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Upgrading from NovaBACKUP 21.x to NovaBACKUP 22

Upgrade to NovaBACKUP 22 while your existing backups keep running, and move your jobs over before or after the upgrade.

Applies to: NovaBACKUP PC Agent and NovaBACKUP Server Agent, upgrading from version 21.x to NovaBACKUP 22, including installations managed from a NovaBACKUP Management Console (CMon).

You can upgrade to NovaBACKUP 22 and everything keeps running. Your existing backup jobs run on schedule after an in-place upgrade, and the Legacy NovaBACKUP UI stays linked for the jobs that NovaBACKUP 22 does not edit. This article covers how to upgrade, what to expect afterward, and how to move your jobs over to NovaBACKUP 22.

What You'll Learn

  • How to run an in-place upgrade
  • What happens to each type of backup job
  • Two ways to move your jobs to NovaBACKUP 22, and which one suits you
  • How to replace legacy image backup jobs with full system recovery

Prerequisites

  • NovaBACKUP 21.x installed on the computer
  • Administrator access to the computer
  • 64-bit Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, or 2025
  • A current subscription license, or a perpetual license with valid NovaCare. Any other 21.x license shows Upgrade required in NovaBACKUP 22.
  • The NovaBACKUP 22 installer

Step 1: Run the upgrade

  1. Make sure no backup job is running.
  2. Sign in to the computer as an administrator.
  3. Run the NovaBACKUP 22 installer over your existing installation and follow the prompts. The installer stops the NovaBACKUP services, upgrades the installation, and starts the services again.
  4. Start NovaBACKUP 22 from the Start menu.

Important: Install NovaBACKUP 22 over 21.x. Do not uninstall 21.x first. Only an in-place upgrade links the Legacy UI and keeps the image backup engine installed.

Note: Your registration details and license key are kept. To upgrade without user interaction, see the command line arguments in the in-app help under Installation.

Step 2: Confirm your backups are running

  1. Open the Dashboard and check the status banner and the upcoming jobs.
  2. After the next scheduled run, open Job History and confirm each job ran. Runs of jobs that you manage in the Legacy UI appear here too.

What happens to your jobs

JobAfter the upgrade
Backup jobs on a Local Backup or Cloud Backup deviceRun and open normally in NovaBACKUP 22 and the CMon
Backup jobs on legacy devicesKeep running. Edit them in the Legacy UI, or in the CMon if they were configured there
Legacy image backup jobsKeep running on schedule. Edit them in the Legacy UI only
Copy jobs and Virtual Dashboard jobsKeep running if scheduled. NovaBACKUP 22 has no equivalent, so manage them in the Legacy UI

See Will My Backup Jobs Work in NovaBACKUP 22? for how to check which device each job uses.

Opening the Legacy UI

  1. In NovaBACKUP 22, select About in the menu.
  2. Select Open legacy interface.

The Legacy UI opens in its own window alongside NovaBACKUP 22. Both use the same backup engine, settings, and jobs. When you open a legacy job on the Backup page, NovaBACKUP 22 offers the same Open legacy interface button.

Moving your jobs to NovaBACKUP 22

The goal is to have every job in NovaBACKUP 22 and nothing left on legacy devices. There is no deadline, and you can do this before or after the upgrade:

Option A: before the upgradeOption B: after the upgrade
StepsIn 21.x, recreate the jobs that use legacy devices on Local Backup or Cloud Backup devices, and stop legacy image backup jobs. Then upgrade and add full system recovery in NovaBACKUP 22.Upgrade. Your legacy jobs keep running. Create the replacement jobs in NovaBACKUP 22, then stop or delete the legacy jobs.
Jobs configured in the CMonDone entirely in the CMon before upgrading.Recommended. Everything stays in the CMon, with no switching between interfaces.
Jobs set up on the computerRecommended. No switching between interfaces after the upgrade.Works, but stopping the legacy jobs means opening the Legacy UI, then returning to NovaBACKUP 22.

Important: A recreated job starts with a new full backup. For cloud devices, this uses additional storage quota until you delete the legacy backup data. Recreate cloud jobs one at a time so you stay within your quota.

Replacing legacy image backup jobs

Legacy image backup jobs are not converted. Full system recovery replaces them: a regular backup job with Disaster Recovery selected, which can write to local or cloud storage and can be set up in NovaBACKUP 22 or the CMon.

  1. Stop the legacy image backup job in the Legacy UI. Keep its backups until their retention runs out.
  2. In NovaBACKUP 22 or the CMon, create a backup job and select Disaster Recovery in its selections. Disaster Recovery includes only the drive Windows runs from, so also select any other drives the legacy image backup job covered, such as D:.
  3. Create recovery media for the computer from the Disaster Recovery page.

Note: Legacy image backup jobs and backup jobs with Disaster Recovery selected can exist on the same computer. They run one after the other.

Best Practices

  • Upgrade one computer first, confirm that its scheduled jobs run, and then upgrade the rest.
  • Keep the legacy backup data until the replacement job has completed a full backup and you have test-restored from it.
  • Keep your legacy boot media until your legacy image backups have expired.
  • Store the encryption key of each cloud device somewhere safe outside the computer. A lost encryption key cannot be recovered.

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Still Need Help?

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