How to restore data
Data recovery in the Backup Manager is very flexible. Open the Restore tab to access your options.
The data recovery options described below mainly apply to the recovery of the “Files and Folders” and “Network shares” data sources. Recovering other data sources is done in a similar way but it is recommended to read the instruction for your data source to find out if it has any peculiarities (you can find links at the end of the article).
1. Choose a data source
The vertical menu shows the data sources that have been backed up at least once on the current device. Click on the data source you want to restore.
2. Select a date and time
The Session time list shows all the available backup sessions that have been performed on the current device. Each session is identified by a date and time. You can restore data only from one session at a time. Archive sessions are denoted by an (A) following the session date and time
3. Choose data
Expand the file tree and mark the data to restore. The selection can vary depending on the backup session selected above.
You can let the Backup Manager skip content checks for files which properties haven’t changed since the selected backup session (the Skip files that have not changed checkbox). This helps optimize data processing operations and reduces restore times.
File search
If you want to restore a particular file, enter a complete or partial name into the Search field in the upper-left corner. Please note that the Search option does not accept wildcards or path names. The search isn’t case sensitive. When viewing the search results, you can check the box to select the most recent version or click on the file name to expand the list of prior versions.
4. Specify a target location (optional)
The Restore to field lets you specify where to save the recovered data. By default, the recovery is performed to the original location (where the data was backed up). You can specify an alternative location if you wish.
In this respect, two types of restores can be distinguished:
- In-place restores performed to the original location (the default option). This can be done if the original data is no longer there or if you want to overwrite it with a recovered version. If you choose this option, keep the Restore to field blank.
- Restores to a new location. Specify a path to the target directory in the Restore to field.
Note that the Backup Manager installation folder is not subject to the inplace restore. This helps prevent the loss of settings so you can be sure your backup data stays safe.
You can restore data to any of the following locations:
- Your hard drive.
- A removable storage drive mapped as a fixed drive.
- A network share (only for in-place restores). It should be available during the restore (it isn’t possible to restore data if the target computer has entered the sleeping mode or got disconnected from the local network). Also your user account should have the “write” permissions to the destination folder.
5. Click Restore
Click the Restore button, and hold on while the selected data is being restored. The duration of the restore process can vary depending on the amount of data being restored and the speed of your Internet connection. As soon as the task is completed, you will get a confirmation message.