BackItUp is a file backup application for Windows. This paid application saves selected files and folders to local storage, optical discs or connected cloud accounts. Backup jobs can run on a schedule and restore selected data later.
Backup jobs and destinations
Automatic selection scans the PC for files in selected media categories. Custom selection lets you choose individual files and folders instead. Nero BackItUp totals the selection before saving it as a named backup job.
Destinations include another hard drive, an external USB drive and NAS storage. Online Copy connects to OneDrive or Google Drive. OneDrive backups go into a Nero BackItUp folder within the account, keeping the job’s uploaded data together.
A job can run immediately, daily, weekly, monthly or at a chosen time. Continuous backup handles new and updated source files as they change. Multiple jobs for the same cloud account run sequentially.
BackItUp connects to one OneDrive account and one Google Drive account at a time. Several jobs can still use the same connected account.
Copy backups and local snapshots
The backup mode determines whether a changed file replaces its saved copy or creates another version. Local Copy and Online Copy keep one copy per file. Local Snapshot puts changed files into new backup sets.
| Mode | Changed files | Access and targets |
|---|---|---|
| Local Copy | Replace the existing saved copy | Browse files in Windows File Explorer; local or external storage |
| Online Copy | Replace the existing saved copy | Connected OneDrive or Google Drive account |
| Local Snapshot | Enter a new backup set, preserving earlier versions | Separate backup sets on local storage or optical discs |
On non-optical targets, later runs skip files already backed up without changes. New and renamed files enter the backup as additions. In copy mode, deleting a source file leaves its existing backup data available.
Local Snapshot on optical discs writes a full backup on every run. Local Copy and Online Copy cannot target those discs. This differs from updating a backup set on a hard drive or connected cloud account.
Local Snapshot jobs offer compression and password protection with AES encryption. Compression reduces the storage used where the selected data allows it. These settings belong to snapshot jobs; ordinary copy backups remain accessible through Windows File Explorer.
File restoration
Nero BackItUp restores selected files and folders rather than requiring the entire selection to be recovered. The restore screen lets you choose the data and its destination. Cloud restoration also provides controls for handling conflicts at that destination.
OneDrive and Google Drive restoration can retrieve files uploaded through another application or the service’s website. You browse the account’s folder tree and select its contents. The restored files are then downloaded to the chosen local path.
Opening an NBI or NBA backup file loads a backup into BackItUp’s restore screen. When moving it to another computer, its accompanying backup data must move too. File selection and the restore destination are chosen within the application.
Snapshot backup sets retain earlier file versions alongside later changes. Recovering an older revision therefore depends on selecting the relevant saved data. Copy mode instead provides the latest saved copy, with changed files replacing their previous contents.
