How to Backup Data to NAS with Best Free Software

Looking for free software to backup Windows to network-attached storage (NAS) drive? Free AOMEI Backupper can help you backup and restore data from NAS easily.

By @Delia Last Updated October 23, 2024

NAS  (network attached storage) device provides great convenience for its users. All individuals within a company are allowed to share their data at the same time by accessing remote NAS devices. As for data backup, you can also put the backup image file to a NAS device rather than manually connecting the computer to an external hard drive.

In that case, software that supports Windows backup to NAS and restore from NAS is necessary.

Best NAS Backup Software for Free

Here let’s take a look at the best free Windows backup and restore solution – AOMEI Backupper Standard.

AOMEI Backupper
All-Around NAS Backup Software

  • The software will help you backup Windows programs, installed software as well as personal files to NAS and network drive.

  • You can backup external hard drive and USB stick to NAS as well.

  • It also allows you to backup NAS to PC on the contrary.

  • It offers incremental backup to help improve backup efficiency and reduce backup image size.

Download Freeware Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7
100% Secure

Download and install AOMEI Backupper on your PC now!

How to Backup Important Data to NAS

Let's say you want to backup a partition on your PC to NAS. Follow the guidance below:

1. Run AOMEI Backupper. Click Backup > Partition Backup.

Note: If you want to backup Windows to NAS, choose System Backup instead. You can also choose Disk Backup or File Backup as per your need.

2. Click Add Partition or Volume to add the partition you want to backup.

3. Click the destination box and select Add Share or NAS Devices from the drop-down menu.

4. In the pop-up window, type the IP address of your NAS and click the blue button at the right. Type username and password if it prompts.

5. After the NAS device has been added, all network-shared folders on it will be listed. Choose one folder as the destination path to store the backup image and click OK.

6. At the main interface, make a final confirmation. Then, click Start Backup to backup to NAS drive.

Tips:

  • If you want to do incremental or differential backup to NAS on a regular basis, click Schedule Backup to set it.

  • If you just want to do an incremental or differential backup once, go Home after completion. Move mouse over the backup task you created, click the three-line button, and select Backup > Incremental Backup or Differential Backup (paid version).

  • Options: You can enable email notification, split and compress images here.

  • Backup Scheme: It will help you manage destination storage by auto-deleting old backups. This requires a upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Professional edition or higher ones.

  • If you have an AOMEI account, you can backup files to AOMEI Cloud. It offers you 1TB of free storage for 15 days after you sign up for an AOMEI account.

How to Restore from NAS

Now let’s take a look at how to restore from NAS device.

1. Locate the backup image by clicking on Restore > Select Task in the main interface. From the listed backup tasks, select the partition backup task you created and click Next to continue.

2. AOMEI Backupper will list the partitions or volumes contained in this image file. Select a backup point and the partition you want to restore and click Next.

3. Select a destination partition to restore data to and click Next. In general, restoring from NAS is not quite special. Just as easy as from an external hard drive.

4. Preview the Operation Summary. If the target location is an SSD partition, you can tick SSD Alignment to improve performance. Finally, click Start Restore.

Conclusion

NAS device has provided us a possibility to backup our PCs and Servers in a more secure and convenient way. AOMEI Technology has made a full use of it by presenting the users "Backup to NAS" and "Restore from NAS" features in AOMEI Backupper. Apart from backing up files to NAS from local, you are allowed to do NAS to NAS backup in the same way. Now free download and have a try!

FAQs about NAS backup

1. Is a NAS good for backups?
 
Yes, a NAS is great for backups. It offers centralized storage, easy access over a network, and can support automated backup solutions. Plus, many NAS devices provide redundancy features for added data protection.
2. What are the main disadvantages with a NAS?
 

While NAS devices have many advantages, they also come with some disadvantages:

  • Network Dependency: NAS performance relies on network quality; congestion can degrade speed, power outages can restrict access, and storing large files requires significant bandwidth and a constant internet connection.
  • Limited Scalability: NAS capacity is restricted by the types and number of drives. Expanding storage often means buying multiple NAS systems, making long-term cost predictions challenging, especially if your storage needs grow quickly.
3. How to backup NAS devices?
 

NAS devices usually have one or multiple USB ports to attach USB storage devices. You canconnect a USB hard disk drive (HDD) to such a port and back up the needed data from the NAS to this USB disk drive.

If you don’t have a hard drive available, you can use AOMEI Backupper to backup NAS to various locations.