Backup and restore: a practical workflow for Windows files
Backup and restore are two halves of one job. Backup copies your files somewhere safe; restore brings them back when you need them, and only a tested restore proves the backup works. This guide walks through the whole workflow with Tornova Backup: choosing what to protect, running and reading a backup, finding a file, restoring it safely and checking the result.
The workflow in one picture
- Choose files and folders
- Run a backup
- Read the result
- Find the file you need
- Restore it
- Verify the restored copy
The website and the Windows app share the work. The website shows your Backup Set, your backup results and your restore options. Tornova App on the PC reads your files, uploads them and completes restores. A website alone cannot read or write files on your PC.
1. Choose what to back up
Your Backup Set is the list of files, folders or drives that Tornova protects. You choose it yourself, in Tornova App or on the Backup page of the website. Start with what matters most and what you cannot recreate; add more later.
- Choose whole folders rather than single files where you can: new files in a chosen folder are included in later backups.
- Add a drive only when you really want everything on it. Large drives take longer and use more storage.
- Skip what you can reinstall or download again, such as Windows and programs.
- In an Organization, a folder outside a person's own profile may wait for the Organization Admin's approval.
What should you back up on a Windows PC? covers the usual locations in detail.
2. Run a backup and read the result
Choose Back Up Now for the first backup; it sends everything in the Backup Set. Later backups send only new and changed data. Add Automatic Backup so it happens on a schedule.
Then read the result honestly. Tornova uses plain statuses:
- Backup Successful: the whole intended backup completed and was committed.
- Partially Completed: some files were protected and some could not be. The result lists the ones that could not, for example files locked by another program.
- Interrupted or Needs Attention: the backup stopped, for example because the connection dropped or the PC went to sleep. Files that were already protected stay protected, and Tornova retries.
Tornova never reports an incomplete backup as successful. A failed or interrupted new backup never damages the last good backup. If something looks wrong, see Backup not working? Common problems and what they mean.
3. Find the file you need
Restore starts on the website. Open Restore, choose the computer the files were backed up from, and browse your backed-up folders. If you turned versioning on, you can also pick an earlier version of a file. You can restore files from another of your computers too, depending on your devices, backups and permissions.
Browsing happens on the website because it is protected by your sign-in, your permissions and, if you use it, two-step verification. The files themselves are written to your PC by Tornova App.
4. Restore safely
Select the files and folders, choose where they should go, and start the restore. The options on the Restore page are:
- Restore Now: sends the selection to the PC you choose, where Tornova App completes it. To restore to the PC you are using, open the Restore page from Tornova App with Open Restore on Web.
- Restore to Original: puts files back where they were backed up from.
- Download: for a small selection, straight from your browser. The page shows the current limits.
If a file with the same name already exists, you decide: Keep both (the default, so nothing is overwritten), Skip, or Replace. Replace asks you to confirm. Prefer restoring to a new folder first when you are not sure.
What you need for a restore to finish Tornova App must be installed on the destination PC and able to reach Tornova. A restore that is waiting continues as soon as it can. An incomplete restore is never reported as completed, the cloud backup stays untouched, and you can retry.
5. Verify the restored copy
When the restore shows Completed (it moves from Ready to Restoring to Completed, or to Failed with a reason), choose Open Folder in Tornova App and open the file. Check that it opens, that the content is what you expected, and that the date or version is the one you wanted. Then compare it with the original if the original still exists.
Test a restore of an unimportant file soon after you start using any backup, and again every few months. Restore is also where limits show up: permissions, a Restore Lock in an Organization, or a PC that is switched off.
Limits and permissions to know about
- Your plan includes a restore allowance equal to its backup storage.
- In an Organization, restore permission is separate from backup permission. An Organization Admin can turn it off for a person or switch on a Restore Lock, so a person who can back up may not be able to restore.
- Two-step verification: if it is on for your account or required by your Organization, you complete it before a restore can start.
- Windows only, and files rather than a system image. You can restore files and folders. You cannot restore a whole Windows installation with Tornova.
- Backup is not disk recovery. It can restore what was backed up. It cannot bring back data that was never in a backup set.
Need more? The step-by-step guide How to restore files from a cloud backup and How to restore deleted files go further, and Support is there if you get stuck.
Frequently asked questions
What is backup and restore software?
Backup and restore software copies your files to a safe place and lets you get them back when you need them. With Tornova Backup you choose files, folders and drives to back up, and you restore backed up files from the website, with Tornova App completing the restore on your PC.
Can I restore backed up files from another computer?
Yes, depending on your devices, backups and permissions. On the Restore page of the website you choose the computer the files were backed up from and the computer they should go to.
Why do I choose files on the website and not in the Windows app?
Browsing your backed-up files and versions on the website is protected by your sign-in, your permissions and, where used, two-step verification. Tornova App then carries out the restore on the PC.
Can I close the website after starting a restore?
Yes. Tornova App handles the restore on your PC and shows progress. You can also follow it on the website.
Where do restored files go?
Where you choose before you start: back where the files were, or a folder you pick. Tornova App shows the destination while it runs.
What if my internet connection drops during a restore?
The restore is not marked completed unless every file was restored. The cloud backup stays untouched, and you can restore the files that were not restored again.
Can I restore an older version of a file?
Yes, when versioning is on and earlier versions exist. Select the version on the website before you start. Versioning is off by default.
Do restores count against my restore allowance?
Restores count against the restore allowance of your plan, which equals the plan's backup storage.
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