Tag: Windows 7
The best Windows backup software
We need backup software for our PCs because our storage drives won't last forever. Backup software covers our butts when our primary drive finally up and dies.
It would be nice if Microsoft itself provided Windows users with something like Apple's Time Machine: an effective, set-it-and-forget-it, total system recovery and backup solution that requires little interaction or thought on the user's part.
Instead, Microsoft delivers a mishmash of restore points, recovery discs, file backup, and even the un-retired System Backup (Windows 7), which was probably originally put out to pasture for its propensity to choke on dissimilar hardware. Online backup services are another option, but desktop clients tend to offer far more flexibility.
Plenty of vendors have stepped in with worthy alternatives, and while none are quite as slick or transparent as Time Machine, some come darn close—and many are free. Read on for our top picks.
Updated March 11, 2022 to include our review of Retrospect Solo, an extremely versatile backup program that takes extra measures to guard against ransomware.
1. R-Drive Image 7 – Best overall
R-Drive Image has always been a favorite of ours—a low-resource-consuming product that was ultra-reliable in creating backup images of partitions and disks. But it didn't have as much polish as Acronis's backup program (below) and wasn't as feature rich. That has changed with this latest version, which now has a more modern, user-friendly interface and more versatility in the types of backups you can perform.
2. Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office – Best overall runner-up
There's a reason Acronis is renowned in the world of backup software. Cyber Protect Home Office (previously named Acronis True Image) is capable, flexible, and rock-solid reliable. Indeed, it's easily the most comprehensive data safety package on the planet.
Besides offering unparalleled backup functionality that's both robust and easy to navigate, it integrates security apps as well, which protect against malware, malicious websites, and other threats using real-time monitoring.
3. Retrospect Solo
The latest version (18.5) of this stalwart Windows backup program is every bit as feature-packed at we'd expect. It even adds an interesting pre-backup file scanning to root out anomalies before overwriting your previous backup—a nod to emergence of ransomware as a concern. It's got a bit of a learning curve, but once familiar, Retrospect Solo delivers the goods.
4. Cobian Backup 11
If you can overlook its very old-school aesthetic, Cobian Backup is freebie that capably takes care of file backups, and can even run the same backup task to multiple destinations. It doesn't offer any system imagining functionality, so you'll need another solution for that.
5. Iperius Backup
There is a lot to like about Iperius Backup. It offers an impressive degree of versatility and performance, even if its UX is a bit befuddling at times. A single license is a modest $32 per year; and the free version is worth using for lighter PDF duties.
6. Backupper 6 Standard – Best free option
Among the free programs we tested, Backupper Standard wins primarily because it has the most features, including imaging, file backup, disk cloning, and plain file syncing, plus multiple scheduling options. This was the case with Backupper 4, and the latest version has only added more options, making it a surprisingly well-rounded free offering. We hit a few performance snags with less-conventional system setups, but for the average user, it should perform as expected.
7. CloudBerry Backup Desktop
CloudBerry is a good solution for a mixed storage scenario—i.e., you want to back up data from various sources to various destinations. It's also highly configurable. But it's not as user friendly as some of the other popular solutions. Luckily there's a free version you can try out before plunking down any cash.
8. IvyBackup
IvyBackup sports a clean look, and saves in common Zip and VHD formats. However, it didn't check if there was enough space for its image backups, which caused some unlogged failures.
What to look for in backup software
As with most things—don't over-buy. Features you don't need add complexity and may slow down your system. Additionally, if you intend to back up to a newly purchased external hard drive, check out the software that ships with it. Seagate, WD, and others provide backup utilities that are adequate for the average user.
File backup: If you want to back up only your data (operating systems and programs can be reinstalled, though it's mildly time- and effort-consuming), a program that backs up just the files you select is a major time-saver. Some programs automatically select the appropriate files if you use the Windows library folders (Documents, Photos, Videos, etc.).
Image backup/Imaging: Images are byte-for-byte snapshots of your entire hard drive (normally without the empty sectors) or partition, and can be used to restore both the operating system and data. Imaging is the most convenient to restore in case of a system crash, and also ensures you don't miss anything important.
