As part of the Windows Insider Program, Microsoft released several preview builds of Windows 11 in early July 2026, some of which introduced new features and others only improvements for existing experiences.

In the first two weeks of July, the company began the public test of the Cloud rebuild recovery feature, revealed a new design update for the account manager available through the Start menu, and made other improvements for version 26H2

In addition, Microsoft is continuing to expand previously announced features to more Insider channels, including the ability to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro Education for K-12 environments. The company is also rolling out Taskbar position and size options, along with Windows Update improvements designed to reduce the number of required restarts each month.

In the Experimental track, we've seen builds 26300.8772 and 28120.2387, and builds 28020.2380 and 26220.8764 have been released in the Beta channel.

In this recap, I'll highlight the latest and most noteworthy changes available through the Windows Insider Program.

Biggest improvements from the Windows Insider Program in July 2026

In this recap, I'll highlight the latest and most noteworthy changes available through the Windows Insider Program since my last roundup.

Cloud rebuild new feature

Starting with build 26300.8772, Windows 11 introduces a new recovery feature known as "Cloud rebuild," which has been designed to make it easier to reinstall the operating system when the computer is unable to start, or you're looking for a fresh install.

If this feature sounds familiar, it's because it's similar to the Cloud download option in Reset this PC. However, Cloud rebuild introduces a new workflow that downloads the Windows 11 installation files and drivers and performs a clean installation without requiring a bootable USB drive, a custom recovery image, or access to the desktop environment.

Cloud rebuild can be accessed from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by going to the "Troubleshoot" page and using the "Cloud rebuild" option.

Before you can use the feature, the computer must be running Windows 11 on compatible hardware, and the device must be connected to the internet using a wireless or wired connection.

Once you confirm the Windows 11 version, edition, and language, click "Install," and the system will erase the hard drive and reinstall the operating system and drivers.

Account Control flyout redesign

In the Start menu, Microsoft is also updating the Account Control flyout with build 26300.8772. The new design offers a more modern style that highlights your account information and picture.

It also highlights your Microsoft 365 subscription, cloud storage, and access to your benefits.

Backup and restore default settings

In commercial computers, starting with the preview build 26300.8772, Windows 11 is enabling the backup and restore feature policy by default for devices enrolled in a Microsoft Entra ID or Entra hybrid-joined environment.

The idea is to start the device with backup protection to make recovery smoother. For example, when a device is reset or replaced, users can quickly return to their personalized desktop without extra steps.

Of course, network administrators can always control this experience, and Microsoft notes that existing policies will remain in effect, and manually configured settings always take priority over the default behavior.

Taskbar position settings

The company is also bringing back the ability to change the Taskbar location with the release of build 28120.2387 in the Experimental channel.

This change allows users to place the Taskbar at the top of the screen, as well as at the left or right edges, rather than being limited to the bottom.

The setting appears on Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, under the "Taskbar behaviors" section. The setting is called "Taskbar position."

The company notes that flyouts, tooltips, and animations will follow the Taskbar orientation regardless of the position.

Also, most existing features will continue to work, including the option to ungroup and show labels for apps.

Furthermore, the company is updating the "Show smaller taskbar button" option to make the Taskbar smaller instead of just the buttons. (As we have already seen in other tracks, the company is expected to create a separate option to make the Taskbar smaller.)

Windows Update with fewer reboots

As part of Windows 11 build 26220.8764, the company is introducing a new unified Windows Update experience that coordinates monthly quality updates with driver, .NET, and firmware updates.

By bundling these updates into a single installation cycle whenever possible, Microsoft aims to reduce the number of restarts users experience each month, with the long-term goal of requiring just one monthly reboot.

Windows 11 Pro Education for K-12 free upgrade

Microsoft is changing the installation requirements to allow devices running Windows 11 Home to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro Education at no additional cost for K-12 education.

This change aims to give schools more flexibility when acquiring new devices. However, the company says that this is one-way only. After the upgrade, the only way to roll back to the Home edition is by performing a clean installation of the operating system.

Windows Search upgrades

Outside its regular download schedule, Microsoft recently began rolling out a slew of improvements to the Windows Search experience on devices enrolled in the Experimental channel.

First, the company is decluttering the home screen and focusing on the search experience. As part of this rollout, the Windows Search home screen only includes your recent searches, ditching the visual clutter, including those annoying advertisements.

In addition, when performing a search and a web result is more relevant, the experience will now prioritize the answer rather than products and promotions.

Microsoft is also introducing design tweaks to better indicate where each result comes from. For example, you'll find better spacing between items and interface changes when selecting a result, including thumbnail previews.

Second, you'll now have more control over search results with the options to disable web searches and Microsoft Store apps from appearing in the Windows Search experience.

However, by default, search will work as always. It's up to you to customize your search experience from Settings > Privacy & Security > Search.

Third, the search experience now improves local content and rankings, meaning local results are given higher priority in apps, settings, and files, instead of web and Microsoft Store results showing up first when there are better results.

As part of the ranking tweaks, you'll notice that searches for settings now appear higher in the results.

Fourth, Microsoft is also focusing on improving search accuracy through two specific changes. For instance, Windows Search has been updated to better handle typos, missing or extra letters, and partial words.

In addition, the feature will now show results for local files using two-character file search, and more accurately surface cloud and connected files when they're the best match.

Windows Central's Take

I think these Insider builds show Microsoft focusing on what Windows 11 has needed for a while, improving the experience instead of simply adding more features. Cloud rebuild could make recovery much less stressful, while the Windows Search changes address one of the operating system's biggest frustrations by prioritizing useful local results over web content.

The reappearance of Taskbar positioning is also a welcome change. It shows Microsoft is still paying attention to feedback and bringing back flexibility that many users have missed since Windows 11 launched.

What are your thoughts on these latest Windows 11 Insider changes? Let me know in the comments.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

It's March 31, which means it's World Backup Day, and I'm double-checking that all of my PC's most important files are safe, and encouraging you to do the same. There's no strict method for doing it in Windows 11; you could still burn a 700 MB CD or copy your smallest files to a 1.44 MB floppy disk if you really wanted to. Whatever works for you!

Of course, Microsoft offers its cloud-based OneDrive storage service, and I already pay for a Microsoft 365 Basic plan with 100GB of space. Google Drive also gives away 15GB for free, so I divide my files up by platform, depending on their type. For the most part, I prefer the OneDrive app on Android phones because it automatically backs up my photo gallery.

However, local storage will always be one step ahead of cloud services because you shouldn't lose access during any internet outage (at least in theory). For that reason, I was always tempted to try a NAS (Network Attached Storage) solution that stays within my home network, loaded with always-on hard drives as a sort of personal server.

Sure enough, UGREEN was willing to send me its affordable and capable NASync DH2300 system 3 months ago, and it didn't take me long to understand how people go down a slippery slope into full-blown homelabs, self-hosting everything. It's not like I wanted to save the entire Internet to an SSD, so would I even benefit from gigantic NAS-centric mechanical hard drives?

Well, it turns out that NAS enclosures don't really care what kind of drive you plug into them. As long as it's physically compatible, it seemed to work just fine with an everyday SATA drive that had been gathering dust in one of my storage drawers. Your mileage might vary, but I certainly didn't have any issues putting an ancient drive back into use. Still going strong.

So, wait, what on Earth does a "NAS" actually do? To many casual PC users, it's just another weird-looking gadget with another acronym for a name. Well, it's quite similar to an external hard drive, except it can connect to multiple (if not all) devices on your home network simultaneously, whether on Wi-Fi or cable-connected LAN, depending on each model.

For example, the $180 UGREEN NASync DH2300 that I tested isn't wireless, but I prefer a hard-wired Ethernet connection to my router anyway. After that, any devices connected to my Wi-Fi can access folders and files on the NAS if I grant them the proper permissions. It sounds mildly complicated, but it really isn't. Everything can be controlled in an extremely simple dashboard.

Being so straightforward, I can quickly open a browser tab in Microsoft Edge every few days, navigate to the NAS dashboard, and drag important files into the shared folders to back them up. It didn't take me long this morning to identify a few critical files and back them up over my network, so any potential (and hopefully unlikely) system failure wouldn't be so disastrous.

Still, you don't need a NAS to have physical backups. Anything works, whether it's a standard USB thumb drive or a dedicated external drive; it's a gesture you might thank yourself for later. So, please, back up your Windows 11 PC either in part or completely. Take a moment to safeguard your most important files and preserve those memories. Many won't have to spend a penny to do it!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

I'm not a NAS guy, well, I certainly wouldn't have ever considered myself one until today. I'd think, "Home servers with hundreds of terabytes of storage? What on earth could people possibly be storing?", but now I'm starting to understand after testing this entry-level UGREEN option — turns out you don't need to go all-out in some effort to rival enterprise-grade server farms.

The crux of my quaint little NAS adventure wasn't even unique, by any means. In fact, if you're even remotely interested in the category, you've probably seen the question asked a million times: Can I ditch streaming services and just digitize all of my media without burning even more money away? Yes, you can, and I did it as a novice with no notions of how you're "supposed" to use a NAS.

Yes, you are encouraged to use RAID-optimized storage drives that are explicitly designed for this situation, but I decided to dive into this hobby about a week before Christmas — no chance of ordering multi-terabyte mechanical drives in this festive chaos. So, why not throw in any old drive I have lying around and see if it works for this UGREEN NASync DH2300 review? Worth a shot.

Where can you buy the NASync DH2300?

UGREEN's broad range of cables, chargers, and other tech accessories is often available from local US retailers, but its NAS options are slightly more limited.

Easiest of all, you can pick up the NASync DH2300 from Amazon.com for $209.99 at its MSRP, though it has recently dropped as low as $167.99 in sales.

Alternatively, you can grab the DH2300 from Newegg below MSRP on occasion, and even Walmart lists this UGREEN NAS with first-party shipping.

You get a DC 12V/6A power adapter and a Cat7 Ethernet cable in the box, along with screws and a screwdriver to fit 3.5" or 2.5" SATA drives into its drive bays. It's a diskless system, so you'll need to provide your own storage, using UGREEN's compatibility list for official (but optional) guidance.

Is the NASync DH2300 a good NAS?

To say my NAS opinions are limited would be like saying your local beach is the shallow end of the ocean: I've never needed to compare individual enclosures like this. There's a proverbial iceberg of considerations that experienced enthusiasts would explain to me if I asked, but I wanted to approach this from a beginner's perspective. In that scope, the NASync DH2300 has been great.

Now, I know UGREEN recommends drives designed for home servers, like WD Red Plus, Seagate IronWolf, and Toshiba N300, but they can be an expensive commitment if you're on the fence about a NAS. I've built more custom desktop PCs than I can count, and moving exclusively to M.2 NVMe SSDs has left me with a pile of discarded but functional 2.5 and 3.5-inch drives.

Sure enough, proper NAS drives will almost certainly offer better dollar-per-terabyte value at the extreme high end, but I threw in an old WD Blue 3.5-inch mechanical drive, and it worked just fine despite never being designed for a NAS. It's not that I'm encouraging this practice, but it does work with regular drives. That might be obvious to some, but it was enlightening to me.

You can set up the DH2300 in a variety of ways, including with NFC-compatible smartphones with UGREEN's mobile app. Personally, I usually stick with browser-based dashboards for anything on my network, and that's the avenue I took by navigating to find.ugnas.com, which was laughably easy. After that, I could create folders on the NAS and drag any files I wanted directly into the browser tab.

Does the NASync DH2300 have any issues?

The NASync DH2300 only has one glaring software issue and one hardware gripe. First up, my driving goal behind this NAS experiment was to see if one of the cheapest examples could run a Jellyfin (an alternative to Plex) home media server and stream DVD, Blu-ray, and UHD backups to each device in my house. To do that, I first needed an app called Docker, which was curiously absent from the "App Center."

Now, I know that Docker was available for the DH2300 after seeing recommendations from NAS enthusiasts. UGREEN had apparently delisted it from its App Center because the 4GB of RAM in this unit isn't technically enough for its minimum requirements. Despite its removal, I can still install a Docker .upk package intended for the DH4300 Plus, and that works on the DH2300.

