File-Level Backup vs. System-Level Backup: A Comprehensive Comparison

Backup refers to the process of creating two copies of device files, data processing, and relevant information. It's like an insurance policy in case you lose your digital data. There are many ways to lose data these days, including hacking, power outages, theft, system failures, and human error. As such, backups are essential for data recovery.

Whether you're backing up a company or personal data, it's important to understand the basics. There are two main types of backups: file-level and system-level backups.

Let's look at their features and differences so you can choose the right backup option for your needs.

【1】File-Level Backup: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to quick data recovery, file-level backup is the most efficient method. In this type, you can upload all your files and folders to a backup storage and restore them later. For instance, if you want to perform a file backup in Windows 11, opting for a file-level backup tool is a good idea.

File-level backup is ideal for saving professional files, and it lets you back up all your still files, including disk images and backup databases. However, you cannot process databases or create disk images with it, and it is not suitable for restoring entire disks or working with database storage.

Advantages of File-Level Backup

1. Designed specifically for business documents

File-level backup can store crucial work documents such as spreadsheets (spreadsheets), PDFs, Docx files, and more. It's easy to use and reliable, allowing you to create multiple backup schedules as needed.

2. Compact and fast recovery

With file-level backup, you can choose to restore specific files. Backup files are smaller, so data uploads are faster, and they don't tie up your storage or processing devices for long periods.

Everything You Need to Know About System Backups

For those keen to protect all their PC data, a system-level backup is the way to go. This creates a copy of the contents of your computer and saves it to a backup folder/device.

A backup is like an image of your main device, so you can restore all the data on your desktop or laptop in case of an emergency. You can choose to restore individual partitions or the entire device.

System Backup

System backups tend to be large and can take several hours to complete, so it's recommended that you schedule these for off-peak hours.

Advantages of a System-Level Backup

System-level backups have several advantages for users.

No manual configuration required

A system backup backs up the entire device – system, data, installed apps, partitions, and settings – so you won't have to set up folders manually for restore.

2. Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

It increases the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and the Recovery Point Objective (RPO). These metrics define how quickly a system needs to recover from a virus attack or failure to return to a production state. For more information on the difference between RTO and RPO, click here.

A full system backup lets you restore your device to its exact specifications.

3. Bare-metal and Virtual Machine Recovery

Data recovery is becoming more pervasive all the time, with modern backup applications that can save an entire system to the same device or to virtual cloud storage, eliminating the need for separate backup hardware.

You could carry the whole system around with you, and deploy it wherever you want.

File-Level Backup vs. System-Level Backup: Which One to Choose?

So far, we have discussed file-level and system-level backups. Now for the million-dollar question: which one should you choose?

The answer lies in their strengths. If you need rapid data recovery and professional files that require multiple edits, file-level backup will be more helpful. This is a more direct approach that requires the least effort. When restoring an entire company or personal desktop, however, you should opt for system-level backup. It creates a substitute copy containing all the installed settings and applications.

Extra: Backup Your Files and System Easily

For backing up individual files or your entire system, we recommend using the 【Home Edition】. As the go-to data protection solution for over 530 million users worldwide, it offers advanced backup options such as 【differential backups】, scheduled backup tasks, and incremental backups.

The Home edition provides disk/partition, file, system, multi-path, and cloud backup and recovery features. It also offers a bootable Windows PE disk, a secure zone for backups, a recovery environment, offsite copies, and smart backup options.

Priced at $39.95, it includes the basic software, plus general recovery capabilities and premium tech support.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to back up your files easily with Todo Backup Home:

**Step 1.** Click the **Select Backup Content** button to begin the backup process.

Step 2: There are four backup categories, Files, Disks, OS, and Emails. Please click on “Files”.

Step 3: A list of local and networked files will appear on the left. You can expand folders and select the files you want to back up.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose where you want to save your backup.

Click the "Options" button to set an encryption password to protect your backups, schedule backup tasks, and choose to start a backup upon specific events in the "Backup Strategy" section. You can also explore more options to customize the backup task as needed.

5. You can store your backups on a local drive, EDS cloud service, or NAS.

Step 6: Todo Backup lets you back up your data to third-party cloud storage and your own cloud storage.

To back up your data to a third-party cloud drive, select Local Disk, scroll down to Add Cloud Device, and then add and sign in to your account.

You can also choose to use Edo's cloud space. Click “Edo Cloud,” and sign up and log in with your Edo account.

**Step 7:** Click on “Back Up Now” to start the backup. When it's done, it will display on the left panel in a card format. Right-click on the backup task for further management.

Ultimately

Modern societies rely on digital data, which is easy to read, understand, analyze, and share. But it can also be vulnerable to viruses or system crashes.

There are two ways to do this: file-level backup and system-level backup. File-level backup involves storing crucial files such as Word documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and the like. This process is faster and more suitable for business operations. System-level backup, on the other hand, duplicates your entire desktop. This backup is slower, but it covers more data and offers an excellent Recovery Time Objective (RTO).

The choice of approach should be determined by the user's requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About File-Level Backup vs. System-Level Backup

1. What is the difference between file backup and system backup?

File backup pertains only to backing up and restoring files that currently exist in the system, while system backup involves the entire setup. File backup is quicker and allows for multiple edits. System backups, on the other hand, can restore more data at a slower pace.

2. What is a system-level backup?

A system-level backup creates an image of your desktop. Files, systems, drivers, installed applications, and programs can all be safeguarded with a system-level backup. It helps protect both personal and professional data.

3. What kind of backup is best?

The answer depends on your needs. If you need to edit small amounts of data, go for file backup. For comprehensive PC safety, choose system backup.