Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation

What is included in Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation?

Central console – One interface manages every protected machine.
Agent-based backup – Images physical Windows workstations through installed agents.
pVHD format – Stores backups in Paragon's secure pVHD format.
Hardware-independent restore – Restores a workstation onto dissimilar hardware.
Core Capacity – Central, remote recovery for distributed workstation agents.
Important – Windows Server and Exchange backup require the Server edition.

What are the main benefits of Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation?

Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation is the workstation tier of Paragon's modular backup and disaster recovery platform. It installs an agent on each physical Windows workstation and reports into the same central console used across the wider deployment.

Central oversight – Monitor every workstation backup from one place.
Fast recovery – Restore failed workstations without manual reinstallation.
Dissimilar hardware – Recover images onto replacement machines easily.
Image-based backup – Capture the full system, not just files.
Predictable retention – Keep only the restore points you need.
Modular fit – Add server or virtual editions later.

Data loss is expensive: How backups help you avoid outages
For more background on backup planning, read our guide:

What does Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation do?

It backs up and restores physical Windows workstations using an agent installed on each machine, with all jobs controlled from the central Protect & Restore console. Backups are full system images written in Paragon's pVHD container format, so an entire workstation can be rebuilt rather than only its files. Because the same console also handles physical servers and virtual machines, workstation protection sits inside one managed infrastructure instead of separate per-PC installs. This suits IT teams that want every endpoint image visible and recoverable from a single point.

What is the difference between the Workstation and Physical Server editions?

The Workstation edition protects physical Windows workstations only, while the Physical Server edition is built for physical Windows servers. The Server edition adds application-level backup of Microsoft Exchange databases (Exchange 2007 through 2016), data deduplication, and dual backup with archiving, none of which are part of the Workstation edition. Both editions share the same central console, remote management, and distributed architecture, so a workstation deployment can be extended with server protection later. If your endpoints are user PCs rather than servers, the Workstation edition is the correct tier.

What technical limitations should buyers know before choosing the Workstation edition?

This edition does not protect Windows Server systems or back up Microsoft Exchange databases; both require the Physical Server edition. Agentless backup of VMware vSphere or Hyper-V guests is also outside its scope and belongs to the dedicated virtual editions. It is an agent-based, centrally managed solution, so it expects a Protect & Restore backend and console rather than running as a standalone single-PC installer. Buyers protecting only one or two home PCs are usually better served by Paragon's standalone Backup & Recovery product instead.

How does Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation recover a failed computer?

Recovery is driven from the central console, and the agent restores a full pVHD system image back onto the workstation. Hardware-independent restore (HIR) lets you bring that image up on different hardware, so a dead machine can be replaced and recovered without reinstalling Windows and applications from scratch. This matters when an SSD fails or a motherboard dies and the replacement hardware is not identical to the original. Because images are stored as restore points, an administrator can also roll a workstation back to an earlier known-good state.

Where can the Workstation edition store its backups?

Protect & Restore can save workstation backup data to local hard disks, UNC network shares, NAS and SAN storage, and ESX datastores. It uses a multi-tier storage infrastructure, so primary backups can sit close to the machines for speed and then copy to second-tier storage with less network impact. For an IT team, this means workstation images do not have to live on the same disk as the source PC, which is the whole point of off-machine protection. Choosing the destination is part of the backup policy configured in the console.

Frequently asked questions about Paragon Protect & Restore Workstation

Is this the same as Paragon Backup & Recovery?

No. Protect & Restore is the centrally managed business platform where workstations, servers, and virtual machines are administered from one console, while Backup & Recovery is a standalone product configured per machine. Choose the Workstation edition when you need centralized oversight of multiple endpoints rather than backing up a single PC on its own.

Does the Workstation edition protect Mac or Linux machines?

No. The Workstation edition provides agent-based protection for physical Windows workstations, so macOS and Linux endpoints are not covered. If your fleet includes non-Windows machines, those devices need a different tool, as this edition is scoped to Windows only.