Otherwise, the plastic drive-bay caddies are relatively basic. They aren't toolless, so you'll need to use the screws included in the box to secure your drives. This isn't a problem; more of a reflection on its price range and the omission of luxuries, since I know that UGREEN's more expensive DXP2800 keeps it toolless. Removing Docker, however, gives it less of that "idiot proof" edge.

Should you buy the UGREEN NASync DH2300?

✅ You should buy it if..

• You want to run a basic home media server
• You're overpaying for cloud backup services
• You're interested in NAS but don't want to overspend

❌ You should not buy it if..

• You need high-end hardware transcoding
• You want to transcode media to multiple devices
• You can't run an Ethernet cable to your network

The NASync DH2300 can stream backups of my Blu-rays, stored as .mp4 files with H.264 (AVC) video and Dolby Digital (AC3) audio, without transcoding via Jellyfin to nearly every device in my house — and for that, it's perfect. Once I enable more intense streaming, CPU usage spikes, and brief hardware encoding experiments with RKMPP and VA-API both failed, so I stick with direct streams.

Again, this is a whole new world to me, and I'm perfectly happy with streaming one file at a time, finally able to watch the movies and TV shows in our physical library that have always been missing from streaming services. It's disappointing that UGREEN removed Docker from its App Center, leaving users to figure out the DH4300 Plus workaround, but it hasn't soured my opinion on the DH2300.

On Windows 11, Microsoft delivers mandatory monthly quality updates to address security vulnerabilities, enhance stability, and introduce incremental improvements. While these updates are essential to keep devices protected and supported, they can occasionally introduce unexpected issues for a small (or large) number of users.

Nearly every year, at least one cumulative update triggers significant reliability problems on certain hardware configurations. Because there's no way to predict when an update might conflict with a specific setup, completely avoiding updates is not a safe strategy. Instead, the smarter approach is to prepare your system so you can recover quickly and minimize the risk of data loss if something goes wrong.

Although feature updates are optional while your current version remains within its support lifecycle, Windows 11 will automatically download and install the next release as the end of support approaches.

In this how-to guide, I'll outline the different ways you can protect your computer from any updates that may cause problems on Windows 11.

How to protect your PC from buggy updates on Windows 11

1. Enable System Restore

System Restore is a built-in recovery feature that captures snapshots of your system's configuration and saves them as restore points. If a problem occurs, you can roll back to a previous restore point to undo system changes, including removing recent updates, without affecting your personal files.

In earlier versions of the operating system, this feature was enabled by default. On Windows 11, however, you must configure it manually.

To ensure you can quickly recover from a problematic cumulative update, enable System Restore in advance and create a restore point before installing any new updates.

Turn on System Restore

To enable System Restore on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the System Properties page.
3. Select the main "System" drive under the "Protection Settings" section.
4. Click the Configure button.

5. Select the "Turn on system protection" option.

6. Click the Apply button.
7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will be enabled on your computer.

Although the feature should create restore points automatically upon specific triggers, such as installing a system update or driver, this is not always the case. As a result, it's recommended to create a restore point manually before making system changes.

Create a restore point

To create a restore point before installing a cumulative update, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Create a restore point, and click the top result to open the System Properties page.
3. Click the Create button under the "Protection Settings" section.

4. Confirm a descriptive name for the restore point – for example, Before the August 2025 update.
5. Click the Create button.

6. Click the Close button.
7. Click the OK button.
8. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, you can proceed with the installation of a new update, knowing you can undo the changes if anything happens.

If you must undo the changes, you can check my previous guide to set up and recover a computer using System Restore.

2. Enable Quick Machine Recovery

Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) is a relatively new capability designed to automatically help Windows 11 recover from critical boot failures.

When the feature is enabled, and the device fails to start properly due to a faulty update or another startup issue, the system can connect to the internet, upload diagnostic logs to Microsoft, and download a targeted fix through Windows Update, if one is available. This process is designed to restore boot functionality without requiring manual intervention.

QMR has been available since the August 2025 Security Update for version 24H2 and later releases. It is enabled by default on Windows 11 Home, but on Windows 11 Pro, you must enable it manually.

Microsoft is also working on changing this behavior so that Quick Machine Recovery is enabled by default on Windows 11 Pro devices, provided they are not managed by an organization.

To configure the Quick Machine Recovery feature on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Recovery page on the right side.

4. Click the Quick machine recovery setting.

5. Turn on the "Quick machine recovery" toggle switch to enable the feature.

6. Turn on the "Continue search if a solution isn’t found" toggle switch to control the feature behavior.
7. Choose how long the system has to wait before checking for fixes using the "Look for solutions every" setting.
8. Select when to restart the device to repeat the process using the "Restart every" setting.

Once you complete the steps, if you receive a buggy update that won't let the computer boot correctly, the Quick Machine Recovery feature will start automatically to download and apply any available fixes (if applicable).

Microsoft says that this is a "best-effort" feature, meaning that it won't work on every boot problem.

You can also check my comprehensive guide to set up and use Quick Machine Recovery on Windows 11.

3. Uninstall problematic update

If a cumulative update is known to cause issues, and you still have access to the desktop, consider uninstalling the update until a permanent solution is released.

On Windows 11, you can uninstall a cumulative update from the desktop or recovery environment.

From Settings

If you still have access to the desktop, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Windows Update.
3. Click the Update history page.

4. Click the Uninstall updates setting under the "Related settings" section.

5. Click the Uninstall option for the buggy update.

6. Click the Restart now button (if applicable).

After you complete the steps, open the "Windows Update" page again through the Settings app, and under the "More options" section, click the "Pause for 1 week" button to prevent the system from reinstalling the same update again. If the setting offers more time, choose the longest period, such as four or five weeks.

From Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

If you don't have access to a desktop and the Quick Machine Recovery feature didn't work, you can still uninstall the most recent update with these instructions:

1. Start PC.
2. As soon as the Windows logo appears, press and hold the power button to interrupt the boot sequence.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 two more times.
4. Click the Advanced Startup option.
5. Click the Troubleshoot option.
6. Click on Advanced options.
7. Click the Uninstall Updates option.

8. Click the "Uninstall latest quality update" option.

9. Sign in using your administrator credentials (if applicable).
10. Click the "Uninstall quality update" button.

Once you complete the steps, the system will uninstall the most recent update, which in this case, should be the one causing the problem.

4. Disable automatic updates

On Windows 11, you can turn off updates in at least three ways. You can use the pause option within the "Windows Update" settings to temporarily prevent the system from downloading updates. Alternatively, you can permanently turn off the automatic mechanism and opt to trigger the update process manually.

From Settings

To temporarily disable automatic updates, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Windows Update.
3. Click the "Pause for 1 week" button to turn off automatic updates.

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 will stop downloading updates automatically for at least one week, which may be enough time for a newer update to address the current issue.

From Group Policy

To turn off automatic Windows 11 updates permanently from Group Policy, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for gpedit.msc and click the top result to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. Navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > Manage end user experience
4. Double-click the "Configure Automatic Updates" policy on the right side.

5. Check the Disabled option to turn off automatic updates permanently on Windows 11.

6. Click the Apply button.
7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will stop automatically downloading and installing updates.

At any time, you can update the system manually by opening Settings > Windows Update and clicking the "Check for updates" button.

If you want to re-enable automatic updates, follow the same instructions outlined above, but in step 5, select the "Not Configured" option.

If you want to use the Registry or don't have access to the Group Policy Editor because you're using Windows 11 Home, you can refer to my comprehensive guide on how to disable Windows Update on your computer.

5. Create full computer backup

Another effective way to protect your system and personal data is to create proactive backups of your computer.

As a best practice, you should back up your device regularly, ideally at least once a week. However, it's especially important to perform a full backup before installing a new cumulative or feature update. If the update causes serious issues, you can restore the entire system to its previous working state.

If you use third-party backup software, you can rely on that solution. Otherwise, Windows 11 still includes the legacy System Image Backup tool, which allows you to create a complete backup of your installation to external storage.

To create a full backup, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click on System and Security.
4. Click the "Backup and Restore" setting.

5. Click the "System Image Backup" option from the bottom-left corner.

6. Select the "On a hard disk" option.
7. Use the "On a hard disk" drop-down menu and select the Windows 11 full backup destination.

8. Click the Next button.
9. (Optional) Select any additional drives to include in the backup.
10. Click the Next button.
11. Click the Start backup button.

12. Click the No button.

• Quick note: You'll also receive a prompt to create a system repair disc, but you can skip it. If you need to roll back to a previous installation, you can use a USB installation media to access the recovery settings.

13. Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, you will have a way to recover your computer and files in case an update breaks the installation.

If something happens and you have to recover from a previous backup, you can refer to my previous guide on backing up and restoring Windows 11.

In addition to using the System Image tool, you can alternatively use the "Backup and Restore" feature. On Windows 11, this feature allows you to set up daily automatic backups of the operating system and your files.

Once it's configured, it'll create an initial full backup and then continue creating incremental backups according to the schedule you have selected.

Furthermore, you should also complement your recovery plan with a file backup, which can be easily done using OneDrive or another cloud service.

Of course, you can always copy your files manually to an external storage, or you may use third-party tools.

Additional tips for updating the system

Although updates are essential for maintaining security and stability, you don’t always need to install them the moment they become available. Unless a release addresses a critical vulnerability that affects your system, it’s wise to delay installation for at least a couple of weeks. This waiting period allows time for widespread issues to surface and for Microsoft to resolve them if necessary.

You can temporarily pause updates from the Windows Update settings page to prevent automatic installation. If you choose to hold off, avoid clicking the "Check for updates" button, as this action can immediately trigger the download and installation of the latest release.

Before proceeding with any update, review the official Windows release health dashboard to check for known issues, safeguard holds, or compatibility blocks that may affect your device.

Additionally, once an update has been installed and is pending a restart, you can defer the reboot for up to several days. Delaying the restart provides a valuable window to create backups and prepare recovery options in case the update introduces unexpected problems.

FAQs about protecting PC from buggy update

These are common questions regarding the steps to protect a computer from a buggy update.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

As part of the Windows Insider Program, in June 2025, Microsoft released at least ten preview builds (including three in the Beta, three in Dev, and two in the Canary Channels) with a slew of new features and changes expected to roll out to users throughout the year.

In the Beta Channel, we've seen:

• 26120.4230
• 26120.4250
• 26120.4441
• 26120.4452

In the Dev Channel:

• 26200.5622
• 26200.5641
• 26200.5651
• 26200.5661

And in the Canary Channel:

• 27871
• 27881

As part of these updates, the software giant introduced various improvements to its AI features, such as better handling of queries when using the AI agent in the Settings app. Windows Recall gained the ability to export and reset your data. Also, the company added new AI actions to Click to Do.

In the Notification Center, the development is building an option to show the time in seconds, similar to the experience on Windows 10.

Also, the company is testing a new Start menu design that unifies the list of installed apps with the section pins, the Windows Share interface offers a new image compression option, and the Windows Backup gets a feature to transfer your files, apps, and settings from your old to your new computer.

In this guide, I'll outline the most interesting features and changes that Microsoft has officially been working on during the month of June for Windows 11.

Top 10 features and changes available through the Windows 11 Insider Program

These builds also include a slew of other minor improvements and changes, but I focused on the ones that stood out the most to me.

1. Settings app with AI agent

Although the company announced the AI agent for the Settings app back in May, in the latest wave of updates, the feature has received an update to make the agent more accurate in surfacing the correct answer.

On Windows 11, the AI agent in the Settings app is a tool that works in the search box, allowing you to describe the problem or the settings you want to adjust using natural language, and the AI will understand the intent with an option to automate the task.

For example, if you search for "my mouse pointer is too small," you will receive a suggestion to allow the AI agent to increase the pointer size.

Also, the search box now appears in the top-center of the app rather than on the left navigation pane.

While the AI agent is only available for Copilot+ PCs, the centered search box design appears across every device.

The AI agent update and the new search box's new alignment have been available since build 26200.5651.

2. Windows Recall export, reset, and homepage

In June 2025, the Windows Recall experience received a number of interesting changes.

On Windows 11, builds 26200.5661 and 26120.4452 introduced an updated version of the "Recall" app that includes a new homepage and left navigation pane.

Aside from the current date and search box, the homepage groups your recent activities and top-used content on the page to make it easier to find. Also, the settings menu is now accessible from the navigation pane.