Boot media: Should your system crash completely, you need an alternate way to boot and run the recovery software. Any backup program should be able to create a bootable optical disc or USB thumb drive. Some will also create a restore partition on your hard drive, which can be used instead if the hard drive is still operational.
Scheduling: If you're going to back up effectively, you need to do it on a regular basis. Any backup program worth its salt allows you to schedule backups.
Versioning: If you're overwriting previous files, that's not backup, it's one-way syncing or mirroring. Any backup program you use should allow you to retain several previous backups, or with file backup, previous versions of the file. The better software will retain and cull older backups according to criteria you establish.
Optical support: Every backup program supports hard drives, but as obsolescent as they may seem, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are great archive media. If you're worried about optical media's reliability, M-Disc claims its discs are reliable for a thousand years, claims that are backed up by Department of Defense testing.
Online support: An offsite copy of your data is a hedge against physical disasters such as flood, fire, and power surges. Online storage services are a great way to maintain an offsite copy of your data. Backup to Dropbox and the like is a nice feature to have.
FTP and SMB/AFP: Backing up to other computers or NAS boxes on your network or in remote locations (say, your parent's house) is another way of physically safeguarding your data with an offsite, or at least physically discrete copy. FTP can be used for offsite, while SMB (Windows and most OS's) and AFP (Apple) are good for other PCs or NAS on your local network.
Real time: Real-time backup means that files are backed up whenever they change, usually upon creation or save. It's also called mirroring and is handy for keeping an immediately available copy of rapidly changing data sets. For less volatile data sets, the payoff doesn't compensate for the drain on system resources. Instead, scheduling should be used.
Continuous backup: In this case, ‘continuous' simply means backing up on a tight schedule, generally every 5 to 15 minutes , instead of every day or weekly. Use continuous backup for rapidly changing data sets where transfer rates are too slow, or computing power is too precious for real-time backup.
Performance: Most backups proceed in the background or during dead time, so performance isn't a huge issue in the consumer space. However, if you're backing up multiple machines or to multiple destinations, or dealing with very large data sets, speed is a consideration.
How we test
We run each program through the various types of backups it's capable of. This is largely to test reliability and hardware compatibility, but we time two: an approximately 115GB system image (two partitions), and a roughly 50GB image created from a set of smaller files and folders. We then mount the images and test their integrity via the program's restore functions. We also test the USB boot drives created by the programs.
How to create an insane multiple monitor setup with three, four, or more displays
By now, a dual-monitor setup has become commonplace. Multitasking on a single screen is just way too confining. But why stop at two displays? I can speak from experience: Having multiple monitors (and I'm talking three, four, five, or even six) is just…awesome, and something you totally need in your life.
Right now, my main PC has a triple-monitor setup: my main 27-inch central monitor, with a 24-inch monitor on either side. I use my extra monitors for a number of things, such as comparing spreadsheets side-by-side, writing articles while also doing research, keeping tabs on my social media feeds, and, of course, watching Netflix.
Using one of your monitors in vertical orientation can make a big difference for scrolling long documents. If you're a gamer, well, surely you can see how great three-plus monitors can be for games that support multi-monitor setups. You can even use your TV as an extra computer monitor!
But before you jump in, you want to give your multi-monitor plan some forethought. This guide will walk you through all the factors you need to take into account before setting up three or more monitors.
Step 1: Check your graphics card(s)
Before you run out and buy a bunch of extra monitors, check to see whether your computer is physically capable of handling all that graphics prowess. First, look at the back of your PC: How many graphics ports (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA) do you see?
If you don't have a discrete graphics card, you may only see two video ports—most motherboards come with integrated graphics that can only run dual-monitor setups. If you do have a discrete graphics card, you'll probably see at least three ports, not including the ports on your motherboard.
Tip: While it is possible to set up multiple monitors using ports on both your motherboard and your discrete graphics card, you'll see a performance drop and some lag when you move windows between monitors. If you want to do this, you will also need to enter your PC's BIOS and go to Configuration > Video > Integrated graphics device and set it to “Always enable.”
