Backups
Restore points undo changes to the system. They are not backups: they are kept on the same disk, they do not include your files, and they are lost if the disk fails or the computer is stolen. For your files, you need a backup.
Restore points and backups compared
| Restore points | Backups | |
|---|---|---|
| What they protect | The system: programs and settings | Your files |
| Where they are kept | The same disk | Another drive or computer |
| Survive a failed disk or a lost computer | No | Yes |
| Set up for you | Yes | No: set one up using this page |
Setting up a backup
You need somewhere to put it: an external drive is simplest. Then install one of these from the App Store:
- Déjà Dup Backups. Simple: choose which folders and where to, and it backs up on a schedule.
- Pika Backup. Also simple, and keeps many versions of your files in little space.
- Vorta. More options, for people who want control over schedules and what is kept.
Whichever you choose, back up your whole home folder, schedule it to run automatically, and check now and then that it is still running.
Test a restore
A backup you have never restored from is a backup you are hoping works. After the first one finishes, use the program to restore a single file to another folder and check that it opens.
For important files
Keep a second copy somewhere other than your home, such as a cloud storage service or a drive kept elsewhere. A fire or a theft can take the computer and the backup drive together.
Last checked against the SakuraOS release of 3 October 2026. If your system behaves differently from this page, the page is wrong: please report it.