Also, on builds 26200.5651 and 26120.4441, the company introduces an option to export the Recall snapshots to be shared with third-party apps and websites.

This option is available only for users in Europe, and when you first open the Recall app, you will be able to get a unique code to export your data from the new "Advanced settings" page available on the "Recall & snapshots" page.

If you want to use this feature, the settings page offers two options, including "Export past snapshots" and "Export snapshots from now on."

The first option is to export your data from last week, last month, or all your snapshots. On the other hand, the second option continues to export snapshots from the time you turn it on.

According to the company, the feature exports the snapshots in an encrypted form, and you will have to provide the export code to decrypt the data to make them accessible from other apps or websites.

It's important to note that the export code will be shown only once, and Microsoft doesn't store this information, so the only way to generate a new code is to reset the feature.

Finally, another related feature that Microsoft added is the ability to reset the Windows Recall feature with a single button. The option is available from the new "Advanced settings" page available on the "Recall & snapshots" page.

When you click the "Reset Recall" button, the system will delete all the Windows Recall data and settings, and it'll turn off the feature completely.

3. Clock in Notification Center

Since build 26200.5661 and build 26120.4452, Microsoft has also been testing a new setting that brings the full clock with seconds to the Notification Center.

If you're in the latest preview of the operating system in the Dev or Beta Channel, you can show the time using the "Show time in the Notification Center" available from the "Date & time" settings page.

4. Click to Do new actions

In previous builds, Microsoft has also been focusing on the Click to Do feature for Copilot+ PCs.

On build 26200.5651, the company updated the actions to include a new "Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot" option to send selected text or images to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.

In addition, the company has been testing the "Send a message with Teams" and "Schedule a meeting with Teams" actions to make it easier to take from an email address.

5. New Start menu redesign

On Windows 11 build 26200.5641, the software giant officially unveiled a new Start menu design that unifies the "All" menu with the "Pinned" section into one scrollable interface.

As part of the new design, you'll notice a bigger interface that adapts to the screen size and can hold up to eight apps in a single row in the "Pinned" section. Also, by default, the "Pinned" section shows two rows of apps.

In the "Recommended" section, you can now see up to three apps or files per row with up to two rows.

Also, and perhaps more importantly, Microsoft is making it possible to remove the recommendations by turning off the recommended files in Start, recently added apps, most used apps, and recommendations for tips through the updated "Start" settings page.

The "All" section shows a list of your installed applications in a "Category" view that groups similar apps together.

It's important to note that the system has to find at least three apps with similar categories to create a group. Otherwise, the app will be added to the "Other" group.

As a result of these changes, Microsoft is also updating the "Start" page, which now removes the "Layouts" settings and adds a new option always to show all the apps in the "Pinned" section.

Furthermore, Microsoft is adding a new button in the top-right corner of the Start menu to toggle the mobile sidebar on and off.

6. Narrator Screen Curtain

As part of the accessibility changes this month, Microsoft introduced "Screen Curtain," a new feature designed to improve privacy for users who rely on screen reading.

When using "Screen Curtain," the screen will go black to ensure that nothing is shown on the display and that only the user can see the contents through the Windows Narrator feature.

You can access the "Screen Curtain" feature with the "Caps + Ctrl + C" shortcut while Windows Narrator is on, and you can use the same shortcut to turn it off.

7. Windows Backup transfer files to new PC feature

Also, in the Beta and Dev Channels, the company has been testing a new feature in the "Windows Backup" app to help you transfer your files and settings to a new computer.

You can access the feature by launching the "Windows Backup" app on the old and the new computer, choosing the "Transfer to a new PC" option from the old device, and then entering the name of your old device in the new computer, and continuing with the on-screen directions.

In future updates, you will be able to transfer your files and settings to a new computer from the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE).

Microsoft plans to end the support of Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, so it's not surprising that this feature will also be available in the older version of the operating system.

8. Quick Machine Recovery new settings page

On Windows 11, Microsoft is building a new recovery feature known as Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) that allows the system to detect, diagnose, and resolve critical problems, especially when a system update breaks the setup and your computer cannot boot.

The feature works from the Windows Recovery Environment, and when a problem is detected, the system will scan, download, and apply the resolution from the Microsoft servers.

Starting on builds 26200.5622 and 26120.4230, Microsoft continues to make progress with the feature, and now, it's adding a dedicated page in the Settings app to manage the feature, including the options to control how the system scans for fixes.

The new page is known as "Quick machine recovery," and it's available through the "Recovery" settings page in the Settings app.

If you're a network administrator, the company makes this feature configurable through the Microsoft Intune solution.

9. Windows Share Compression and "Open With" Store suggestions

As part of the Windows Share experience, the development teams have added two new changes during the month of June.

First, starting with build 26200.5622, the team updated the context menu for the "Open With" menu, and it now shows app recommendations from the Microsoft Store suitable to open the file in question.

You will know the app is a suggestion because it will include a Microsoft Store icon next to it.

Also, on build 27881, the Windows Share interface adds an option to compress image files before sending. This feature offers three compression options, including low, medium, and high.

10. Gamepad layout in touch keyboard

Finally, during the month of June, Microsoft introduced design changes to the Gamepad layout for the touch keyboard with support for entering your account PIN through the Lock Screen.

In other words, starting with builds 26200.5641 and 26120.4250, you can now use your Xbox Controller to sign into Windows 11.

Some of these features and enhancements may also be available across channels, depending on when you're reading this article. At this time, most of the changes available in the Dev Channel can also be found in the Canary Channel.

Microsoft is working on bringing more significant improvements to the Canary Channel.

What's the feature you find most interesting during this wave of updates? Let me know in the comments.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

If you have multiple machines you like to game on, keeping a backup of your Steam Library on an external SSD is a smart move. Because you can add a library file from any directory, you can use this SSD to hook up to a desktop, a laptop, and a handheld like the ROG Ally. That's what I do, and I do with the Samsung T7. And for Black Friday, a 2TB Samsung T7 is down to $139.99 at Amazon, making it a smart buy for all PC gamers out there.

🔥The hottest Black Friday deals🔥

• 💽Zotac RTX 4080 SUPER AMP GPU | $989.99 at Newegg
• 💻Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC | $849.99 at Best Buy
• 💽MSI Ventus 2X E1 OC RTX 4070 GPU | $469.99 at Newegg
• 🎮Razer Wolverine V3 Pro controller | $199 at Amazon
• 💽 AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU | $194.99 at Newegg (with free 1TB SSD)
• 🕹️Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightdeck | $299.99 at Amazon
• 💻Microsoft Surface Pro 11 Copilot+ PC | $866 at Amazon

Large capacity in a tiny drive, perfect for a game library

I first started keeping a backup of my Steam Library way back when I started reviewing gaming laptops. Adding the folder from an external drive into Steam for testing purposes was so much more efficient than waiting forever to download titles on my then horrendously slow internet.

You can also do this with some other game launchers, the big "no" being anything you download from the Microsoft Store or Xbox Game Pass. But my Steam Library is about 300 strong, and it's where the vast majority of my PC games currently live, so it's the one I care about the most.

Even today, having fast internet, I still keep a Samsung T7 loaded up with Steam games. My gaming laptop currently only has 1TB of storage, my desktop 2TB, but in both cases, a lot of space is used up by non-gaming.

The Samsung T7 with its USB 3.2 capabilities is fast enough to either copy across games as I need them, or just hook it up and use it as if it were any other drive on my system. And copying a Steam Library to a different drive is a simple copy and paste affair.

2TB for $140 on a T7 isn't the cheapest it's ever been, but it's still a great discount and a ton of portable storage. You don't have to use it for games, of course, it's just a blank drive at the end of the day. It's also a great choice to use with your Xbox console, so long as it's not for Series X|S optimized games. Ultimately, if you've got a lot of data you need to store, this is a superb SSD to get.

🍁More great Black Friday deals🦃

• Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
• Walmart: Early savings on practically everything
• Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
• Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
• HP: Save big on laptops, desktops, accessories, and more
• Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on all Lenovo PCs, monitors, accessories, and more
• Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
• Razer: Take advantage of free shipping for a limited time
• Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
• Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine

As part of the Windows 11 2023 Update (23H2) , Microsoft is introducing the "Windows Backup" app. The idea is to make available another way to help users protect their data in the cloud while at the same time helping developers increase customer retention when switching devices by making it easier for users to restore their applications.

The Windows Backup app is available through the Start menu, and it allows you to configure a backup for your files, settings, credentials, and apps to your OneDrive account. Although the app is new, the ability to back up your data to the cloud is not, since users have been able to access these features from the "Windows Backup" page in the Settings app for a long time. 

In fact, if you already have the features turned on in the Settings app, in the Windows Backup app, they will be labeled as "Backed up."

This how-to guide will teach you the steps to get started with the new Windows Backup app rolling out with Windows 11 version 23H2.

How to configure new backup app on Windows 11

To back up your files, settings, apps, and credentials from Windows 11 to the cloud, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Windows Backup and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click the Folders setting.
4. Turn on the Folders toggle switch to back up your profile folders to the cloud, including Desktop, Documents, and Pictures.

• Quick note: If the setting reads "Backed up," the data is already backed up to the cloud because you configured the settings in the "Windows Backup" settings page.

5. Click the Apps setting.
6. Turn on the "Quick access apps on any Windows device" toggle switch.

6. Click on Settings.
7. Turn on the settings to include in the backup, such as accessibility, language preferences and dictionary, personalization, and other settings.

• Quick tip: Usually, you want to back up all of your settings.

9. Click the Credentials setting.
10. Turn on the "Wi-Fi networks & passwords" toggle switch.

11. Click the Back up button.
12. Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the system will upload your profile folders to your OneDrive account in the root folder, where you can access your files anytime from anywhere.

The Windows Backup will also create an inventory of your applications, including those from the Microsoft Store and those you installed outside the Store (such as legacy Win32 apps). This process will also record their places in the Start menu and Taskbar. 

It's interesting to note that from the app, you can only choose to back up the Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders, while from the Settings app, you can choose to upload the Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos folders.

How to restore data from backup on Windows 11

Unlike traditional backup solutions, the Windows Backup app is not meant to perform a complete system restoration. The app doesn't even have an interface to restore a specific file, setting, app, or credential. Instead, you would access your files directly from OneDrive, and for everything else, you only have the option to restore them during the initial setup process.

To restore your data created with the Windows Backup app during the Out-of-box Experience, use these steps:

1. Choose the region that applies to you.
2. Click the Yes button.

3. Select the keyboard language that applies to you.
4. Click the Yes button.

5. Click the Skip button.
6. Confirm a name for the device (if applicable). 
7. Click the Next button.

8. Choose the "Set up for personal use" option. 

• Quick note: This option is only available through the Windows 11 Pro setup.

9. Click the Sign in button.

10. Confirm your Microsoft account.
11. Click the Next button.
12. Under the "Restore from your PC backup" section, click the "Restore from this PC" button.

13. Continue with on-screen directions to complete the setup.

After you complete the steps, the system will complete the setup, restoring your files, settings, credentials, and apps in the new installation.

Once on the desktop, the files will be available through Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders, but from the OneDrive location through File Explorer. The apps will appear in the Start and the same location in the Taskbar, but they won't be installed on the computer. Instead, when you click the app, Windows 11 will install it on demand from the Microsoft Store. In the case of non-Microsoft Store apps, when trying to open an app, you'll be directed to the website where you can download the installer.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources: 

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

TL;DR: How to backup your Windows 11 PC

• Attach an external USB drive, open Control Panel, click System and Security, then Backup and Restore, and finally System image backup.
• Choose "On a hard disk," select your USB drive, click Next, optionally include other drives, then Start backup.

On Windows 11, creating a full backup is one of the most effective ways to safeguard your system and personal files from unexpected disasters. Whether it’s a hardware failure, system upgrade issue, malware attack, or file corruption, a full backup ensures you can quickly recover without losing important data or spending hours reconfiguring your device.

If you don't have a proper backup, you're at risk of losing irreplaceable content, such as family photos, work documents, and custom system settings you've spent time perfecting.

While the web offers countless third-party solutions for backing up files, either online or to an external drive, Windows 11 still includes a built-in feature called "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)". This feature allows you to create a system image and store it on a USB external drive.

