Windows cloud backup: how online file backup works
Cloud backup for Windows copies the files you choose from your PC to a secure online location, keeps earlier copies, and lets you restore them if a file is lost, damaged or deleted. It is different from copying files to an external drive and from file sync. This guide explains the idea, what to protect, what to expect, and where Tornova Backup fits.
What Windows cloud backup means
A cloud backup keeps a second copy of your important files somewhere other than your PC: in secure online storage that you reach over the internet. A small program on the PC, often called an agent, reads the files you selected and sends them. If the PC is lost, stolen, damaged or hit by a mistake, the copy in the cloud is still there.
People use several names for the same idea: online backup, cloud backup, PC backup, Windows backup, or simply file backup software. What matters is what the service actually does: which files it protects, how often, how long it keeps earlier versions, and how you get files back.
Tornova Backup is cloud backup for Windows PCs (see Features for the full list). The Windows app does the protecting, and the website is where you manage your account, see the status and choose what to restore. It does not make an image of your whole system; it protects the files, folders and drives you select.
Why a copy on the same PC is not enough
Files are lost in ordinary ways: a deleted folder, a failed drive, a stolen laptop, an update that goes wrong, a file overwritten by mistake, ransomware. A second copy only helps if it survives the same event. A copy on the same disk does not. A copy on an external drive sitting next to the PC survives a disk failure but not a fire, a theft or a power surge that takes both.
An off-site copy, such as a cloud backup, closes that gap. It is also the copy that does not depend on you remembering to plug something in. That is why backup advice, such as the 3-2-1 strategy, usually includes one off-site copy.
Cloud backup, external drive and file sync compared
Three common ways to keep a second copy of Windows files
| Cloud backup | External hard drive | File sync service |
|---|
| Where the copy lives | Online storage, away from your PC | A drive next to your PC | Online storage, mirrored to your devices |
|---|
| Survives theft or fire at home | Yes | Not if the drive is in the same place | Yes |
|---|
| Runs without you | Yes, on a schedule or on changes | Only if you set it up and keep the drive connected | Yes, continuously |
|---|
| Keeps earlier versions | Depends on the service; Tornova versioning is optional | Depends on the software | Limited history that varies by service |
|---|
| What a deletion does | Cloud copy is kept (Tornova keeps it unless you choose to clean it up) | Nothing, until you copy again | Usually deletes the file everywhere, with a recovery window |
|---|
| Typical limit | Storage plan and your upload speed | Capacity of the drive | Storage plan |
|---|
None of these is wrong. They answer different questions. The longer comparisons are in Backup vs sync and Cloud backup vs external hard drive.
What to protect first
You do not need to back up Windows itself or your installed programs, which can be reinstalled. Start with what only you have: documents, photos and videos, project and work folders, financial records, email archives and anything you could not download again. The guide What should you back up on a Windows PC? goes through the common locations.
With Tornova you build a Backup Set from files, folders and whole drives. You are never forced to back up an entire device, which keeps your storage use predictable.
How Tornova Backup protects your files
- You install the Tornova Windows app and sign in with your account.
- You choose your Backup Set and run Back Up Now. The first backup sends everything; later backups send only new and changed data.
- You can add Automatic Backup (a schedule you choose) and Smart Backup (a daily, weekly or monthly check that sends only what changed). They are different features; see Automatic Backup and scheduling.
- Tornova reports Backup Successful only when the whole intended backup completed. If some files could not be protected, it says so and lists them.
- When you need a file, you choose it on the website and Tornova App restores it on your PC. See Backup and restore.
Your data is encrypted in transit and encrypted at rest in cloud storage on Microsoft Azure, and optional two-step verification protects your account. Encrypted backup explained says exactly what that does and does not mean.
What to expect, including the limits
- The first backup takes time. It depends on how much you protect and on your upload speed. Later backups are much smaller.
- Your PC and internet connection matter. If the PC is off or offline at a scheduled time, the run is recorded as missed, not as successful.
- Open or locked files may be skipped. Tornova records them and continues with the rest; try again when the program is closed.
- Windows only. Tornova Backup runs on 64-bit Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11. There is no macOS, Linux or mobile version today.
- Files, not a system image. You can restore files and folders. You cannot restore a whole Windows installation from Tornova.
- Test your restores. A backup you have never restored from is a guess.
Choosing a cloud backup service
Look at restore first, then at price. Check what is protected by default, how versions and deleted files are handled, how you restore, what platforms are supported, how the service handles security, and how the pricing works over time. How to choose backup software turns this into a checklist, and the comparisons show how Tornova differs from well-known alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
What is PC backup software?
PC backup software, also called data backup software, file backup software or computer file backup software, copies the files you choose from your PC to another place, on a schedule or on demand, so you can restore them later. Tornova Backup is online backup software for Windows PCs: the copy is kept in secure cloud storage.
Is cloud backup the same as online backup?
In everyday use, yes. Both mean copying your files over the internet to storage managed by a provider. Some people also use "cloud storage" for services that sync files across devices, which works differently. See Backup vs sync.
Does Windows have cloud backup built in?
Windows includes tools that can back up folders to OneDrive and tools that copy files to an external drive. They are useful, and they have limits such as storage quota and the need to keep a drive connected. A dedicated cloud backup service adds its own schedule, version handling and restore workflow.
How much of my PC does Tornova back up?
Only what you choose. You select files, folders or drives, and you can change the selection at any time.
Can I back up more than one PC?
Yes. Personal accounts support unlimited Windows devices; your plan is defined by storage, not by a device count.
Can I get my files back if my PC dies?
Yes. Install Tornova on a replacement PC, sign in, and restore from your backups. See Restore files to a new PC.
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