Windows Vista has been one of the most anticipated operating system releases ever. The many delays have only heightened the wait. But now that Windows Vista has been released, what features does it bring to you - the end user? Some of Vista's best features revolve around data backup and restoration.
Windows Vista sports a new backup and recovery center. This is the kind of feature that makes a support technician want to get up and dance. One of the most frequent problems from end users is data loss. That's a heart breaking situation for all involved. Vista gives you the ability to backup and restore your data quickly and easily.
One of the hallmarks of a good backup and recovery system is that it is easy. Windows Vista makes it easy for you to backup your valuable data by providing a helpful wizard. One of the great things about the wizard is that it excludes system and program files. You don't need those backed up. And most users don't know what to exclude. The restoration of the data is also easy. The wizard steps you through the restoration process quite nicely. Another hallmark of a good backup system is that it is automated. The wizard steps you through scheduling backups to the location of your choice.
Now, a special treat is in store for users of the business, ultimate, and enterprise editions of Windows Vista. You have access to a handy little feature called shadow copy. This little jewel creates versions of your documents as you work on them. If you accidentally delete the file, you can easily restore it via shadow copy.
Windows Vista adopts the system restore feature from Windows XP. System restore is another feature that most users don't know about or use. This great feature allows you to roll back your computer to a previous time. You won't lose any documents. And it can correct wrong installations of drivers and software mishaps. System restore makes automatic restore points when you install new hardware or software. Again, automation is a great thing.
If you are the lucky owner of Windows Vista business, ultimate, or enterprise edition; you can enjoy the benefits of a complete imaging system. This allows you to do snapshot backups of your entire PC. Recovery can be done so that you retain all your programs, documents, drivers, etc. This is similar to Norton Ghost features. You could also push that image over to a replacement PC if needed. Microsoft is also coming out with a backup server that will ease backups across the network.
Windows Vista brings some much needed backup features to the typical end user. It allows for simple and automated backups. And the recovery process is very easy. Shadow copy allows for document versioning, which will help alleviate document loss issues. And Vista also incorporates XP's system restore feature. Windows Vista's backup functionality will help many users.