A system image is essentially a complete snapshot of your computer. It includes an exact copy of your current Windows installation, along with system settings, installed applications, and most importantly, your personal files. This type of backup is particularly valuable when:

• Upgrading to a new version of the operating system and needing a fallback option.
• Replacing or upgrading your hard drive.
• Recovering from a major system failure or malware infection.

Unlike file-only backups, a full system image enables you to restore your entire computer environment exactly as it was, minimizing downtime.

In this how-to guide, I'll outline the steps to create a full backup with your custom settings, apps, files, and Windows 11 setup files.

Important: Microsoft no longer maintains the backup feature, but you can still use it to create a temporary full backup while it's still available.

How to create backup on Windows 11

The Backup and Restore feature lets you create a system image of the entire system and files to an external hard drive or network folder location. However, this guide will look at the steps to create a backup to a USB storage (with enough space) since it's the most convenient process for most users.

To create a full backup on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click on System and Security.
4. Click the "Backup and Restore" setting.

5. Click the "System Image Backup" option from the bottom-left corner.

6. Select the "On a hard disk" option.
7. Use the "On a hard disk" drop-down menu and select the Windows 11 full backup destination.

8. Click the Next button.
9. (Optional) Select any additional drives to include in the backup.
10. Click the Next button.
11. Click the Start backup button.

12. Click the No button.

• Quick note: You'll also receive a prompt to create a system repair disc, but you can skip it. If you need to roll back to a previous installation, you can use a USB installation media to access the recovery settings.

13. Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, a backup of the entire system will be created with everything on the primary hard drive and other drives you may have selected.

The tool uses the "Shadow Copy" feature to back up files even if they are open and apps are running, which means you can continue working during this process. After the backup is complete, disconnect and store the drive safely.

How to restore backup on Windows 11

In case of a hardware failure or upgrading the system drive, you can use a previous backup to restore the device installation.

Whenever you restore a backup, avoid interrupting the process, as it will cause the backup to fail, and the computer will no longer boot. If you want to avoid problems, it's recommended to maintain the laptop connected to a power source and a desktop connected to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

To restore a Windows 11 backup, connect the drive with the backup and a Windows 11 bootable USB flash drive, and use these steps:

1. Start the computer.
2. On the USB bootable drive startup prompt, press any key to continue.

• Quick tip: If the computer doesn't start in the Windows Setup wizard, you'll need to access the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to change the boot order settings. However, since these steps vary by manufacturer and device model, it's recommended to check your manufacturer's support website for more specific details.

3. On the "Windows Setup" page, click the Next button.

4. Click the Next button again.

4. Click the "Repair my PC" option.

5. Click the Next button.
6. Select the keyboard layout to continue.
7. Click the Troubleshoot option.
8. Click the "System Image Recovery" option.

7. Confirm the BitLocker recovery key to access the encrypted (if applicable).
8. Click the Continue button.
9. Select the Windows 11 option.
10. On the "Re-image your computer" page, select the "Use the latest available system image" option.

• Quick tip: Use the "Select a system image" option to restore an older version of the setup (if applicable).

9. Click the Next button.
10. (Optional) Select the "Format and repartition disks" option before restoring the backup.

• Quick tip: If you choose this option, use the "Exclude disks" option to prevent formatting the secondary drives that may contain data. Usually, you only want to use this option on new drives.

11. (Optional) Check the "Only restore system drivers" option.
12. Click the Next button.

13. Click the Finish button.

14. Click the Yes button.

After completing the steps, the system will begin the recovery process. The time it takes to restore your system depends on the size of the backup and your device’s hardware configuration.

Once the restoration is complete, your system may be missing recent updates. To ensure everything is up to date, go to Settings > Windows Update and click “Check for updates” to install the latest patches and drivers.

While there are many third-party backup tools available, the built-in System Image Backup feature on Windows 11 (and 10) still offers distinct advantages. For example:

• Before upgrading to a new version of Windows 11, creating a system image gives you a reliable rollback point.
• If you're making significant system changes, a backup lets you quickly revert to a known-good state.
• When replacing your hard drive, a system image allows you to transfer the full installation, including apps and files, without a clean reinstall.

In general, it's a smart practice to regularly create full backups. A recent backup can be a lifesaver if your system fails, falls victim to malware or ransomware, or becomes compromised by a malicious individual.

However, it's important to understand the limitations. For example, the System Image Backup feature is designed to restore the entire system, not individual files. If you only want to protect personal files and documents, consider using OneDrive or File History instead.

Lastly, keep in mind that a backup only includes the data that was on your system at the time the backup was made. Any files or changes added afterward won’t be saved. That’s why it’s important to back up your computer regularly to avoid losing anything important.

FAQs

More Windows resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Network-attached storage (NAS) enclosures make it possible to conveniently back up Windows 10 PCs with very little effort, allowing you to safeguard your data. You don't require the best NAS for home to set up backups for your PC, and this guide will work with most NAS enclosures from QNAP.

How to back up Windows 10 to a QNAP NAS

It's important to back up your Windows 10 PCs just in case something goes wrong, and using a NAS is a great way to store these images in an easily accessible, yet secured location. Ensure your QNAP NAS is up and running before using this guide.

1. Download and install QNAP's NetBak Replicator.
2. Open NetBak Replicator and select your region.

3. Click Apply.
4. Click Start.
5. Select your QNAP NAS from the list.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the shared folder to store backups (or create a new one).
8. Click Next.
9. Enter your QNAP NAS credentials. (Checking "Remember username and password" will allow the app to automatically log you in.)
10. Click Finish.

NetBak Replicator will present a few options once connected to a QNAP NAS. You can instantly back up your Windows 10 machine, restore using a previously saved backup, or configure various options like automated backups and what should be sent to the QNAP NAS.

If you'd rather not use an application to handle backups, you can configure Windows 10 to automatically save copies of your files on the QNAP NAS by using the built-in backup tool. You'll need the network location, as well as user credentials to set everything up.

It's incredibly important to back up your Windows 10 PC. Traditionally, we had to use external storage mediums like discs and USB drives to achieve this and while external drives are still a viable option, you can also back up Windows 10 automatically using a NAS.

How to back up Windows 10

Before we cover the two methods of backing up your Windows 10 installation, you'll need to make sure the ASUSTOR NAS is mapped within Windows as a network drive.

File History

File History is a tool in Windows 10 that copies files to an external location. This way, should your main drives fail, Windows 10 self-destructs, or you happen to accidentally delete a file, you have access to additional copies.

1. Hit Windows Key + Q to bring up the search.
2. Type in "backup".
3. Choose Backup settings.
4. Select More options.
5. Choose See advanced settings.
6. Select Add network location.

7. Choose a folder on the network drive. (It's a good idea to add a dedicated folder.)
8. Choose Select folder.
9. Hit OK.

File History could then be configured to exclude specific folders and how frequent backups are made. If you want to access files saved using this tool, simply launch File History.

Backup and Restore

File History may be enough for some, but doing this alone may not safeguard against other issues, which is where the traditional Backup and Restore tool comes into play. Here's how to use it:

1. In the window for File History, select System image backup in the lower left.
2. Choose set up back-up.
3. Select Save on network.
4. Hit Browse and choose a location on the NAS.
5. Enter your username and password.
6. Hit Next
7. Choose whether or not you want Windows to handle everything.
8. Hit Next.
9. Confirm everything and choose Save settings and run backup.

Windows 10 should now start backing up to the best ASUSTOR NAS. This area is where you can also apply backups to restore previous system states. If you'd rather use a third-party tool to handle backups, many have support for Synology NAS and other units. Regardless, it's best to back up everything on your PC.

The CyberPower 1500VA Battery Back-Up System has dropped to $139.99 at Best Buy. This is part of Best Buy's deals of the day, and the price is only temporary. You can find a very similar price through Staples, but most other retailers are selling it for around $155 or more, with some like Micro Center going as high as $160.

CyberPower's system comes with 10 surge protected outlets. Five of those are connected to a battery backup. You'll also get ports for connecting your phone line, coaxial cables, and Ethernet. It even has a couple of widely spaced outlets so you can use gear with larger power adapters. There are two 5V 2.1-amp USB ports on the front that you can use to plug in your mobile device like a smartphone or a tablet. It charges the device and keeps it safe.

Protect everything from power surges. The 890-joule rating means the system can absorb a huge amount of energy to protect your equipment and keep the unit safe, too. The system uses a GreenPower UPS Bypass design that allows stable power to pass through the transfromer for minimized energy consumption, preventing noise and heat buildup and allowing you to operate your stuff without a noticable difference in operation noise.

You'll also get automatic voltage regulation for consistent AC power and protection from overvoltage. The system uses line interactive topology and an autotransformer to regulate low voltage without switching to battery power. The simulated sine wave output generates a stepped, approximated sine wave for power.

CyberPower backs up this system's performance with a $500,000 connected equipment guarantee and a three-year limited warranty.

What you need to know

• Today is World Backup Day
• A backup can help you restore files from a device with little hassle.
• Many people don't back up their files and devices.

Today is World Backup Day, a day to make sure you don't lose access to your important files. According to Worldbackupday.com, 30 percent of people have never backed up their data, and only one in four people make regular backups of their data. You can back data up to the cloud or a physical storage device like a hard drive.

A backup can come in handy in a number of situations. If you lose a device and don't have a backup, your files are gone forever. A device can also get damaged, making files inaccessible. Files can also be deleted by accident by yourself or on purpose by a hacker. You can also backup more than files by creating a clone or image of a hard drive to save everything from your PC, including its operating system, settings, and its files. A backup makes it easy to restore your data and get back on track. Having a backup can make a horribly stressful situation into a minor inconvenience.

Backing up data isn't limited to computers. You can back up your phone, your Xbox One, and of course, your PC. Here are some useful guides we have to make sure you don't lose your data.

• How to make a full backup of your Windows 10 PC
• How to backup your PC automatically on Windows 10
• 6 easy and effective ways to back up your PC
• How to move Xbox One games to Xbox One X using an external hard drive
• Best online cloud backup services in 2020
• How to back up your Android phone in 2020
• How to back up your iPhone or iPad

You can store backups in a number of ways, including the cloud, a USB drive, a hard drive, or even a DVD. Backing things up to the cloud is convenient and keeps files on servers that you can access remotely. But a physical backup ensures that you have a copy even if you aren't connected to the web and can be kept in a safe or lockbox. Here are some collections to help you pick a hard drive for your PC or Xbox One backup.

• Best External Hard Drives
• Best External Hard Drives and SSDs for Xbox One

Creating backups and setting up regularly occurring backups can take a bit of time, but it ultimately saves you time. It also saves your important files and potentially a wasted day as you try to restore or locate copies of your important data.

As well as backing up important Windows installations and making sure all your files have a redundant copy, there's nothing worse than losing photos and videos of sacred moments in your life. We're going to run you through how to configure a Synology Network Attached Storage to automatically backup media from your smartphone. It's really easy, and you have a few options available.

See at Amazon

Synchronizing clouds

The easiest way to configure the backup of photos and videos taken on your smartphone to your home NAS is to synchronize everything saved to popular clouds services like OneDrive and Google Drive. This is also the option you'll wish to go with should you already rely on a cloud service for storing files from a smartphone.

Synology allows you to have all this configured using just the Cloud Sync app. Simply follow the below instructions, and you'll have copies of photos and videos transferred across from popular cloud storage solutions.

1. Log into your NAS using your favorite web browser.
2. Download and install Cloud Sync (if not already installed) using the Package Center.
3. Open Cloud Sync.

4. Select the cloud storage service.
5. Log in using your credentials.

6. Configure how you wish the NAS to synchronize the files:
   • Local path: Where all the synchronized files will be stored.
   • Remote patch: The folder you wish to synchronize from the cloud service. ("Root" saves everything.)
   • Sync direction: Select how you wish for the NAS to synchronize with the service.
7. Click "Schedule settings" to control when the synchronization task runs.

And you're all set! You can use this to save just photos and video or all files, depending on what you have stored on the cloud server, as well as which root path you choose. You can even stack the scheduled tasks by connecting multiple cloud services, keeping all your data in a single location.

Saving from the phone

1. Download DS Cloud for Android or iOS.
2. Open the app and fill in your NAS details.
3. Select the server folder to sync.
4. Hit next.
5. Select the local folder to sync.
6. Hit next.
7. Configure the synchronization profile.
8. Hit OK.

