How to Do Cobian Incremental Backup & Alternative

Overview of Cobian Backup

Cobian Backup is a free and reliable backup software that is designed to help users create scheduled backups of files and folders for Windows servers and computers. This software supports full, incremental, and differential backup types, allowing for efficient storage management.

Cobian Backup offers flexibility through customizable backup schedules, multiple backup destinations, and archive options. It's particularly useful for those looking to automate their backup processes and ensure data safety. On this page, we will focus on how to create Cobian incremental backup.

Before that, most users know that full backup refers to creating a complete copy of every single file in a set of source data. So, Cobian backup incremental vs differential, what's the difference between them?

AOMEI Backupper

Free Cobian Backup alternative for file/system/disk/partittion incremental backup and restore.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

How to Perform Cobian Incremental Backup

Now that you have a basic understanding of what Cobian incremental backup is and how it compares to the differential backup, let’s dive into the steps for performing an incremental backup with Cobian Backup.

Step 1. Visit the official Cobian Backup website and download the latest version of the software. Install and run the software.

Step 2. Click Task in the menu bar, and select New Task.

Step 3. Name the task and choose Incremental under Backup type.

Step 4. Click Add to select files or folders you want to backup under Files tab. Then, go to Destination to choose where you want the backup to be stored. You can backup files to external hard drive, network folder, etc.

Step 5. After configuring other backup options like Schedule, Dynamics, Archive, and so on, then click OK.

▶Tip: If Cobian Backup incremental is not working on your computer, there are a few common issues you should look out for:

• Outdated software: Ensure that you’re using the latest version of Cobian Backup to avoid bugs or incompatibility issues.
• Task configuration errors: Double-check that your backup tasks are properly configured. For example, ensure that the destination drive has enough space and that the source folders are correctly selected.
• Permissions issues: Make sure Cobian has the necessary permissions to access the files and destination folders.
• Log errors: Review the backup logs to identify any specific errors or failed operations during the backup process.

How to Restore Cobian Backup

Cobian restore incremental backup can be just as easy as creating one, but it's important to follow the steps carefully to ensure you restore the correct files.

Step 1. Open Cobian Backup and go to History to find the target backup task. If you have multiple incremental backups, you may need to restore them in sequence (from the most recent full backup to the latest incremental)

Step 2. Select the folder where you want to restore your files. Once you’ve chosen the destination, click Restore to begin the process.

You can also restore files manually by copying/unzipping the backup file to the selected destination.

Alternative: Free Incremental Backup Software for all Windows PCs

If you cannot run Cobian incremental backup correctly, or you are looking for a better incremental backup solution, you can consider AOMEI Backupper Standard. Supported full, incremental, and differential backup, this tool can serve as a free alternative to Cobian Backup. It offers features that make it suitable for both beginners and advanced users:

AOMEI Backupper

Free Incremental Backup Software

• Complete backup options: Provide File Backup, Partition Backup, System Backup, and Disk Backup for various backup needs.
• Wide destinations: Support to backup data to external hard drive, local disk, USB drive, NAS, network share, and cloud storage.
• Flexible scheduling: Offer to backup data automatically in 5 different modes: daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, and USB plug in.
• Quick restore: Restore crashed system, lost files, or damaged disk/partition from the created backup image to the original location or a new path quickly and easily.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

100% Secure

Step 1. Download and run AOMEI Backupper on your PC.

Step 2. Click Backup, and then select File Backup, System Backup, Disk Backup, or Partition Backup, depending on your need. (Here we take File Backup as an example)

Step 3. Click Add File or Add Folder to choose the items you want to back up. Tap the destination bar and choose the location you want to save your data backup.

Step 4. Tap Schedule Backup to enable it and choose an automatic backup frequency, and it will run in Incremental Backup by default. (You could check under Backup Scheme)

Step 5. Then, click on Start Backup.

To restore your backed-up files, click on Restore > Select Task. Choose the file backup that you want to restore from the list, and click Next. Then, go on to choose a backup version and the restore location. Finally, click Start Restore.

Notes:
✎For system backup restore, AOMEI Backupper offers a Universal Restore option that allows you to restore operating system to a computer with dissimilar hardware (supported in Pro version).
✎You could also use this software to create bootable media for emergency recovery.

FAQs about Cobian Incremental Backup

Conclusion

On this page, we show you what is Cobian backup, differential backup vs incremental backup, and how to do Cobian incremental backup and restore. Cobian incremental backup is an efficient and reliable way to back up files, offering reduced backup times and smaller storage space requirements. Whether you use it for personal or business data, following the proper setup steps and troubleshooting common issues will ensure a smooth backup process.

Additionally, if you need an alternative, AOMEI Backupper Standard is a great free tool that provides similar functionality for incremental backups. Also, it is equipped with other powerful and useful functions like cloning hard drive to SSD, and so on.