Cloud backup for personal use
For home use, cloud backup means keeping a copy of your photos, documents and other personal files somewhere other than your PC, updated automatically. Pick the folders that matter, let it run on a schedule, and check now and then that it worked. Tornova Backup does this for Windows PCs, with a Personal account that covers all of your Windows computers.
Why personal files need a backup
A home computer usually holds things that cannot be replaced: family photos, tax and bank records, school work, scans of documents, and years of personal projects. The computer itself is easy to replace. The contents are not.
Disks fail, laptops are dropped or stolen, and files are deleted by mistake. A backup that sits in the cloud is separate from all of those events. It is also separate from the computer, so it keeps working if the PC does not.
What to include in a home backup
You do not have to back up the whole computer. Start with the folders that hold your own files, and add more as you go.
- Pictures and videos: family photos, phone imports, and edited projects.
- Documents: letters, forms, records, spreadsheets and anything in the Documents folder.
- Desktop: many people keep working files here without realising.
- Special folders: hobby projects, music you made, school or college work, and email archives.
- Scanned papers: passports, certificates and receipts you have scanned.
Leave out what you can simply download again: installed programs, Windows itself, and large temporary folders. The guide what to back up on a Windows PC goes through the common places in more detail, and how much cloud backup storage you need helps you size it.
Several PCs in one household
With a Personal Tornova account, your plan is defined by storage and not by the number of devices. You can sign in with Tornova App on all of your Windows PCs, and they share the storage of the plan. This is convenient when you have a desktop, a laptop and an old PC that still holds family photos.
Add up the Backup Sets of every PC when you decide on a plan size, because the storage is shared. A Personal account is for one person. If several people need their own sign-ins, access and controls, an Organization account is designed for groups; see backup for a small business for how that differs.
Windows only Tornova Backup runs on Windows PCs today. It does not back up phones, tablets, Macs or Linux computers, and there is no mobile app. Keep that in mind if your family uses other devices.
Set it up once, then let it run
- Create an account and verify your email
- Choose a trial or a plan
- Install Tornova App on your PC
- Sign in with the same account
- Choose your Backup Set
- Run Back Up Now
- Turn on a schedule
The first backup sends everything you chose, so it takes the longest. After that, only new and changed data is sent. For the full walk-through, see getting started.
Then turn on Automatic Backup, which runs your Backup Set on a schedule you choose, or Smart Backup, which checks once per day, week or month and backs up only new or changed files. The two are different features. If the PC is off at the scheduled time, the missed run is recorded, not reported as a success.
Habits that make a home backup trustworthy
- Look at the result. Tornova reports Successful only when the whole intended backup completed. Partially Completed lists files that could not be protected, such as files locked by another program.
- Test a restore. Once, early on, restore one unimportant file and open it. Then repeat every few months.
- Think about versions. If a file is damaged or edited badly, the latest backup may hold the bad copy. Versioning is optional and off by default; it keeps 3, 10 or 50 versions and uses storage.
- Keep a second copy. For irreplaceable photos, an external drive as well is sensible. See cloud backup vs external hard drive.
- Protect the account. Use a strong, unique password and optional two-step verification (MFA).
What happens when you delete a file
Deleting a file on your PC does not delete the cloud copy, and removing a folder from your Backup Set only stops future backups of it. That helps when you delete something by accident. If you do want to free up space, Smart Cleanup lists files that were deleted from the PC but still have a cloud copy. Nothing is removed until you tick the files, type CLEAN UP and confirm, and cleaned files go to Trash for one day before they are permanently deleted.
Try it before you commit
Tornova offers low-cost paid trials. They never renew automatically, there is one trial per customer as the first purchase, and trial data carries over if you then choose a plan. See Trials for what is on offer and Pricing for the plans.
Prices are shown in US dollars with PayPal, or in Indian rupees with Razorpay, and you choose the region. Data is hosted in the United States on Microsoft Azure, and the service can be used from anywhere. It is an early release for Windows, so check the features page to see what is included before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is there online backup for a PC that covers several computers?
Yes. A Tornova Personal account supports multiple device backup: unlimited Windows devices, with the plan defined by storage rather than by how many PCs you protect.
Is cloud backup a good idea for family photos?
Yes, as one of your copies. It keeps the photos off the computer, so a stolen laptop or failed disk does not lose them. For irreplaceable photos, keep a second copy on a different kind of storage too.
Can I use one account for all the computers at home?
On a Personal account, yes. It allows unlimited Windows devices, and the plan is defined by storage. If different people need their own access and controls, look at an Organization account.
Will deleting a photo from my PC delete it from the backup?
No. Deleting a file on the PC does not delete the cloud copy. You decide later whether to clean up, using Smart Cleanup with a confirmation step.
Does Tornova back up my phone?
No. Tornova is for Windows PCs only. There is no mobile app and it does not back up phones or tablets.
Do I have to leave my PC on?
The PC needs to be on and online for a backup to run. If it is off at the scheduled time, the missed run is recorded and follows the next eligible retry.
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