Your smartphone should now begin synchronizing all selected files with the NAS unit, and by using the QuickConnect connection, you will be able to achieve this from anywhere with a network connection.

Related resources

• How to get started with the Synology DS218+
• How to back up Windows 10 to a Synology NAS
• 5 cool and creative ways to use NAS
• Best NAS for the Home in 2018

Backing up your Windows 10 installation regularly is a good practice. Here's how to do it with a Synology Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. We've covered backing up Windows 10 in the past, using discs and other removable media, but being able to do it automatically across the network to a NAS unit makes the whole process much more convenient.

To use a Synology NAS as a viable location to save system images, you first need to ensure you have it all connected correctly. In our comprehensive guide to configuring a Synology NAS with Windows, it takes but a few seconds to add the NAS as a virtual drive within File Explorer (look at "Mapping in Windows"). Once that's done, just follow these steps.

File History

File History is a new tool in Windows 10 that doesn't necessarily back up everything, but instead it copies files and saves them to an external location. This way, should your main drives fail, Windows 10 self-destruct, or you happen to accidentally delete a file, you have access to versions. Here's how to use it:

1. Hit Windows Key + Q to bring up the search.
2. Type in "backup".
3. Choose Backup settings.
4. Select More options.
5. Choose See advanced settings.
6. Select Add network location.

7. Choose a folder on the network drive. (It's a good idea to add a dedicated folder.)
8. Choose Select folder.
9. Hit OK.

You can now configure the File History feature by excluding specific folders and choosing how often files are copied across. This neat tool will allow you to access a full history of all files saved to protect against system failure. In order to access saved files, use Windows search and type in "File History."

Backup and Restore

File History may be enough for some, but doing this alone may not safeguard against other issues, which is where the traditional Backup and Restore tool comes into play. Here's how to use it:

1. In the window for File History, select System image backup in the lower left.
2. Choose set up back-up.
3. Select Save on network.
4. Hit Browse and choose a location on the NAS.
5. Enter your username and password.
6. Hit Next
7. Choose whether or not you want Windows to handle everything.
8. Hit Next.
9. Confirm everything and choose Save settings and run backup.

Windows 10 should now start backing up to the Synology NAS. This area is where you can also apply backups to restore previous system states. If you'd rather use a third-party tool to handle backups, many have support for Synology NAS and other units. Regardless, it's best to back up everything on your PC.

Related resources

• What you need to know when selecting a Synology NAS
• 3 hard drives that pair perfectly with any NAS
• How to get started with the Synology DS218+
• How to make a full backup of your Windows 10 PC
• How to backup your PC automatically on Windows 10

I like Dell. My most used products are all Dell. My laptop is an XPS 13, my tablet is a Venue 8 Pro and my monitor also bears the badge. But I don't particularly like this message which appeared today alongside an update of the company's Backup and Recovery app. The update is supposed to be for Windows 10, allowing you to backup your stuff, create a recovery image and so on. Just like you could in Windows 8.1, but for Windows 10.

Only to create a system backup for Windows 10, or as far as I can see, use most of the apps features, you'll now be asked to pay for a premium license. £33.13 to be exact.

And I don't like that.

As the message up top shows, unless you stump up you'll only be able to recover back to Windows 8.1. Then go through upgrading all over again. And you won't be able to use the app to back up any of your data. OK, you've always needed a premium account to get the most from the app, including backing up all your data. And there are other, arguably better ways to do that part.

So now I, like many others, will be left with the decision to make. Personally, I'll probably take the risk, I don't really like being held to ransom. But the box in the image up top is persistent upon rebooting after the app updates until you do something. It's a pretty crummy way to try and sell a product. After all, we bought the products with this service included. I just hope that new machines sold with Windows 10 don't try and upsell, too.

Come on Dell, I know you can do better than this.

We have not seen too much in the way of manufacturer customizations lately, mostly because white-label phones like the Xolo WIN Q1000 (aka BLU Win HD) usually just get stamped and released.

However, Xolo may have done a little tweaking to their new WIN Q1000 phone as found by the site WPXBOX. Browsing under settings a new SD Backup + Restore feature is revealed and it lets you backup your contacts and text messages to your SD card. Granted, Windows Phone can already do this through cloud backups, but for security reasons or data costs, making a local backup is not a bad idea either.

It is possible that this phone is also running a newer build of the 8.1 operating system. As such, it is not clear if this feature is really Xolo's or Microsoft's. Just as interesting, but left unexplored is the Smart Filtering tool also found in Settings on the WIN Q1000. Guess there is more to be discussed. [Update: Ashish from WPXBOX has informed us that Smart Filtering is just an SMS + Call filter, like what is found on Lumias.]

Check out the hands-on video above to see how the SD Backup + Restore feature works.

Source: WPXBOX

One of the great features in Windows Phone 8.1 is the ability to restore from a backup when setting up a new device. Everything from your Start screen layout to the apps themselves and even some settings can all be 'restored' if you ever change devices, or wish to hard-reset and start anew.

However, a few people have noticed that under Settings > Backup, there is an error message noting that the last backup attempt has failed. Even more worrisome, you may not even know it. Yikes! The good news is there is a fast and simple way to get this fixed, and you may want to double check that your OS is backed up. Here's how.

The problem

Take a quick moment to make sure your automatic backups are enabled and sticking. To do so, just go into settings:

• Settings
• Backup
• Apps + Settings (tap)

Under this section, you should notice that Settings backup is toggled 'on' as well as App backup. Next, you should see the name of your device along with a 'last backed up' message telling you how many hours or days ago the last backup took place.

If there is a problem with your backups, the section under the name of your device (often just 'Windows Phone') displays an error message. See the above image for reference.

From experience, it appears that those using the Preview for Developers program at a higher risk for this taking place, possibly to do with all of the OS updates. I noticed it on my Lumia 1520 a few weeks ago, although since I fixed it the issue has not returned.

The fix

If you do have an error message under your Apps + Settings backup, you can easily fix it and get another backup started. Here's how:

1. Under Apps + Settings tap 'Manage backups' near the bottom
2. The OS checks for the backups on your OneDrive account
3. Tap 'Delete' near the bottom to wipe the previous, error-prone backup

Congratulations, you should have just nixed the bad data file causing the problem. Still, you are now left vulnerable as you do not have a current backup to resort to, in case something goes wrong. Let's fix that:

• On the Apps + Settings screen, tap 'back up now' near the bottom

The process should take a few minutes, depending on how many apps and games you have installed. There is a progress bar displayed to let you know far along you are in the process. Once completed, you the new 'last backup' information should reflect today's date.

So take the extra moment to see if your backups are sticking, especially if you are in the Preview for Developers program and have been updating your device numerous times. If you do not have an error message, at least you now know what to look for in case one does pop up!

Did this not fix your problem? Then you may have something else going on, which is more severe. You may want to jump into our help forums for more information.

When it comes to Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has gone a long way in fixing many pet peeves of users. One of those pertained to those with a Nokia Lumia 1020, Lumia 1520 or Lumia Icon. Those users have the ability with the Nokia Camera app to shoot ‘high resolution’ photos, taking advantage of their respective 41 MP and 20 MP cameras. But auto-backups using OneDrive would only save the lower resolution 5 MP one, leaving the high-resolution version on the device. Not good.

As many of you have noticed over the last few weeks, Windows Phone 8.1 will now save those high resolution photos. We've finally gotten around to taking a look at it ourselves, and here are our findings.

How it works

On the Lumia 1020, Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon, you can shoot dual images. One is for the small 5 MP JPGs, and the other is for the larger 16 MP (Lumia 1520/Icon) or 34 MP (Lumia 1020) JPGs for re-cropping and better editing options. Both photos get saved to the phone, with a smaller one perfect for social-sharing and the larger ones for later editing, re-zooming, etc.

The problem on Windows Phone 8.0

If a user enabled auto-back up under Settings > Applications > Photos + Camera with the Wi-Fi option, only the smaller photos were saved and not the larger 5-8 MB photos. Sure your image was backed up, and those 5 MP images are over-sampled from the high quality ones, but not saving the full resolution JPGs was a bit of a bummer.

Windows Phone 8.1 and auto-backup

Now, with 8.1 many of you have observed that when enabling the ‘Best Quality’ option under ‘backup to OneDrive’, the high resolution images are rightly saved to your OneDrive Camera roll. Interestingly, the file name does not have 'high_res' in it as it was saved on the device, instead it has the regular 'WP_ date_ time_Pro.jpg' format.

*This will also work on the soon-to-be-released Nokia Lumia 930 too.

But still no DNG/RAW support

Unfortunately, you still cannot auto-backup your optional DNG/RAW images to OneDrive. Those file types are used by pros who like to post-edit on a PC using Photoshop, and having them saved to your OneDrive would certainly streamline the process.

You can always backup manually by first transferring the DNG files to a PC then uploading to OneDrive, but not via the phone itself. Considering those individual files are 20 MB or more, that’s probably okay for most people. The limiting factor here seems to be that OneDrive doesn’t support viewing of DNG files directly, so the system doesn’t really leverage that file type just yet.

Watch your file space

As a result of the change, if you're already using auto-backup and high quality, your photos on a Lumia 1020 will increase from around 4-5 MB to 10-12 MB in size. Although most of you have at least 7-10 GB of storage, just take notice that these images will start to take up more space, so keep track if you already have a lot of files saved to the cloud!

Beware of OneDrive app limitations

If you decide not to use auto-backup to OneDrive, you can of course use the OneDrive app to save your photos. Unfortunately from our tests, this will save only the lower resolution one and not the high resolution photo. That means for those with high resolution cameras, your best bet is to use auto-backup and manage your saves through OneDrive directly.

Wrapping it up

As you can see, Windows Phone 8.1 does a lot to ameliorate user grievances. By allowing high resolution images to be auto-backed up, high-end Lumia users can take solace in knowing that their precious images will be saved without thought, usually within a minute of snapping the photo (assuming they’re on Wi-Fi).

Not being able to do the same with DNG files is slightly understandable, though we hope to see that come as well in the future. Likewise for the OneDrive app, which is still very limited in functions for most users’ tastes.

Are you using auto-backup for your photos? Has the new feature in Windows Phone 8.1 made you reconsider using it? Let us know.

Related Reading

• Windows Phone 8.1 Tips and Tricks
• Shooting in RAW with your Nokia Lumia PureView Camera
• How to weed out your Nokia Lumia 1020 high resolution image files
• Understanding your Windows Phone Camera

One neat and understated feature of Windows Phone 8.1 is the ability to backup apps + settings. Previously, Windows Phone could restore apps, but your Start screen was left off of the restore point in addition to passwords, browser favorites and app configurations.

Now, with Windows Phone 8.1 users can finally restore all of that when jumping to a new phone or after hard resetting. Let’s take a quick look at how it works.

How to enable and manage your backups

The backup process is automatic, and it can be found under Settings > Backup > Apps + Settings. Tapping that screen will give you two options, one for Settings backup and another for App backup. Either one can be toggled on or off to make sure backups happen on a regular basis. When enabled, the backups will happen automatically.

Likewise, you can do a ‘back up now’ for saving manually in addition to managing those backups, including deletion. The size of the backup can vary, but my Lumia 1520 with a sizeable chunk of apps on board weighs in at 44 MB. That data is saved to my OneDrive account.

Interestingly, if you choose not to have backups performed automatically, the OS will remind you to do a manual backup once every three weeks. That’s a nifty feature to have, especially if you’re not keen on automatic processes or are worried about data usage.

Wi-Fi is preferred, but not needed

For those curious, the backup process waits for a Wi-Fi connection before initiating, but you can override it by performing a manual backup. That will force the backup and depending on your connection, it may take some time to complete (even on Wi-Fi it can take five minutes or so).

If you are doing a manual backup and you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection, the OS will alert you of that fact and remind you that you will use your cellular data. Assuming you are okay with that, hitting ‘continue’ will start the process. End result? Everyone is happy.

What exactly is backed up?

In case you were wondering what gets backed up, Microsoft has detailed it on their help and support site:

• The apps you've installed on your phone, along with high scores and progress from participating apps.
• The passwords for your accounts.
• Your call history.
• Your Start screen layout and theme color.
• The accounts you've set up on your phone.
• Your Internet Explorer favorites.
• The custom words you've added to your phone's dictionary.
• Settings from around your phone, including photos, messaging, email and accounts, lock screen, Speech preferences, and more.

