Best Alternative to Norton GoBack in Windows

Overview of Norton GoBack

Norton GoBack, formerly known as WildFile GoBack, Adaptec GoBack, and Roxio GoBack, is a Windows-based recovery tool that helps restore files and system settings. It monitors and tracks disk changes, allowing users to create up to 8 GB of recovery points, or "checkpoints." These checkpoints can range from hours to days, letting you easily restore your computer to a previous state without the need for reinstalling everything.

When you install GoBack, it replaces the Master Boot Record (MBR) and modifies the partition table, creating a single partition. It also uses buffer space to store changes using a First In, First Out (FIFO) method.

During its time, Norton GoBack was a highly useful tool, offering quick solutions for system recovery and saving users from the hassle of reinstalling operating systems, applications, and data. It became a reliable assistant for many.

However, Norton GoBack was eventually replaced by another Norton product in March 2009, which lacked some of the original features that made GoBack so valuable.

Alternative to Norton GoBack – AOMEI Backupper Standard

AOMEI Backupper is Norton GoBack similar software which is also a Windows-based utility. However, it provides more functions than Norton GoBack. AOMEI Backupper comes in four versions, Standard, Professional, Server, and Technician while Norton GoBack is available in a single end-user version only.

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free backup and recovery tool designed for Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7, XP, and Vista. It has a lightweight installation package that doesn’t modify your disk or partition table.

With AOMEI Backupper, you can back up your system, disk, partitions, files, and applications to various storage locations, such as external hard drives, USB drives, NAS, or network-shared folders.

This software overcomes the limitations of Windows’ built-in backup tool, especially the inability to backup the system to a USB flash drive.

It also supports sector-based backup, allowing you to perform full, incremental, or differential backups of your computer.

Additionally, AOMEI offers three advanced versions that come with more features compared to the Standard version. For a detailed comparison, you can check out the edition comparison page.

In brief, with complete backup solutions, you can easily roll back your Windows to any of the backup points using backup images and even restore images over the network. 

In addition, it also provides Universal Restore during the restoration process. That is to say, one can restore Windows backup images to different computers with dissimilar hardware. For instance, restore Windows 10 backup to dissimilar hardware. 

Besides, it supports restoring selective files from an intact backup image say the full backup of the computer. Create bootable media is available in case the computer fails to boot. 

You may want to download it to learn the detailed steps on how to backup and restore system backup images in Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10, 7, XP, and Windows Vista. Please click the download button to install it and enjoy its backup and restore feature.

Why turn to Norton GoBack alternative

Norton GoBack is no longer suitable for modern Windows operating systems, and there are several reasons why it’s time to look for an alternative.

1: GoBack modifies the Master Boot Record (MBR) and partition table, which can cause problems when trying to dual-boot multiple operating systems on the same drive.

2: GoBack uses a FIFO (First In, First Out) method to store checkpoints, which limits your ability to revert your system to a much earlier state. While it offers checkpoints from hours to days, what if you need to restore your system from weeks or months ago?

3: while GoBack was useful in its time, it lacks the level of protection provided by a full backup image, which other modern backup software can create.

4: GoBack’s reserved disk space was never expanded to keep up with the increasing size of hard drives. Even with Norton GoBack 4.0, it can’t handle drives larger than 1 TB. With today’s ever-growing storage capacities, this is a significant limitation.

Finally, GoBack worked well on older versions of Windows like Win98 and WinXP, but it’s not compatible with newer operating systems like Windows Vista. It was no longer updated to support newer versions of Windows.

Faqs About Norton GoBack Alternatives

Q1: How does disk cloning differ from traditional backups?

A1: Disk cloning creates an exact replica of your entire system, including the operating system, applications, and files, while traditional backups may only back up specific files or partitions.

Q2: How do incremental backups save time?

A2: Incremental backups only back up changes made since the last backup, rather than duplicating everything. This saves both time and storage space.

Q3: Can I restore a single file using these alternatives?

A3: Yes, all the mentioned alternatives allow for restoring individual files, as well as full system restores.

Conclusion

There are a lot of software like Norton GoBack on the market and AOMEI Backupper definitely is the best Norton GoBack alternative for Windows. It covers almost all functions of GoBack and is dedicated to making every option simpler and more effective.

As you can see from the snapshots, AOMEI Backupper is great cloning software that can assist you clone HDD to Samsung SSD or other SSDs when you want to upgrade your hard drive. As a backup solution, this tool is a good alternative to Windows 7 Backup and Restore and File History as well. Download this Norton GoBack equivalent to learn more.