Just because you see three or more ports on your discrete graphics card, however, doesn't necessarily mean you can use all of them at the same time. For example, many older Nvidia cards are unable to run more than two monitors on a single card, even if they have more than two ports. The best way to find out whether your graphics card supports multiple monitors is to find the name of your card (Control Panel > Device Manager > Display Adapters) and Google it with the monitor setup you're looking to run (e.g. “Nvidia GTX 1660 four monitors”).
Most modern graphics cards can power several displays simultaneously.
If your graphics card supports—and has enough ports for—the number of monitors you want to set up, excellent. If not, you may need to purchase an additional graphics card to get the multi-monitor support you're looking for.
Before you buy an extra graphics card, you'll need to make sure you have enough space in your tower (and open PCIe slots), as well as a power supply unit that can handle the extra strain.
If you buy a graphics card solely for the purpose of having multiple monitors, it's best to get a cheaper modern option, as current GPUs can power several displays without issue. Check out the best budget graphics card section of our GPU guide for your best options.
Alternatively, monitors with DisplayPort multi-streaming support can be daisy-chained together from a single DisplayPort connection on your graphics card, using additional DisplayPort cables to connect the additional monitors to one another. The various displays don't even need to be the same size or resolution. ViewSonic's VP2468 is one such example. At around $330 on Amazon, this 24-inch monitor is on the pricier side, but in addition to DisplayPort-out, it also offers a premium IPS screen, and a super-thin bezel, which is ideal for multi-monitor setups.
Step 2: Select your monitors
Once you figure out your graphics card situation, it's time for the fun part: obtaining extra monitors. In general, monitors can be had for fairly cheap these days. Assuming you can't finagle a hand-me-down, a 24-inch monitor with an IPS screen will run you around $150, such as the Acer R240HY. You can get a 24-inch TN screen, which will likely trade strong off-axis viewing for a lower response time—something gamers might prefer—for roughly the same money, such as the Asus VS248H-P ($160 on Amazon). You can also find smaller IPS monitors at around 21.5 inches, such with this HP Pavilion IPS display, for.
Meanwhile, it you're looking for even more screen real estate, you can find a decent 27-inch IPS screen for just a little over $200, such as the $210 ViewSonic VA2759-SMH.
Of course, the perfect monitor for you depends on multiple factors, including the monitors you already have, the size of your desk, and what you're planning on using your extra monitor for. (Of course, resolution is yet another variable, and you can see our article about 1080p vs. 4K monitors to help you make a decision in that area as well.)
In my case, I already had two 24-inch monitors, and I wanted a larger monitor as the centerpiece of my setup, so I picked up a 27-inch monitor and placed it between my two 24-inch displays. I'm not using my multi-monitor setup to play multi-monitor games, so the difference in sizes (and the difference in heights—my 27-inch monitor's stand holds that monitor about one inch higher than my 24-inchers) isn't an issue for me. However, if you're planning on doing a lot of gaming or watching videos that span multiple monitors, this height difference will make for a not-so-seamless experience.
A DisplayPort connector (left) and an HDMI cable (right).
Before you buy your monitors, you'll also want to make sure they have input ports that correspond with your PC's output ports. While you could use conversion cables, such as DVI-to-HDMI or DisplayPort-to-DVI, they can be a hassle. If you have a VGA port on your PC or your monitor, I suggest staying away from it: VGA is an analog connector, which means your picture will be noticeably less sharp and colors will be less vivid.
Step 3: Set up your PC
Set up your monitors, plug them in, and turn on your PC. Voila! A perfectly formed multi-monitor setup! Well, not so fast. Setup is easy, but there are still a couple more steps.
The first thing you'll want to do is configure Windows to play nicely with your multiple monitors. If you're running Windows 7 or Windows 8, right-click on the desktop and click Screen resolution; in Windows 10, click Display settings. This will take you to a screen where you can configure the options you have for multiple monitors in Windows.