In addition to the above, which is just for Apps + Settings, you can also optionally backup your text messages and photos/videos to OneDrive. Enabling all four settings will ensure a fairly robust restore to your new Windows Phone.

App and game settings are backed up?

While it is true that Windows Phone 8.1 can backup and restore game progress and high scores, it’s important to remember that those apps or games need to be optimized for 8.1. That is until developers enable that feature it won’t save your current game progress. Once 8.1 officially launches – and developers have toyed with the SDK – hopefully they’ll allow it for their creations.

Wrapping it up

As you can see, Windows Phone 8.1 is quite powerful for backing up when compared to its predecessor. I recently restored my Lumia Icon to my Lumia 925 and indeed, after about 15 minutes my Lumia 925 looked just like my Icon (the one difference was I had to use the ‘show more Tiles’ feature to match it perfectly that resulted in moving some Tiles around).

The Holy Grail of being able to back up your game progress and high scores is truly fantastic, though we still need to wait for some new apps and games to leverage that power. Hopefully it won’t be too long as Microsoft has given developers some great tools to enable this in their creations without much fuss.

Are you surprised about how much can be backed up in Windows Phone 8.1? Have you had to use it yet? Let us know in comments.

Related Reading

• Windows Phone 8.1 Tips and Tricks

Spring is quickly approaching and with the warm weather, everyone will start finding their way outdoors and our Windows Phone cameras will become more active. We’ll be shooting pics of flowers, the kids running around the back yard, little league ball games, vacation spots and other warm weather hot spots.

These photos are important to you and should something happen to your Windows Phone, you would want them backed up, right? Well, for those new to Windows Phone (and those who have forgotten) there is an easy way to back up your photos.

Everyone who has a Windows Live ID has a OneDrive (formerly known as SkyDrive) cloud storage account. The free plan, which most enjoy has 7GB of storage. Additional storage comes at a cost and every now and then, you can find deals for free storage increases (like this Bing Rewards offer). To set your Windows Phone images to automatically be backed up to your OneDrive account, here is what you do.

• Go to your Windows Phone Settings, scroll across to Applications
• Choose “photos+camera”
• Scroll down the camera settings where you will find the option to Auto Upload and turn it on (still refers to SkyDrive)

The auto upload has a few options to consider that main deals with the quality of your back-up file. You can upload a good quality image (slightly downsized) over your wireless data plan or go for best quality that will require a Wi-Fi connection. The options are available for both video and photo uploads.

Once you turn on the auto upload feature, your images and videos will be sent to your OneDrive account. Now, if you drop your Windows Phone into the lake, it gets melted by the wall charger, have angry seagulls carry it off or otherwise have your Windows Phone meet its fate, your pictures will be stored on your OneDrive account.

It should be noted that the high-resolution images captured from the Nokia Lumia 1020 will not be uploaded. Instead of the 38 MP images, the lower-resolution 5 MP images will be backed up. For those looking to back-up the larger image files and are on the AT&T network, here is how you can use your AT&T Locker to back-up these files.

As previously announced, Microsoft will be getting rid of the messaging folder on Outlook.com. As the company moves towards a more unified Skype messaging system, all old messaging history will be removed from your Outlook.com inbox. This change will only affect users who use the Outlook website to message, but if you do want to keep your old chat history, be sure to continue reading.

As of now, you can chat on Microsoft’s Outlook.com website via Facebook, Google Talk, and Skype. All messages sent or received via the site are then saved in a messaging history folder. This folder will now be removed and your chat history going forward will be stored in the messaging pane itself.

To save your old message history on Outlook.com, simply follow these simple steps (provided by Microsoft in a recent email) to move your existing messages to another folder:

1. In Outlook.com, right-click Folders, and then click Add a new folder.
2. Enter a name for the folder and press the Enter key.
3. Click Messaging history, and then click the check box at the very top of your message list.
4. Click Select everything.
5. Right-click any message and then click Move.
6. Select the folder you want to move your messages to, and then click Move.

Be sure to make the switch fast as the new update is finally rolling out.

Do you use Outlook.com to chat with friends or only for email?

Thanks for the tip everyone! 

Today Microsoft made an announcement for users who use the messaging feature on Outlook.com; if you currently use the Outlook web interface to chat with your friends on Facebook, Google Talk, or Messenger, the site keeps a copy of your chat history in a folder. Starting this fall, the Messaging history folder will be removed.

If you are interested in backing up your chat conversations, here is how you do so:

1.  In Outlook.com, right-click Folders, and then click Add a new folder.
2. Enter a name for the folder and press the Enter key.
3. Click Messaging history, and then click the check box at the very top of your message list.
4. Click Select everything.
5. Right-click any message and then click Move.
6. Select the folder you want to move your messages to, and then click Move.

Microsoft states that the messaging history folder is being removed as part of adding Skype video, audio, and chat messaging to Outlook.com.

If you have never used the site to chat or don’t care about backing up your chat history – you are all set.

Enjoy.

Backing up personal data, including SMS conversations, has always been absent from Windows Phone. We’ve previously looked at how the Windows Phone Connector for Mac enables such functionality to a degree as well as a Homebrew Windows backup manager, but it’s always best to have such a feature built into Windows Phone.

In Windows Phone 8 Microsoft has implemented a backup facility that automatically stores SMS conversations and app list (including settings) information, as well as options to control how Windows Phone deals with uploading photos and videos captured using the handset. Using Microsoft’s cloud services, conversations and app settings are all automatically stored.

Signing into a Microsoft Account (required for backups to be stored) will enable the functionality. Should something happen to your Windows Phone, or if you purchase a new one (or swap regularly) it’s useful for backups to be used to restore said devices to a state that resembles a previous experience.

It’s super easy to manage how Windows Phone backs up your data (if you want it to do so at all). By default, the following is automatically backed up:

• Internet Explorer Favourites
• List of installed apps
• Theme and accent configuration
• Call history
• App settings (where applicable - email and accounts, lock screen and more )
• Test messages (SMS conversations)
• Photos (good quality - uses data allowance)

Heading to Settings > System > Backup, one can manipulate backup settings for apps, SMS and media. We’ll dive into each category below to see what each header covers.

Apps + Settings

With a list of installed apps, Internet Explorer favourites, app settings (including email accounts, photos, locations and more), theme settings and call history all backed up, setting up a new phone is a breeze.

While everything listed above is backed up and ready to be restored when required, app data (and individual apps themselves) is not saved. Fortunately the app list is and apps can be installed by clicking on each app that’s included in the restored backup. The start screen will also reset to its default configuration (makes sense as no apps will technically be installed).

Going into the settings for this backup can be achieved by selecting “App list + settings” in the backup control panel within system settings. For apps and saved options, there’s only an on / off toggle. Hitting “advanced” will display the option for all stored content to be deleted and backups rendered unavailable.

Text Messages

A much requested feature in Windows Phone has been to backup SMS and MMS messages to the cloud. For now users are having to start fresh when switching to a new phone. Should you be upgrading to Windows Phone 8 from a previous generation device, you’ll experience this reset when moving across.

In Windows Phone 8, the system automatically backs up all conversations and messages. Said content will be available for restoration on a new handset should the user wish to make use of the saved data. Unlike the app settings above, this backup has a few more options to govern control on exactly how the backup runs.

In the backup control panel, users can manipulate SMS backup settings by hitting “Text Messages”. This will present an array of options that can be toggled on and off. Deleting messages will remove them from the backup, therefore there’s no “delete message backup” feature within the settings. This provides consistent management of text conversations. Note that chats are not backed up.

Photos + Videos

Automatic photo uploading is currently present in Windows Phone 7.x, but in Windows Phone 8 there’s further control on how media (video included) is securely stored in the cloud and moves everything to one location. SkyDrive is used to backup photos and video captured using a Windows Phone, which can be accessed by heading over to skydrive.com.

This backup option is enabled by default and the uploading of photos may use data, which can incur charges if not pre-paid by contract or other means so be sure to check with your carrier for more information. Selecting “Photos + Videos” from the backup control panel will present a number of options.

Choosing ‘don’t upload’ is pretty self-explanatory, but ‘good quality’ and ‘best quality’ both enable the automatic uploading of photos when the camera app is used to take shots. Good quality will use data connection when possible (and WiFi when available), while the best quality option will only backup photos when connected to a WiFi network.

The same goes for videos with ‘don’t upload’ disabling the backup, but both good and best quality settings only use WiFi. We don’t want massive video files being sent over the mobile network now, do we?

Restoring Backups

Restoring a saved backup is a simple process when setting up a new Windows Phone. Should settings be configured correctly and personal data has been automatically stored in the cloud, then it’s easy to restore everything to how things were before changing handsets. To begin one will need to sign into the Microsoft Account used on the previous Windows Phone.

Follow the following steps to apply the backup to the new Windows Phone:

1. Sign into the same Microsoft Account used for the backup creation.

2. When prompted to use a backup to restore the handset, select the desired backup and hit ‘next’ to continue with the process.

3. The backup will then download (duration will vary depending on speed of connection and size of backup), you can then enter passwords for restored accounts there and then or configure restored email and social accounts later. 

As stated above, the Windows Phone will still use the default setup for the start screen, WiFi networks will not be loaded and apps will need to be installed from the imported app list (simply selecting each app will start the installation). But at least Microsoft has implemented the functionality to make backing up such data possible and will make it easier for consumers to switch between Windows Phones.

The same crew at NokiaGang who brought the earlier video OIS test with the Lumia 920 have a short video showing off the matte-black version.  The video itself doesn't reveal too much, though we have seen less of the all-black variation of the 920 since Nokia seems to focus on yellow for most product shots.

Interestingly, the handler does get the privilege of magically swiping to the right to see the programs list. Shocker, it's the same as Windows Phone 7 though we do quickly see a Transfer my Data app in that list. The program is never launched and we're unsure if this is part of the cloud-backup solution for saving app data that we showed in the SDK video or if this is a Nokia app to further augment that service (e.g. from any other smartphone).

The video at least gives you a nice visual "feel" for the device including size (the bottom does look thick) and a quick comparison to a Lumia 900.

We also noticed that Nokia Drive is now called Nokia Drive+ instead. That name change may have an easy explanation: Since all Windows Phone 8 devices have access to turn-by-turn navigation powered by Nokia Maps, it would seem Nokia would go beyond that for its users by offering Nokia Drive Plus.

(L) Transfer my Data; (R) Nokia Drive +

Of course what that actually means in terms of new functions versus standard Windows Phone 8-Nokia powered mapping, is unclear. But our guess is if Nokia is "giving up" something for the platform, they will make up for it in other ways e.g. merging Nokia Transit (renamed Transport) and augmented reality features.

We know from New York that Windows Phone 8 will include indoor mapping and there are plenty of opportunities for Nokia there as well and that Nokia Maps will get augmented reality as well.

Source: Nokia Gang

Backing up Windows Phones on Macs is a breeze

We've already established that backing up your Windows Phone can prevent any unnecessary headache due to the loss of personal data. There's no guarantee you'll always remember to take the Windows Phone out the pockets before bundling clothes into the washing machine. We recently took a look at how to back up Windows Phone using a third-party Windows tool since Microsoft doesn't offer said functionality in Zune.

In that article we incorrectly believed that the Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac doesn't feature any backup facility. Turns out, it certainly does (officially too) and shares the exact same functionality as the tool we used in our previous how to, except we're now on a Mac. It's odd that Microsoft would provide Apple Mac users the means to successfully carry out backing up their Windows Phones without using third-party software, yet Windows consumers are left in the dark for now. 

Apple fans will thank Microsoft for making it this easy

So how does one go about backing up their Windows Phone using the Connector for Mac? It's incredibly straight forward (see above image). Simply plug in the device and launch the Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac suite. Choose 'device options' and then hit 'create backup' in the new window. Should you wish to restore a previously saved backup, hit 'restore' instead.

Fortunately --through testing-- we were able to confirm that SMS conversations are indeed saved when backing up and are subsequently repopulated through restoration. That aside, it's good to see Microsoft offering an official means to safely store user settings, app data, and more. Let's hope the software giant adds this into the Windows Phone suite that will be released for windows 8.

