Which type of backup captures all modified files since the last full backup while preserving the archive attribute?

The correct choice describes a backup method that captures all modified files since the last full backup while maintaining the archive attribute. This is characteristic of a differential backup.

With a differential backup, only the data that has changed since the most recent full backup is backed up. If a user performs a full backup on a Monday, for example, and then makes changes to files on Tuesday and Wednesday, a differential backup conducted on Wednesday will include all changes from both Tuesday and Wednesday. The purpose of preserving the archive attribute is to indicate that the file has been changed and possibly needs to be backed up again in the future. This helps ensure that all relevant data is captured without redundancy, as it only focuses on modifications since the last full backup.

In contrast, other backup types serve different purposes. An incremental backup captures only those files that have changed since the last backup (full or incremental), and it resets the archive attribute of those files. A full backup includes all files and resets the attributes, while a mirror backup creates an exact copy of the data, including deletions, without considering the archive attribute. By retaining the archive attribute, differential backups allow for a more comprehensive backup strategy that simplifies restoration processes.