Backup Modes
FolderRewind provides multiple backup methods powered by the 7-Zip engine, designed for different scenarios.
Upgrade compatibility note
If you upgraded from an older version, revalidate backup chains and restore results with test data before using them in production.
Quick recommendation
- Beginner default: Full Backup + enable "Skip when no changes"
- Frequent daily use: Smart Incremental + chain limit + safe delete
- Temporary rolling state: Overwrite (keep only the latest archive)
Mode comparison
| Mode | Description | Advantage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | Creates a complete new archive every time | Simple and stable restore | Beginners, milestones |
| Smart Incremental | Packs only changed files and builds an improved incremental chain | Faster, saves space | Large folders with frequent backups |
| Overwrite | Updates the latest archive instead of creating many history files | Minimal storage, simple workflow | Temporary sync or cache-like folders |
Note
"Smart Incremental" in product wording corresponds to Incremental/Smart behavior in code.
Across major updates, chain generation, truncation, and restore behavior may change, so upgraded configs should always be revalidated once.
How to configure
- Open Config Settings for the target config.
- Go to Backup Policy.
- Select mode from Backup Mode:
- Full backup (new file each run)
- Smart incremental (changed files only)
- Overwrite backup (update latest backup)
- Save and run one manual backup for validation.
Choosing tips
- Minecraft saves: Smart Incremental
- Work docs/projects: Smart Incremental or Full (based on disk and restore preference)
- Important archives: Full + encrypted config
- Temporary/cache folders: Overwrite
Key settings strongly related to mode
In Config Settings → Backup Policy, also check:
- Skip backup when no changes
- Keep latest backup count (
0means unlimited) - Smart chain length limit (only for Smart Incremental)
- Safe delete (helps avoid broken restore chains during cleanup)
- Remote forced full backup (temporarily bypass the current mode and run one Full backup in automation/integration scenarios)
Compression and performance
FolderRewind supports 7z/zip compression with tunable level, method, and threads:
- Higher compression level = smaller size but slower speed
- CPU threads:
0means automatic - File-type rules: use lower compression for already-compressed files like
*.zip/*.mp4
Starter presets
- General office files: Full + skip-no-change + keep 30
- Dev projects: Smart Incremental + chain limit 20 + safe delete + keep 60
- Large game saves: Smart Incremental + skip-no-change + automation + periodic restore validation