Let us know your experiences using the Connector for Mac in the comments.

If only backing up was this easy

Continuing on with our series of Windows Phone how tos for those who are new to the platform, today we'll be looking at how to backup and restore our smartphones. Backing up is a chore than many have to undertake on their PC, whether it be apps, documents or photos from a memorable vacation - it's always best to have more than one copy of everything. The same goes for contents on your smartphone.

Should anything happen to your Windows Phone, or if you’d like to revert to an earlier snapshot, you’ll need a backup at hand to get everything working in perfect order. Unfortunately Microsoft doesn’t currently offer an official facility to manually backup a Windows Phone (not even in Zune), but luckily there are alternatives thanks to an active developing community.

For this how to we’ll be using the WP7 Easy Backup Tool, by MarcHoover. This suite is a handy piece of software that does exactly what it says on the tin. The good news is we don’t need developer-unlocked Windows Phones, nor any hacking / coding skills to carry out the backup. The WP7 Easy Backup Tool is well presented and a breeze to use.

So what’s backed up from the device?

• Messages
• Apps (app data, game saves, etc.)
• Registry and user settings
• Windows Phone OS (including applied firmware updates)

The only downside is no Zune media is included. All music, video, etc. will be skipped. But with the tool taking care of the above, it’s no biggie – especially if you use playlists for synchronising music, for example.

Backing it all up

Before we get cracking on with backing up our Windows Phones, there are a few requirements that need to be fulfilled before we can continue:-

• Latest version of Zune
• Windows Phone Support Tool (32bit or 64bit)
• WP7 Easy Backup Tool

Step 1 - We first need to install required software. The WP7 Easy Backup Tool doesn't need to be installed and can be executed once the downloaded archive has been decompressed. Firing up the tool will reveal the above interface, which provides us with a number of options. We're going to want to select 'Backup' to have our Windows Phone data safely stored locally. Zune (and the Mac Connector) does this when applying updates, so we're essentially forcing it.

Step 2 - Before we get excited and head through the process, we'll need to copy any previous backups Zune may have made to a safe location as this tool will overwrite them. The location of said backups (and where WP7 Easy Backup Tool saves its own versions) is '%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows Phone Update' - copy and paste into Explorer location bar. Simply copy these folders to a safe location (they may be fairly large).

Step 3 - The WP7 Easy Backup Tool will then provide some details about the process itself, namely we should ignore an error message that pops up, and should it appear as though the backup has halted we'll need to reboot the device (replacing the battery). Hitting 'Backup' will take us to the next step which is actually extracting everything from our Windows Phone. Ensure that it's plugged in before proceeding and that Zune is not running.

Step 4 - The process will kick off once 'Backup' is again selected. All that's left to do is to make a cup of tea and sit back until the backup is complete. Now you're done! Your Windows Phone is successfully backed up and data secured in case the unthinkable happens. Please note that Windows Phone Central cannot take any responsibility for damage caused by the WP7 Easy Backup Tool, which is currently in beta.

To restore a backup to your Windows Phone, simply plug the device into the PC, run WP7 Easy Backup and hit 'Restore' from the main screen. This will then apply the most recent backup saved locally for that device. There you have it folks - a simple and convenient way to backup your Windows Phone and keep contents safely stored.

UPDATE: Backing up on Macs

Agent-P mentioned in the comments such backup functionality was present in the Windows Phone Connector for Mac, without the requirement for third-party tools. We completely missed this facility and will be doing a follow-up article tomorrow highlighting this for those unaware just as we were. Check the below screenshot to see where the backup and restore options are in the Mac Windows Phone suite.

Hopefully we'll see similar user friendliness in the Windows 8 suite for Windows Phone when it comes to backing up devices.

Thanks, Ciprian, for the heads up on the backup tool and process!

The familiar Recycle Bin, coming to SkyDrive soon?

With the new SkyDrive having been rolled out last week with the new modern UI, it looks like Microsoft still has some plans for the service for adding new features.

One of those features being planned is evidently a Recycle Bin, which has been found via the coding within the site itself and was earlier tipped to LiveSide.net back in the spring.

No details have been given as to the exact functionality of such a feature but it’s easy to assume that it will allow you un-delete items for a period of 30 days or so as a sort of safety-net for your content. Any delay in rolling out this feature most likely has to do with getting the service up and running via their mobile apps, since they will also need to be updated for this tool.

No word on exact release dates but at the rate which Microsoft is moving these days, it probably won’t be too long.

Source: LiveSide.net

In a poll conducted this past weekend here at Windows Phone Central, 7,640 participants voted on the top-three features (out of an optional nine choices) they wanted most in Windows Phone 8.

Although the full consumer feature list has yet to be revealed by Microsoft, due to the leaked SDK a few weeks ago a lot of the new options have been detailed already. In turn, we asked users what they thought was missing (or we saw no evidence for) in Microsoft’s next-gen mobile operating system.

The results are certainly interesting and by large margins the top three choices by users are clearly discernable...

The top-three results from community feedback

A total of 22,922 votes were collected over the three-day period on the nine features users desired the most. Since each participant could vote up to three times that reduces to a possible 7,640 individuals. That ranks as our highest poll in terms of community participation and makes the results quite significant (voting was cookie and IP logged, reducing the chances of “spam” voting).

The top three results are certainly interesting:

1. Notification Center – 22%
2. Close App – 17%
3. Full system back up – 14%

Although Windows Phone 8 is confirmed in having notifications extended to the Lock screen via third party applications the ability to have a centralized area where notifications can be checked is highly desired by users. We saw this both in comments leading up to the poll and in the early voting where it quickly took the lead and never let go.

Consumers evidently want the choice of a Notification Center for a few reasons. While Windows Phone 8 allows multiple Live Tiles with counters, Toast notifications (“pop ups”) and now the ability to have visible updates on the Lock screen for 3rd party apps, users want the more traditional model of managing notifications that is found on Android and OSX ‘Mountain Lion’.

The complaint by people has some merit—after all, not everyone wants to pin every app to the Start screen and having an area where one can pull everything up in one shot does have its advantages. Still, with Toasts, Live Tiles and now the Lock screen options in Windows Phone 8, it seems as if Microsoft has tried to expand them where possible. Having said that users still clearly want another option and it will be curious to see if Microsoft obliges in the future by including some type of notification center.

Coming in second was Close App by which users can close apps running in the Multi-tasking area on Windows Phone. The model is based off what is already found in the multiple tabs of Internet Explorer where one has may “windows” of opened tabs and the user can simply close tabs by simple tapping a traditional “X” in the upper right corner.

Multi-tasking in Windows Phone currently lacks an "X" for apps

Once again, although Windows Phone does an admirable job of “freezing” apps in the background and managing memory for them, users still want the ability to close out apps. Part of that is because the multi-tasking (“tombstoned”) apps are limited currently to just 5 slots and it will reportedly be upped to 7 in Windows Phone 8. Some feel that is not enough and one way to manage that is by closing out a game or some other recently opened app to free that slot.

We agree with Microsoft that users shouldn’t have to manage such things and adding an “X” could lead consumers to focus on memory instead of just using their phone. On the other hand we don’t really see the harm in adding it as it would seem very intuitive (Android and iOS have similar options available to users today) Other people have suggested the webOS model by which users flick the app card up to remove the app from “the deck”. Though certainly original and fun, the IP issues surrounding such a method may be prohibitive.

The current unofficial backup method for Windows Phone users

The third top requested feature is a Full-system backup for device transfers garnering 14% of the vote. Windows Phone 8 does allow app (and presumably game) backups by saving the settings and hopefully game progress but users clearly want a simple 1-click solution to saving everything either on their computer’s hard-drive or “in the cloud”.

Currently it is not known if Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 will allow the user to backup their entire phone and although the need seems rare to restore we’re sure once a users loses a phone or upgrades to a new one the need becomes very high.

Issues that may stand in the way include OEM hardware differentiation which could effect restores to new devices in addition the amount of space required for the backup (not to mention the time). Still, iOS can do this via iTunes and it seems like something that evidently people truly want.

Odds and ends

Our poll asked users their top three choices so that we understand the level of importance. Having said that clearly users may prefer to have all of the choices available to them in a future update.

We found it interesting that things like Universal Search (the ability to Bing search within the device, including email and Office) ranked 5th with 10.5% of the vote and that it ranked below Folders (11.78%).

Universal Search seems like one of those features that users could take advantage of nearly everyday. Indeed we’ve seen an early shot of what looked to be a universal search option back in 2011. Will that make it into Windows Phone 8 in the end? We’re not sure but we would certainly like to see it at some point.

How homebrew 'Folders' look on Windows Phone

Folders is something that users also rank highly amongst new features they want to see in Windows Phone 8 especially since there is no evidence that it is coming with the initial release. Folders, which are currently available as homebrew option on Windows Phone 7, are a neat and intuitive way to organize apps of the same variety. For instance, we have a lot of camera and photography apps on our Titan II so having a folder name “Photo” with all our apps lumped together makes sense. Otherwise those apps are simply organized alphabetically with no sense of semantic connections. In turn we end up forgetting about those apps unless we scroll through our massive app list.

The folders model, familiar to those who use PCs has recently been extended to both iOS and Android once again making them conducive for people switching over. In that regard, we think adding them, as an option would benefit Microsoft.

Rounding out the bottom was more background colors (7.9%) landscape Start screen (7.6%), more security options for the lock screen (4.71%) and the most interesting, more keyboard options (4.5%).

Windows Phone users love their keyboard

The fact that Windows Phone users ranked more keyboards so low is a testament to just how happy they are with the native keyboard’s performance. Currently, Windows Phone users cannot add any 3rd party keyboards to the OS and given the choice it seems most users simply don’t want nor desire Swype or Swifkey, which are extremely popular on Android. Though there is zero evidence that Microsoft will allow third party keyboards anytime soon, even if they granted permission it would seem that Swype and SwifKey would have a hard sell to end users.

Wrapping it up

In the end, the data collected gives a good snapshot of what consumers want out of Windows Phone 8 in the future and Microsoft would best be served by trying to match these preferences.  Microsoft clearly have an interest in user feedback and we have shared the results with them and their engineers for future consideration in later OS updates.

From the data gathered though we can see where Microsoft has excelled (their keyboard, user interface, design) and where users think they are lacking (device backups, managing notifications, closing out apps).

Hopefully users will get what they want with future versions of Windows Phone 8. Thanks to the Windows Phone community for your participation!

Backing up app data on SkyDrive--not cool with Microsoft?

An interesting controversy spring up over at the AppHub forums over the use of SkyDrive for backing up app data—not so much photos and documents (which is fine) but rather unintelligible files created by apps for app-specific data.

The crux of it was someone from the SkyDrive team made a comment that using SkyDrive for such a purpose goes against the user agreement for the API and it could result in the Windows Phone app being yanked from the Marketplace.

Justin Angel, Principal Engineer for Windows Phone experience at Nokia, fervently objected to this idea noting

It’s certainly a good point although we see the reasoning behind the SkyDrive team’s position. Luckily things are not as dire as expected.

First off, we get the idea of why the SkyDrive team is (or was) taking their position. In short, they don’t want you going to your SkyDrive and seeing it littered with new folders with odd data files in them that you can’t understand without the corresponding app. For instance, we love the app Rembereel which has a SkyDrive backup feature. It created a folder called ‘IsolatedStorageFolder’ with a text file called ‘remembeReel_movieBackup.txt’. Opening said document is just coding jargon and makes no sense to us but only to the app.

Granted, that’s one app. But what if we have 5 or 10 apps that did this to our SkyDrive folder? It’d soon look like going into C:\Windows with the “view all” Folder setting enabled. For the SkyDrive team, they want to keep it clean and simple—just Docs, Photos and media that users can move around and make sense of.

Can SkyDrive get messy? 

Of course the notion that the SkyDrive team should dictate to the Windows Phone Marketplace is also troubling and having apps removed for using this feature seems draconian.

Luckily, Dare Obasanjo who is the Senior Program Manager Lead, Live Platform Services group at Microsoft recently tweeted that in fact they won’t remove apps from the Marketplace that violate this policy. In other words they still recommend developers don’t use it for this feature but if they do, nothing will happen to them.

