In windows, the archive attribute is a flag, and it is used to indicate the file has been changed since its last backup.
There are 5 types of backup, here they are:
It is referred to as a full backup. It ignores the archive attribute of the files that backed up. But after the backup is completed, the backup utility clears the archive attribute of all backed up files.
Performing a normal backup is time-consuming and needs more space on the backup medium.
- Copy
It is similar to the normal backup type. The only difference between the two backup types is that a copy backup does not modify the archive attribute settings of the backed up files.
- Differential
You use a differential backup to back up only those files that have been created or modified since the last normal backup. These files are identified by their archive attribute settings. But it does not clear the archive attribute.
- Incremental
You use a differential backup to back up only those files that have been created or modified since the last normal or incremental backup.
The backup process identifies the modified files by their archive attribute settings and clears the archive attributes after the backup process is complete.
- Daily
You perform a daily backup to back up all files that have been modified or created on that day. The daily backup process ignores the archive attribute settings of files and does not change them after the back up process is complete.
As for restore, the best way is to select the normal backup and the recent differential backup. The worst way is to select the normal backup and all the incremental backups.