Here, you can confirm that all your monitors are detected. Click Identify, which will cause a large number to appear on each of your displays, so you can determine which screen is which. Select the monitor you'd like to serve as your main display (which will also determine where your taskbar and Start button appears). A drop-down menu lets you choose whether to duplicate your desktop or extend your desktop across all the screens. In most multi-monitor setups, you'll want to extend your desktop across all three (or four, or whatever) of your displays.
Alternately, you can set up your multi-monitor configuration in your GPU's control panel. Right-click your desktop and choose either the Nvidia or AMD control panel (depending on your graphics card), and find the Display section, which will offer similar options as Windows.
Gaming
It's one thing to use multiple monitors to do work and watch Netflix. It's another thing entirely to use multiple monitors to play video games. If you want to use your snazzy new multi-monitor setup to do some three- or four-panel gaming, there are a few extra things you'll have to take into consideration.
Gaming on several displays at once requires far more graphical firepower than gaming on a single screen alone, because the GPU has so many more pixels to push—so if you're not running a sufficiently robust graphics card or cards, you'll almost certainly see lag and artifacting in your multi-monitor games. Once again, check out PCWorld's guide for choosing the best graphics card for gaming.
GLORIOUS.
Before you can start playing your games across multiple panels, you'll need to set up your graphics card and your game. Nvidia users will need to set up Nvidia Surround, while AMD users will need to create an Eyefinity group for their monitors.
You'll also need to go into your game—not all games are multi-monitor compatible—and configure the video or display settings to the correct resolution so that the game spans across all of your monitors instead of staying squished on just one. You'll also want to play around with other settings as the game allows, including field of view (too low, and there will be too much going on around you; too high and everything on your left and right screens will be hugely distorted).
For gaming, it's easier if you have multiple identical displays, because otherwise you'll run into issues with resolution, distortion (if your displays aren't at the same height), and color calibration, all of which can be difficult to work with if you're trying to play in a “seamless” environment.
If working with multiple displays seems like more trouble than you want to bother with for gaming, maybe you'd be better off with a single ultrawide monitor. Check out our article on the pros and cons of dual displays versus a single ultrawide.
Cyberpunk 2077’s 1.5 patch adds new weapons, more apartments, various gameplay tweaks
Cyberpunk 2077 received its latest update today via patch 1.5, coming to next-gen consoles and PC, as well as PS4 and Xbox One. The patch (originally planned to release last year), addresses various technical issues while also adding in new weapons, apartments, and balancing improvements to the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 had a pretty rough time over the last year or so, but CD Projekt Red has at last managed to add in more features that were promised before the game’s launch. So far, the developer has stuck to the roadmap that was established back in January 2021, but delays did occur along the way. Furthermore, there are still a lot of improvements and free DLC’s that have yet to come, as well as larger and more substantial updates to introduce new features and storylines to the game. While Cyberpunk 2077‘s 1.5 patch doesn’t quite offer anything substantial in those regards, it does feature a few welcome changes, particularly for PC players.
Night City has ... 10 cheap or free ways to make your old PC run faster
There's a reason that unboxing videos and the phrase “new car smell” are firmly ensconced in the public groupmind. New stuff is exciting! New stuff is (theoretically) better! New stuff is just plain cool.
But new stuff also costs an arm and a leg—at least if you're talking about a new PC. And you might not even truly need a new PC to accomplish what you're looking to do, because most everyday tasks don't require much processing power, especially now that so many services have moved onto the web.
Fortunately, there are a slew of ways to breathe new life into an older PC that's starting to feel a little pokey. Even better: Most are outright free, a couple of (still relatively low-cost) hardware upgrades aside. Sure, these tweaks and tips aren't as thrilling as booting up a brand new PC for the first time—but they'll let you continue to get the job done with the gear you already have. Try them before you invest in some shockingly cheap PC upgrades or even a whole new laptop.
Streamline your startup
Let's start with the simpler things first. If your computer is chugging, too much software booting at system start may just be to blame. Before you take more drastic measures, clean up your startup by opening the Startup tab of Windows 10 or 11's Task Manager, or typing “msconfig”—minus the quotation marks—in Windows 7 and opening its Startup tab.