The bigger issue is what does Microsoft do in the long run? It’s true we don’t want our SkyDrive becoming populated with a bunch of folders and files that we can’t make sense of but on the other, having a method by which apps can back-up their data and settings seems logical.

Our solution would be to have a “hidden” section for apps that users can’t have direct access too without enabling an ‘Advanced’ mode. That way they can always delete the data manually but otherwise won’t see it day to day. Have a better idea? Want to weigh in on the problem? Hit us up in comments.

Source: AppHub, Twitter; via WMPU

Windows Phone hacker Heathcliff74 is announcing the immediate availability WP7 Root Tools 0.9 today. 'Root Tools is a suite of tools for Windows Phone that we've been following since inception and already features a full blown registry registry editor, file system browser, and certificate injection capabilities. But the new version comes jammed pack full of additional new and exciting features that will no doubt re-energize the homebrew community. I'm talking about features such as:

• True and unfettered root access
• Better performance
• Increased device support
• A new policy editor
• A new software development kit

The more exciting news here, however, is the shiny new SDK (0.1) in tow, offering homebrew developers a set of APIs that tap into the same root-level features that the tool relies on. An application wishing to wield such power, however, must first seek permission from the user. That is, the users must explicity mark a particular app as "trusted". Grumble all you want, this gate is in place for obvious and serious security and privacy reasons. You don't want all those private photos on Twitter, right?

With no shortage of gullible install-everything phone users out there (see Android) policing root-required homebrew applications, Heathcliff74 admits, "will be tough." At this stage, we'll have to rely on the attentive homebrew development community to continue sniffing out crapware. In the future, however, a more centralized model complete with app certification may be in order.

All that serious stuff aside, Heathcliff74 was kind enough to let me play with the SDK prior to release and let me tell you: it's easy to use and full of awesome. Working with Delphi aficionado [ed -- *snicker*] David Golden (@GoldenTao), of MetroTwit fame, we decided to retry the implementation of my grandiose hackathon idea -- to create a complete backup the phone, including Marketplace apps. And succeed we did.

Screenshots of the upcoming Complete Backup app.

While the app isn't quite ready yet -- we still need to button up some networking code, resolve app guids to names, create a restoration app, etc. -- it will support the complete backup (and eventual restore) of Windows Phone application data to the PC via native sockets. And better yet, it'll be completely open-source and available on GitHub.

So at this point, you're probably thinking: "Where do I get this spoonful of delicious?" Simple. Head over to Heathcliff74's new home on the Internet, where he will blog about and host the WP7 Root Tools XAP. But be warned: The software drills deep into the phone. I can't recommend enough that you use Zune to backup your device prior to install. Oh, and you need to have a device that's "Interop Unlocked" (or flashed with a custom hacked ROM). Sorry.

A member over at the XDA Developer forum, by the username hx4700Killer, has come up with a backup tool for your Windows Phone 7 device. It's a simple .Net program that allows users to backup their device via Zune and can be used for restoration when you use the "update" option.

There are a few prerequisites that need to be seen to before-hand:

• Zune software installed (sorry OS X users)
• Windows Phone Support Tool installed (x64 or x86)
• An update package from any phone (link)

Should you be missing any of the above the application will alert you and even open a web page to point you in the correct direction for the absent link in the chain. To download and find out more information, check the source below.

Source: XDA Dev Forum, via PocketPC.ch; Thanks Stevie B., for the heads up

Back on Oct. 5, Dashwire announced an exclusive partnership with Best Buy to offer its services for free to new customers buying smartphones. Certainly a unique choice. But with Microsoft's MyPhone being nearly ubiquitous now, we suppose not so much a good one.

The bad news is for you existing Dashwire users.  Evidently on Dec. 31, 2009, Dashwire will stop working.  You apparently have the option to back up your data to a desktop and/or "...migrate your information to services from Dashwire licensees if you’re interested" -- though we're not too sure how to do that just yet nor are we sure if it'll cost anything.

Anyways, now may be a good time to explore alternatives.  Dashwire, we wish you luck with that Best Buy thing.

A bit of hoopla was raised last week over border search policies disclosed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In almost every news story, the word "laptop" was used in the headline. And this is true. Your laptop can be seized and its information inspected for an unspecified amount of time, no suspicion necessary.

If you're visiting WM Experts, you're probably a fine, upstanding member of society, and a model patriot and benefit to the American way of life, blah blah blah.

But the next logical question is, "Can they take my Windows Mobile device?" Check in after the jump for the answer, and for some tips that could save you some time and embarrassment. (Though if you're looking for a way to completely sneak one past the government and cause some shenanigans, you're at the wrong place.)

Welcome back. So can The Man snag your phone and look at your data?

The answer is: Absolutely. Along with just about anything (electronic or otherwise) you have on your person.

From the Policy Regarding Border Search of Information (pdf link), dated July 16, 2008 (bold section emphasized by us):

The policy isn't new, and it applies to anyone entering the United States, citizen or not.

Handling the information

So customs can snag your device, copy your data or inspect it on site, and there's not a whole lot you can do to stop them from doing so. If they find probable cause that you're up to no good, they may "seize and retain the originals and/or copies of relevant documents or devices, as authorized by law."

And your data can be copied and shared with just about any other governmental agency.

Absent probable cause, they can only keep information regarding immigration matters.

Other provisions

Windows Mobile is primarily still a business device, and businesspeople tend to travel with sensitive information.

There are provisions for "business information," though it doesn't say much more than "We'll do what we can to keep your stuff from falling into the wrong hands." And it adds that "Depending on the nature of the information presented, the Trade Secrets Act, the Privacy Act, and other laws may govern or restrict the handling of the information."

But we don't recommend claiming that the photos you took of the, er, entertainment, on your - cough, cough - "business trip" to Tijuana are proprietary information.

Attorney-client privilege is also addressed. While claiming such can't keep them from being searched, it should bring an extra level of oversight in the handling of your data.

What can you do?

The easiest answer is, leave your laptop or WinMo device at home. But that's not much of an answer, is it?

Here are a couple of simple solutions.

1. The cloud: We love the cloud. We talk about the cloud all the time. Store your data in the ether, and you don't have to worry about someone snagging it off your device. (Who has access to it way up the sky is a whole 'nother matter, but that's for another day.)

2. The ninja-stealth move: We'll keep saying it until we're blue in the face. Backup software is your friend, and SPB Backup 2.0 is perfect for this one.

It's as simple as doing a full - and encrypted - backup of your device, and saving that backup to a storage card (which you should already be doing) or, better yet, somewhere in the cloud (though the 20-meg or so file sizes could be a problem there).

Then, before heading back across the border, do a hard reset and wipe your device. When you get back home, restore from the backup, and you're right where you left off. No muss, no fuss.

The caveat

This isn't a foolproof way to keep your data completely out of the hands of, well, anyone but you, nor is it meant to be. If Jack Bauer wants to make sure you're not using your phone to make his next 24 hours a living hell, he's going to do so. (And, yes, we're well aware that it takes more than a simple reformatting to make data irretrievable.) This is just the equivalent of keeping a screener from riffling through your underwear in your suitcase, looking for a shotgun.

That said, there isn't a whole lot of legal precedent for this sort of thing yet, so there likely will be some bumps in the road.

Look, we certainly don't endorse transporting anything illegal over U.S. (or anyone else's) borders. And we're all for catching terrorists before they strike. So please don't view this as a way to circumvent policies and procedures meant to safeguard all of us.

But your data, your privacy and your Fourth Amendment rights are priceless, too.

Spb Backup 2.0 by Spb Software House, available at the WMExperts store for $24.95 here, is a backup program for your Windows Mobile Smartphone or Pocket PC that's designed to be powerful yet simple to use. I have had the opportunity to use Spb Backup 2.0 on my Tilt (WM Professional) and my review follows!

Like me, many of you may remember the frustration of watching helplessly as the "screen of death" appeared on your PDA and you could almost hear an audible "flush" of a toilet as all your data was lost. The early days of my Palm fetish - when removable storage was still a twinkle in Palm's eye - required taking the bad with the good. Yes, you had an amazing device to manage your personal information (PIM), install 3rd party applications, and "tweak" the Preferences to customize your device to meet your unique needs.

All of this technological bliss did not come without a price. I know I could expect the inevitable and much-feared hard reset, requiring sometimes hours of reinstallation of 3rd party apps and setting up my personal preferences all over again since only the PIM data could be restored via HotSync.

Backup programs changed the way we backup and restore our data, and I'm happy to report that Spb Backup 2.0 is highly-evolved and offers an interface and functionality that is easy to use without sacrificing backup power.

Form and Function

Spb Software House does a good job at making nice-looking apps, and Spb Backup 2.0 is no exception. The main screen interface is simple and intuitive - from here you can run a Full Backup, a Custom Backup (selecting the items you wish to backup), Scheduled Backup (if you wish to automate the backup process and choose the time of day this occurs), and Restore Backup (in the event you need to restore your data to your device).

A Full Backup is self-explanatory. Obviously, the more data you have on your device to backup, the longer it will take. Regarding speed of performing a full backup, version 2.0 is aptly named - it boasts a backup speed that is twice as fast as 1.0.

Performing a Custom Backup allows you to select the items you want to backup. Simply check the box next to the items you want to backup and the specific information you selected will be placed in a reserve copy on your device and desktop. Some items allow additional customization for the backup process by selecting the Options button.

A dialog box will then appear, allowing you to specify a file name and location for your backup file to be stored. Selecting the Custom location will permit you to specify where the backup file is stored on your device.

With just a screen tap or press of the button, Spb Backup 2.0 can backup your contacts, messages, files, and preferences. Using the Spb Backup Sync Tool, you can backup and manage your data from your desktop computer. The Sync Tool will automatically copy your backup files to your desktop or laptop computer. You can also restore a backup from your desktop or launch the Unpack tool (more on this in a bit).

The Compression and Encryption dialog provides options for encrypting the data in your backup as well as implement ZIP archiving to reduce the backup memory footprint and save precious storage space on your device.

Scheduling your backups is easy and painless. You can specify the days of the week and times for backup. You have the option for an automatic reset of your device after the backup has been performed, and even an option to power off your device after backup. This may be particularly handy if you schedule your backup during sleep time - once the backup is done, your device will power off.

Spb Backup also has a Today plugin which works well on it's own or is completely compatible with Spb's Pocket Plus and all the other Spb products in general. The plugin gives you easy access to running your backup right from the Today screen.

It's Got Your Back(up)

The Spb Backup Unpack Tool is a nifty feature. It is a desktop program for extracting the files from your backup, extracts registry information as a .reg text file, and exports text messages, contacts as vCard files, and appointments as iCalendar files. You can view your call log, speed dial entries, and viewing and exporting of text messages as .eml files.

My favorite aspect of Spb Backup 2.0 concerns the backup file itself. Your backup file is saved as an executable file (.exe). This makes restoring your data a no-brainer. Just tap on the executable file and your data is restored automatically.

As a final, true test of this software, I backed up the data on my Tilt using Spb Backup 2.0, then performed a hard reset. After the reset, I browsed my Tilt's storage card and found the executable backup file exactly where I instructed Spb Backup to put it. Just a tap on the executable file and my data was entirely restored as if nothing had happened. It's refreshing that hard reset data loss is now only a distant memory.

Spb Backup 2.0, available now for $24.95 at the WMExperts store, is a powerful backup tool that is easy to use. Backing up your data with Spb Backup 2.0 is a painlessly simple process and restoration of all your data (or the data you customize) is virtually flawless. I'm happy to say that I can recommend this program for your data backup needs.

SPB Backup is on our list of must-have software for your Smartphone or Pocket PC, so it interested us to know that SPB Software has just released Version 2.0 of its popular device backup-and-restore tool.

New this time around are:

• The ability to determine between a device reset and a ROM upgrade, allowing you to restore on a different device (We hope this works better than it has in the past).
• A desktop backup unpacking tool, which allows you to explore the backup.
• Separate text message restoration.
• Sync backups on your desktop.

The usual scheduled and customizable backups are still there, and you SPB has added a file blacklist.

SPB Backup 2.0 is available here for Pocket PCs and here for Smartphones. A free, five-day trial is available. Full download costs $24.95, and an upgrade from Version 1.x is just $9.95.

Check back with us soon for a full review. But if you're going to try out SPB Backup in the meantime, be sure to, well, back up your device first. You can't be too careful.