Help and getting started.

How to get started with Guard: protect a folder, capture a snapshot, restore files, and verify a snapshot. Plus answers to the questions people usually ask before trying it.

What is Guard?

Guard is a small desktop application that protects folders you choose by taking manual snapshots: point-in-time copies you can return to later, and verify whenever you want to. It runs on your own computer, never modifies your original files, and keeps everything local: Guard never uploads your files and never asks you to create an account. It does not require internet access and does not connect to the internet automatically. Online actions, like a manual check for updates, happen only when you choose them.

Getting started

The whole loop, start to finish:

Add a folder to protect. Click Add folder to protect at the bottom of the sidebar and choose a friendly name, the folder you want to keep safe, and an archive location where Guard stores its snapshots. Tip: put the archive on a different drive from the folder you're protecting, so a single disk failure can't take both.
Capture a snapshot. Select the folder and click Capture snapshot now. Guard scans the folder, stores any new or changed files, and records a snapshot. Each snapshot only stores what actually changed since the last one, so repeat captures are fast and space-efficient. Guard is manual by design; it captures when you ask, not on a hidden schedule.
Restore files. Click Restore files, pick the snapshot you want, and check the files or folders to bring back. By default Guard restores into a separate folder, so your current files are never overwritten. When it finishes, click Open restored folder to see them.
Verify a snapshot. Click Verify to have Guard re-check that a snapshot's stored files are intact and match what was captured. A health badge shows the result: Verified (green), Captured (not yet verified), Warning, or Failed.

Common how-tos

Where are my snapshots stored?

In the archive location you chose when you added the folder. Each protected folder has its own self-contained archive. We recommend storing the archive on a different drive from the folder it protects. (Guard's own settings and the list of protected folders live separately under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Albedo One\Guard.)

Does Guard protect against disk failure?

Only if the archive lives on a different physical drive. Store the Guard archive on another drive to protect against failure of the drive that holds the original folders. An archive on the same physical drive can still bring back files you changed or deleted by mistake, but it cannot protect against failure, loss, or damage of that drive: both copies would go at once.

What does verification check?

Guard re-reads the stored snapshot data and compares it against the information recorded when the snapshot was created. That detects archive content which has gone missing or changed since capture, for example through a bad sector, an interrupted copy, or an edit made outside Guard. It is a check of the stored snapshot, not a guarantee against every possible storage or hardware failure, and it does not read your original folder.

Does Guard change my original files?

No. Capturing reads your folder and writes into the archive; it never moves, renames, edits, or deletes anything in the folder it protects. Restoring writes to a separate folder by default, so it doesn't touch the originals either unless you explicitly choose to overwrite.

Will restoring overwrite my current files?

Not by default. Guard restores to a separate folder unless you deliberately choose otherwise, and when a file already exists at the destination you decide whether to rename, skip, or overwrite.

How much space do snapshots use?

Guard stores each file's contents once and reuses them across snapshots, so only genuinely new or changed data takes extra space. Many snapshots of a folder that rarely changes stay small.

What happens when I clean up old snapshots?

Guard deletes only the snapshots your retention policy says to remove, and never the most recent one or content a kept snapshot still needs. It always shows a preview before deleting, and errs on the side of keeping data.

Can I move an archive to another drive?

Yes. The archive is self-contained. After moving it, use Verify to confirm everything is intact; Guard can rebuild its index from the archive itself.

How do I check for a new version?

Open ⋯ → Help → Check for updates…. Guard checks only when you ask, and sends no personal data.

The complete guide is built into the app. Guard ships with a full Quick Start, User Guide, FAQ and Troubleshooting guide. Open them any time from the ⋯ → Help menu. They work offline, like the rest of Guard. Don't have Guard yet? Download it here.

Before you buy

Is Guard automatic?

No, and that's deliberate. Guard captures a snapshot when you ask it to, so a snapshot always marks a moment you chose: before reorganizing a photo library, before a risky change to a project, after finishing a stage of work. Nothing runs in the background and nothing captures on a schedule. The trade-off is real: Guard does not replace scheduled backup where automatic protection is required, so it works best alongside one.

Is Guard cloud software?

No. Guard is local desktop software. Your files and snapshots stay on your machine and the drives you choose. There is no cloud sync, and no online account is required to use the app.

Does Guard need an internet connection?

No. Guard does not require internet access and does not connect to the internet automatically. Online actions happen only when you choose them, such as a manual check for updates from the Help menu, which never runs on its own.

Do I need an account?

No. Guard doesn't require an account to install or use: no sign-in, no profile. A license key unlocks it after the free 30-day trial, but that's all.

Can I still restore after my trial expires?

Yes. Restoring, browsing, and verifying are always available. Only capturing new snapshots (and a few other changes) require an active trial or a license.

Is Guard a backup tool?

Guard protects the specific folders you choose with local snapshots; it is not a disk-image or whole-system backup, and not a cloud backup service. For full peace of mind, keep your own separate backups too, ideally including an offsite copy.

Is my data encrypted?

Guard 1.0 does not encrypt the archive. Store archives on drives you trust, and use your operating system's disk encryption if you need it.

Is Guard a subscription?

No. Guard is sold as a one-time personal license. You buy it once. See Buy.

Can I use Guard on multiple computers?

Yes. The personal license follows the person, not one specific computer. You can use Guard on your desktop and your laptop.

Contact

How do I contact you?

Email us at hello@getalbedoone.com. We read every message and aim to reply within a couple of business days.