File backups basically refers to the process of backing up the important files on your computer.  This is in contrast with image backups where the entire system is backed up.  Doing a file backup can be as simple as copying an important file from your computer to your flash drive so that you have a “backup” copy.

File backups were much more common in the early days of computers.  Backup software could be used to flag exactly what files you wanted to back up.  This type of software is the most basic type of backup software.

Some file backup programs are completely free and they can be used to back up your important files

Commercial backup software offers features like advanced scheduling, disk and partition cloning, incremental backup, and more.  These programs help keep your data safe and secure.  Some of the best programs of this type are reviewed on this site.

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office, was formerly called Acronis True Image.  This new iteration has many enhanced features and some catching options.  There are versions for both Windows and Mac PC’s. A 30-day trial is available so you can fully test out the product before you buy it.

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office comes with 1 Terabyte of storage in the Acronis Cloud system.  It allows you to back up individual file and folders in addition to the ability to create mirror images of your system.

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office also allows you to create an all-in-one recovery drive in case you ever need it.  Something new in this version of Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office is the ability to scan your system for malware.  The goal is to create a product that protects your data on multiple levels, backing it up, creation of a recovery drive, and protection against viruses and malware.

Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office will authenticate all your data using blockchain technology.  It strives to simplify protection by combining multiple tools into one product. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office is available in three versions: Essentials, Advanced, and Premium.  It should be noted that the Cloud Storage is not available with the Essentials package.

iDrive is a full-featured backup program that has a number of useful options.  To begin with it has clients available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.  That means you can back up your valuable data from PC’s, Mac’s, your Android phone, your iPad, and your iPhone.  iDrive gives you 5 gigabytes of free storage to begin with and then you can purchase more as needed.  Using their web-based console you can manage multiple computers and even sync the files and folders in real time.

iDrive makes it easy to manage all of your backups and restores even on remote computers.  iDrive also lets you perform sector-level backup or file-level backup so you have the ability to restore your entire computer to its original state in case of a system crash.  In addition, you can store files using 256-bit AES encryption using a key that you define.  The key is never stored anywhere on the servers.

iDrive can retain up to 30 previous versions of all files backed up to your account.  You can do incremental and differential backup.  Use compression and save time and disk space.  In addition, you can access files you backed up from you PC on your iPhone or Android phone.  This is a handy feature for people on the go. Grab the file you need for a presentation right from your mobile device.  You can search data and restore files from the desktop application using any Web browser you have available.  Lastly, no data is ever removed from iDrive until you manually delete or utilize the Archive Cleanup function.

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a full featured product for backing up all your important data. You can use it to back up individual files and folders as well as backing up entire drives.

AOMEI Backupper also has a clone function that lets you clone an entire disk or partition.  Backups can be stored on any standard media including external drives, network drives, optical media, and cloud storage.

AOMEI Backupper allows you to schedule backups so they can run on the days and times you specify. In addition, incremental and differential backups are also supported. You can encrypt your backups utilizing a password, split a backup into custom sizes, and adjust the level of compression.

AOMEI Backupper also helps you to create a “OneKey Recovery” partition.  This function allows you to restore your entire system with the touch of one key.  The program also has a number of handy utilities including disk wiping, creation of bootable media, creation of a portable version , and more.