Top 4 Backup Software Programs

computerrepairuk — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:09:14 +0000

Backing up your important files, or perhaps your entire hard drive, is one of the most valuable maintenance tasks you could possibly do on your computer. With your data backed up, a hard drive crash or accidental deletion won’t be nearly as painful.

Backup software makes backing up your data automatic – a must-have feature of any successful backup plan. Here is a list of some of the most popular backup software titles available.

1. Norton Ghost 14.0

Norton Ghost 14.0 is the latest incarnation of a long time favorite PC backup program. With Norton Ghost 14.0, you can schedule automatic backups of your complete system or individual files and folders.

Easy to use configuration wizards make setup a snap for the novice and advanced options will please even the professional technician. If you want the complete backup package in one easy to use program, Norton Ghost 14.0 is an excellent choice.

Norton Ghost 14.0 is currently priced at $69.99USD and is available for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

More information on Norton Ghost 14.0

2. Acronis True Image 11 Home

Acronis True Image 11, like the other popular backup software programs profiled here, is a complete backup solution for your home computer.

The backup configuration process isn’t quite as user friendly in Acronis True Image 11 as it is in some of the other programs, but it has a huge number of advanced, unique features including email notification of completed backups, a hard drive eraser tool, a pc cloning utility, and much more.

Acronis True Image 11 Home is currently priced at $49.99USD and is available for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista.

More information on Acronis True Image 11 Home

3. Norton Save & Restore 2.0

Think of Norton Save & Restore 2.0 as Norton Ghost “Lite”. Norton Save & Restore 2.0 has all the great standard features of it’s more powerful sibling minus some of the extras like event-based backups, compression, and some other advanced options.

If you’re looking for a backup program that’s simple to use and you don’t see yourself needing some of the more advanced features available in Norton Ghost, Norton Save & Restore 2.0 is probably a good choice for you.

Norton Save & Restore is currently priced at $49.99USD and is available for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

More information on Norton Save & Restore 2.0

4. Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0

Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0 is yet another excellent choice for your home backup needs. Like other backup programs, you can backup your entire system, certain files and folders, or even certain types of files like music, music, etc. – whatever is important to you.

Backup and restore wizards make it easy to keep your data safe and restore it after an emergency. Compression capabilities, email notifications, online backup options, and preconfigured backup sets make Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0 an excellent value-priced choice for advanced users.

Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0 is currently priced at $49.95USD and requires Windows 200, Windows XP, or Windows Vista.

More information on Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0

Top 3 Online Backup Service

computerrepairuk — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:50:04 +0000

Online backup services work much like traditional backup software. With an online backup service, however, your important data is transmitted over the Internet and securely stored on a server in a professional data center instead of being stored on your own CDs, DVDs, or backup tapes.

The reason I list only 3 online backup services, even though there are dozens of choices, is because these few stand so far above the rest. Save yourself some time and check these out.

1. Mozy

Without reservation, Mozy is my pick as the best online backup service. Any exceptional backup service should be easy to use, cost effective, automatic, reliable, and easy to restore from. Mozy is nearly the perfect embodiment of these requirements.

To get started with Mozy, visit their website and sign up for an account. Download and install their software, tell it what files or types of files to backup, and then set it to automatically backup whenever you like.

MozyHome Free is, you guessed it, completely free and gives you up to 2 GB of storage on Mozy’s servers.

MozyHome costs $4.95/month and allows for an unlimited amount of data backup. This service sets Mozy above all others.

2. IDrive-E

IDrive-E is similar in most ways to Mozy and other online backup services. Some features that make IDrive-E stand out among the competition include mapped drive support, file sharing, more frequent continuous backup, and support for server operating systems.

I found their software to be a little less user friendly than Mozy’s, but if their unique features are high on your priority list, IDrive-E may be just what you’re looking for in an online backup service.

IDrive-E Basic is completely free and gives you up to 2 GB of storage.

IDrive-E Pro costs $4.95/month and they advertise “unlimited backup.” However, their Terms of Usage page defines “unlimited” as no more than 150 GB.

3. Carbonite

Carbonite’s online backup service works in a similar way to the other services – you download and configure a piece of software and the backup is handled automatically in the background.

I found Carbonite’s software to be slow and I thought it was integrated too heavily into my computer. Mozy’s and IDrive-E’s software programs were more independent and feature rich, while Carbonite’s became more of a part of my computer by integrating directly into Windows Explorer and my desktop. If you don’t mind this type of software, Carbonite may be your first choice for backing up online – many people rave about this service.

Carbonite’s service costs $49.95/year and allows for an unlimited amount of data backup.

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