Getting started with Tornova Backup
From the website to your first protected folder takes nine steps: create an account, verify your email, choose a trial or plan, install the Windows app, sign in on the PC, pick what to protect, run a backup, check it, and test a restore. This guide walks through them in order and says what to expect at each point.
What you need before you begin
Tornova Backup has two parts that work together. The website is where you create your account, choose a plan, see the status of your backups and start a restore. The Windows app (the Tornova Agent) is what actually reads the files on your PC and sends them to the cloud. A website cannot back up the files on your computer by itself, so the Windows app is always part of the setup.
- A Windows PC (Tornova Backup supports Windows only today).
- An email address you can open: you will receive a verification message.
- An internet connection for the first backup. Later backups only send new and changed data.
- About ten minutes for the setup. The length of the first backup depends on how much you protect and on your connection.
- Create account
- Verify email
- Choose a trial or plan
- Install the Windows app
- Sign in on the PC
- Choose what to protect
- Run the first backup
- Check the result
- Test a restore
Steps 1 and 2: create your account and verify your email
Open tornovabackup.com and choose Get Started (or Sign Up in the header). Fill in the form to create a Personal account. Organizations that manage several people use the Organization setup instead; the small-business backup guide explains the difference.
Tornova then sends a verification message to the email address you entered. Enter the code or follow the link in it to confirm that the address is yours. If the message does not arrive, check the spam folder and use the option to send it again. You cannot sign in until the address is verified.
Step 3: sign in and choose a trial or a plan
Sign in with your username and password. An account that has no storage yet shows a prompt to choose a plan or a trial on the Billing page of your dashboard. Your backup storage comes from that choice, so the account needs one before data can be backed up.
- Trials are small, low-cost paid purchases that do not renew automatically. There is one trial per customer, as your first Tornova purchase. See Trials.
- Regular plans are defined by storage (for example 5, 10, 50 or 100 GB) and a duration. Monthly payment is always available and there is no annual commitment. See Pricing.
- Price region. The website shows International prices in US dollars by default and India prices in Indian rupees by choice. Pick the region that applies to you before you pay.
Organization accounts If you were invited to an Organization, your Organization Admin chooses the plan and the storage. You sign in with the temporary details you were given and finish setting up your own account.
Step 4: download and install the Windows app
Go to the Download page and download the Tornova Agent for Windows. Download it only from TornovaBackup.com. Run the installer and follow the setup steps. The page lists the installer's details and an alternate download if your browser or security software blocks the first one.
If something goes wrong during installation, the Support page and the FAQ cover the common cases. The guide How to download and install backup software safely explains what to look for with any installer.
Step 5: sign in on the PC with the same account
Open Tornova App on the PC and sign in with the same account you created on the website. Signing in is what connects this PC to your account, so you will see it listed under Devices on the website afterwards. Personal plans are defined by storage, not by a device count, so you can sign in on all of your Windows PCs.
Step 6: choose what to protect
Your Backup Set is the list of files, folders or drives that Tornova protects. You choose it yourself; you are never required to back up a whole device. Add folders in Tornova App or on the Backup page of the website.
A good first Backup Set is small and important: Documents, Desktop, Pictures and any folder where you keep work. The guide What should you back up on a Windows PC? helps you decide. You can add more later.
Steps 7 and 8: run the first backup and check it
Choose Back Up Now. The first backup sends everything in the Backup Set, so it takes longest; after that, only new and changed data is sent. Tornova App shows progress and the website shows the result under Activity.
Read the result carefully. Tornova reports Backup Successful only when the whole intended backup has completed. If some files could not be protected, the result is Partially Completed and lists them, for example files that were locked by another program. The guide Backup not working? Common problems and what they mean explains each status.
Step 9: test a restore
A backup you have never restored from is a guess. Pick one unimportant file, restore it, and open it. On the website, open Restore, choose the computer, select the file, choose where it should go and start the restore. Tornova App on the PC receives the request and completes it. Small selections can also be downloaded straight from the browser.
If a file with the same name already exists, you choose what happens: keep both, skip, or replace. Keep both is the default, so a test restore does not overwrite anything. The full walkthrough is in How to restore files from a cloud backup.
Staying protected afterwards
- Turn on Automatic Backup so backups run on a schedule you choose. See Automatic Backup and scheduling.
- Look at the backup status now and then. A quiet backup is not always a healthy one.
- Test a restore of a different file every few months.
- Keep your account safe with a strong, unique password and optional two-step verification (MFA).
- Read Data protection and backup safety tips for habits that make any backup more useful.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to keep the website open while Tornova backs up?
No. The Windows app does the backup in the background. The website is for choosing settings, checking results and starting restores.
Can I use Tornova Backup without installing the Windows app?
No. The app reads the files on your PC. Without it there is nothing to back up. The website alone manages your account and shows what has been protected.
Which Windows versions work?
Tornova Backup runs on Windows. The Download page lists the current requirements for the installer.
What happens if my internet connection drops during the first backup?
The backup is safely interrupted and retried. Files that were already protected stay protected, and Tornova does not report the backup as successful while required files are unfinished.
Who can I ask if I get stuck?
Use the Support page or write to support@tornovabackup.com.
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