# Are there any Windows programs simlar to Time Machine or SuperDuper? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-windows-programs-simlar-to-time-machine-or-superduper/689061 "2014-05-23T03:22:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-windows-programs-simlar-to-time-machine-or-superduper/689061/1 "2014-05-23T03:22:54Z")
Basically, I want to incrementally clone my C: drive on an hourly basis. To clarify, I’m not looking for something that will back up my data (I definitely have that covered), or just clone my Windows drive. What I am looking for is something that will do automatic, incremental backups of my system, so that I do a complete system restore without reinstalling all of my software. For example, if the SSD in my Mac dies at 8 AM, I can install a new SSD, boot from a thumb drive, and do a full restore from my TM drive. The only things I will have lost are the files that have changed since the last Time Machine backup, and TM backs up hourly, so I can basically restore my machine to its 7 AM state. With SuperDuper, I can make a bootable copy of my Mac’s main hard drive, and I can either recover from the back-up, or just install the back-up as my main drive. Once again, one of the main advantages is that I can set up SuperDuper to do scheduled, incremental back-ups. I used to do this with a Windows Home Server, but it does not work with Windows 8, and my home server died, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Itself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-windows-programs-simlar-to-time-machine-or-superduper/689061/2 "2014-05-23T05:02:59Z")
Have you looked at CrashPlan? I only use it for standard backups, but some of the more advanced (and probably paid) features seem like they might fit your requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-windows-programs-simlar-to-time-machine-or-superduper/689061/3 "2014-05-23T07:21:17Z")
This article suggests that you can do this by using the built in File History backup utility in Windows 8. Normally, File History just backs up documents and data, but apparently you can get it to back up the whole thing by creating a new library and putting your whole drive in it. > **[Using Windows 8's "hidden" backup to clone and recover your whole PC](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/using-windows-8s-hidden-backup-to-clone-and-recover-your-whole-pc/)** > > Ability to create System Images was buried in Windows 8, but not eliminated. I think you’d still need to do one system image backup too - in order to give yourself a bootable restore image to start the process (then when that is in, restore the whole disk from file history) ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-windows-programs-simlar-to-time-machine-or-superduper/689061/4 "2014-05-23T22:47:09Z")
> [@Itself](#): > > Have you looked at CrashPlan? I only use it for standard backups, but some of the more advanced (and probably paid) features seem like they might fit your requirements. Crashplan is great for backing up data (Ive been using it for a couple of years now), but it will not do a full system backup. > [@Mangetout](#): > > This article suggests that you can do this by using the built in File History backup utility in Windows 8. > > Normally, File History just backs up documents and data, but apparently you can get it to back up the whole thing by creating a new library and putting your whole drive in it. > > [Using Windows 8’s “hidden” backup to clone and recover your whole PC - Ars Technica](http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/using-windows-8s-hidden-backup-to-clone-and-recover-your-whole-pc/) > > I think you’d still need to do one system image backup too - in order to give yourself a bootable restore image to start the process (then when that is in, restore the whole disk from file history) That looks like a decent work around. Thanks!