--- title: "Data Backup" url: https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-backup category: "Backups" tags: ["backups", "versions", "restore", "external drive"] summary: "Data Backup keeps versioned backups of the folders you choose on another drive or in the cloud. Each version stores only what changed, every backup is checked, and you can restore any earlier version — the whole set or single files." updated: 2026-10-01T05:31:39.000Z --- # Data Backup Data Backup keeps versioned backups of the folders you choose on another drive or in the cloud. Each version stores only what changed, every backup is checked, and you can restore any earlier version — the whole set or single files. **Data Backup** keeps versioned backups of the folders and files you choose, on another drive or in the cloud. Each backup adds a new version that stores only what changed since the last one, every backup is checked once it's written, and you can go back to any version you still have — a whole folder or a single file. ## Opening it Choose **Data Backup (Versioned)…** from the **More** menu in the main window. The window lists your **backup sets** as cards, one per set. ## The idea: backup sets A **backup set** is a group of folders and files that are backed up together to one destination, on one rule for when to run. You can have several — say, your documents to an external drive every evening, and a photo library to a cloud account once a week. Storage Studio starts you off with a set called **Fast drive working set**, which protects the folder Storage Studio keeps on your external drive. It does nothing until you give it a destination, and it can be switched off but not deleted. Click **New backup set** to add your own. ```mermaid %% caption: The parts of Data Backup mindmap root((Data Backup)) Backup sets Folders and files to protect One destination When to run Destinations A folder on another drive Your own cloud accounts Storage Studio's own vault Versions Only what changed is stored Checked after each backup Older versions thinned out over time Restore A whole version Chosen files and folders ``` *Mind map — The parts of Data Backup. Outline:* - Data Backup - Backup sets - Folders and files to protect - One destination - When to run - Destinations - A folder on another drive - Your own cloud accounts - Storage Studio's own vault - Versions - Only what changed is stored - Checked after each backup - Older versions thinned out over time - Restore - A whole version - Chosen files and folders ## Setting up a set 1. Click **Add folder or file** and choose what to protect, then click **Protect**. Add as many folders and files as you like. 2. Click **Destination** and choose where the backups go — see [Where a backup can go](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-destinations). A cloud account asks for a passphrase the first time; see [The backup passphrase](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-backup-passphrase). 3. Choosing a destination for a set that already has something to protect starts its first backup straight away. If you chose the destination first, click **Back up now** once you've added your folders. 4. Turn on **Back up automatically** so it keeps itself up to date. By default it backs up shortly after you change something; click **Change…** to pick a schedule instead — see [Backup schedules and triggers](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-schedules). **Back up now** starts a backup at any time, whether or not **Back up automatically** is on. ## Reading a card The coloured pill beside the set's name tells you where it stands: | Pill | Meaning | | --- | --- | | **Not backed up** | The set has never finished a backup | | **Backing up…** | A backup is running | | **Checking…** | A backup has been written and is being checked | | **Protected** | The last backup finished and passed its check | | **Needs attention** | Something went wrong — the card says what and offers a fix | | **Paused** | The set is waiting, or was stopped — the card says why | While a backup runs, the card shows a progress bar, how much has been uploaded, the speed and the time left, and **Stop** — a stopped backup picks up where it left off next time. Afterwards it shows **Last backup** with how long ago, plus **· verified** when the check passed. **Check** re-runs that check on demand, and **Versions…** opens the list of versions to restore from. If anything needs your attention, see [What backup messages mean](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-messages). ## What's left out Backup sets skip things that are rarely worth keeping: items in the Trash, temporary files, cache folders, developer package folders and some hidden system files. A file that can't be read at the time — locked or in use by an app — is skipped rather than failing the whole backup. ## Data Backup and other kinds of backup Data Backup protects **your files**. It's separate from [Storage Studio's backup of its own settings](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/self-backup-of-settings), and it works alongside Time Machine rather than replacing it — see [Storage Studio and Time Machine](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-time-machine). - **Can I move my iPhone backups to an external drive on a Mac?** Yes. Finder has no setting for where it keeps iPhone and iPad backups, but Storage Studio can move them to your external drive from What's Using Space: it copies them, checks every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac. Finder keeps backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep… (https://storagestudio.us/faq) - **What is purgeable space on a Mac and how do I clear it?** Purgeable space is storage macOS is holding — old snapshots, cached cloud files, optimised media — that it frees automatically when you need room, which is why "free" space can look smaller than expected. Storage Studio reclaims a lot of it on demand instead of making you wait. (https://storagestudio.us/faq) - **How do I reclaim space from local Time Machine snapshots on a Mac?** macOS keeps point-in-time APFS local snapshots so Time Machine can restore even when your backup drive is away — useful, but they can hold a lot of space. Storage Studio lists every snapshot, shows which are already safely backed up, and reclaims the space you choose in one click. (https://storagestudio.us/faq) See also: [Backup versions: what's kept and for how long](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-versions) · [Restoring from a backup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/restoring-from-a-backup) · [Backup speed, battery and the network](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-speed-and-power) · [Incremental backup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-incremental-backup) ## What links here - [A backup didn't run](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-backup-didnt-run) - [Backing up Storage Studio's own settings](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/self-backup-of-settings) - [Backup schedules and triggers](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-schedules) - [Backup speed, battery and the network](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-speed-and-power) - [Backup versions: what's kept and for how long](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-versions) - [Delta Trust](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/delta-trust) - [Delta Trust, Delta Drive and My Drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/delta-trust-delta-drive-and-my-drive) - [How Storage Studio keeps every change reversible](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/how-storage-studio-keeps-you-safe) - [Incremental backup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-incremental-backup) - [Letting another AI assistant read your storage](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/ai-access) - [Moves or transfers say a component is missing](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/engine-missing) - [Quiet Hours](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours) - [Restore Points](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/restore-points) - [Restoring from a backup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/restoring-from-a-backup) - [Starting Storage Studio at login](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/start-at-login) - [Storage Studio and Time Machine](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-time-machine) - [Switching to a new drive: Transfer Drive and Backup Drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/transfer-drive-and-backup-drive) - [The backup passphrase](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-backup-passphrase) - [What Storage Studio does](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-storage-studio-does) - [What backup messages mean](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-messages) - [Where a backup can go](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-destinations) - [Where to start: pick your goal](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-to-start)