While you don't want to disable Windows processes, or processes related to your hardware, ruthlessly eliminate anything else that you can identify if at all possible. You wouldn't want to prevent your antivirus from launching at startup, but there's no reason for Steam or Adobe Reader to hog your system resources except for when you explicitly need them. Windows helpfully tells you how much of an impact each program has on your startup time. Take out any High-impact, non-essential programs first, then move down the list from there.
Spring cleaning pt. 1
If cutting back your boot programs doesn't do the trick, it's time to try some deeper cleaning. Eradicate any programs you don't actually use—PC makers stuff computers full of bloatware. Search for “Add or remove programs” in the Windows search box and work through the list of installed programs.
Run a security sweep while you're at it, in case malware is slowing down your system. PCWorld's guide to the best antivirus suites can help, but the Windows Security tool built right into Windows 10 and 11 does a surprisingly good job at eradicating threats. Don't bother defragmenting your storage. You shouldn't even defrag SSDs, and if you have a traditional spinning hard drive, most modern operating systems perform the task automatically.
Spring cleaning pt 2
Scrub your hardware while you're busy scrubbing all that unwanted software, too. Ideally, you want to clean out the interior of your PC once per year, but let's be honest—most people never pry open their case and blow out the dust bunny horde. Over time, the accumulated gunk can wreak havoc with temperatures inside your PC, which in turn makes your PC components either throttle back performance to compensate for the increased temperatures, or just plain struggle.
No joke: Once a family member called me over because his PC was sluggish and unresponsive. Merely cleaning out the inches of dust inside his machine made the system run like new. Check out PCWorld's guide to PC cleaning before cracking open your case. (Why not clean your keyboard while you're at it, too? It can get gnarly under those buttons.)
Reinstall Windows
Still running slow? We're running out of pure software optimization tricks now. Windows is notorious for slowing down over time. If you've never refreshed your PC with a fresh Windows install, now's the time to do it.
Back up all your critical system data, either by cobbling together native Windows tools or investing in a comprehensive Windows backup program (our current favorite is the superb Acronis True Image 2021). Make sure you have your Windows product key in hand—Belarc Advisor can help if need be—and follow this guide to slap a fresh, factory-new copy of Windows on your computer. (The article's a few years old, but the info's still good.) Be warned: If you're using a manufacturer-supplied recovery disk, you'll need to clean all the preinstalled bloatware off your machine after reinstalling Windows.
Overclock! (Or undervolt)
Don't have money for new gear? Overclocking—using software to manually speed up the clock speeds of your hardware—lets you get more out of what you already have, though most laptops lock down the capability. Assuming your desktop PC has proper cooling and a CPU that's capable of overclocking (Intel limits it to chips with a “K” designator at the end), boosting your processor and graphics card's clock speeds can have a noticeable effect on your PC's performance.
Boosting your computer processor is a manual endeavor, and our guide to overclocking your CPU can walk you through each step. It's easier on modern GeForce and Radeon graphics cards. You can choose to apply an automatic overclock to your GPU in the Wattman section of AMD's Radeon Settings tool, and Nvidia's GeForce Experience software offers an auto-overclocking feature of its own. If your software doesn't, or if you want to push your overclocks to the furthest possible limits (as auto-OC tools tend to be conservative), our guide to overclocking your graphics card manually can help.
Alternatively, if your older graphics card is running hot in your system, undervolting it could be the key to taming it, and keeping it happy for months to come. Our guide to undervolting pros and cons walks through why you should (or shouldn't) reduce the juice to your GPU.
Install an SSD
If your computer's still feeling crippled after all the software tricks, you have a couple of different options: Change out some hardware, or completely alter how you use your PC. Let's dig into the former first.
When it comes to pure performance, upgrading from a traditional hard drive to a solid-state drive is like trading in your Volkswagon Beetle for a Ferrari. Seriously: Upgrading to an SSD will utterly blow you away, supercharging everything from boot times to application launches to file transfers. This is the single most noticeable PC upgrade most people can make. An SSD can make even a clunky old laptop feel comparatively snappy, and you can find all sorts of drives going for around 10 cents per gig these days, so you can get a 500GB drive for roughly $50 to $60 if you shop around.
Pretty much any SSD will smoke even the fastest hard drives, but our roundup of the best SSDs can guide you towards the best options. We have a guide to installing an SSD in your laptop, too.
Add more RAM
Windows 10 has an impressively small footprint, but if you're running a computer with less than 8GB of RAM, it can negatively affect your performance in other ways. Memory-constrained systems are slower at gaming, slower at booting up, and can start to choke if you begin to multitask heavily (including having too many browser tabs open at once). Adding more RAM can help. You'll want to completely replace the memory in your system if you're upgrading to avoid potential conflicts, but an 8GB memory module (or an 8GB kit of two 4GB modules) can often been found for under $50 at basic speeds.
Upgrading your desktop memory is easy: Just pop out the sticks located in the slots next to the CPU in your motherboard, then swap in the new ones. Be sure you've chosen the right RAM type first, though. Notebooks can be trickier. Check out our guide to upgrading your laptop's RAM if you need help.
Switch to Linux
Sometimes it's just not worth putting new hardware into an old PC. But that doesn't make it useless! If you still need to use your aging laptop or desktop as an day-to-day actual computer, installing an operating system with a lighter footprint than Windows can help you eke more life out of an aging PC.
Linux tends to run better than Windows on less potent hardware. In fact, several Linux variants are specifically designed with ultra-minimalist requirements so they're able to run on old PCs—Puppy Linux, LXLE, and Lubuntu come to mind immediately. The transition from Windows to Linux isn't as rough as it used to be, but you'll still want to check out our beginner's guide to Linux, including the software recommendations on the last page.
Embrace cloud gaming
Linux isn't the only way you can repurpose a computer. Rather than using a pokey PC as a traditional do-it-all machine, consider giving your system a singular role if you have another PC you can use as your primary rig. Let's look at some ways you can make obsolete computers purposeful once again.
If you're a gamer, the easiest option for an old laptop is simply to use it to game while you're away from your main gaming rig. “But Brad!” I hear you wailing. “You can't game on an old PC!” Ah, but you can with a decent Internet connection. After years of teasing, the promise of cloud gaming's finally coming true, letting even the most humble computers get in on the action by streaming your gameplay from far-away servers, Netflix-style. Nvidia's GeForce Now is the best bet for PC gamers, as you BYO games by linking your existing accounts to various platforms. Better yet, there's a surprisingly full-featured free tier, as well as a killer RTX 3080 tier that unlocks top-shelf hardware, longer session times, and ultra-fast refresh rates on compatible displays and devices at $99 for six months. Check out our guide to whether GeForce Now is worth it if you have any questions.
Microsoft's killer Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also unlocks game streaming to a vast library of games as part of its $15 per month fee, though you'll be streaming the Xbox versions of those games on your PC. Here's how to get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for cheap if you want it. Other options (like Google Stadia and Amazon Luna) exist but they're less attractive, especially to PC gamers.
And there's always Steam in-home streaming if you want to use an older PC as a secondary gaming computer. Steam in-home streaming runs games on your beefy gaming rig, but beams them over your home's Wi-Fi network so you can play them on other devices. It's like cloud gaming, but right inside your home.
Fling some files
Speaking of repurposing your hardware, two common uses are to transform an old PC into a dedicated home theater PC or a file server.
It's not even that hard to do, though obviously it means your PC's email and Office days are over. Some awesome free software available for each use: Snag MediaPortal, OpenELEC, or Kodi (the new name for the uber-popular OS formerly known as XBMC) for a would-be HTPC or FreeNAS to build out a badass home server.
Bite the bullet
Sometimes, though, a system is just too far gone to be of practical use. If your old dog needs to be brought behind the shed, we can help you find a new computer. Our guides to the best laptops in general, the best laptops for college students, and the best fire-breathing gaming laptops can help point you in the right direction for your needs.
Latest Intelligence
