Best Backup Software

Community Forums/General Help/Best Backup Software

Ross C(Posted 2011) [#1]
Hey guys. Just wondering if any of you had a recommendation for backup software. I currently manually copy and maintain backups of changed files (mainly photos). I have read very mixed reviews about backup software that saves changes to files, but doesn't update the backup when new files are added. etc etc.

I also need something that creates a drive image, so I can restore windows, without reinstalling, if there is a problem.


Shambler(Posted 2011) [#2]
Acronis has always done the job well for me.


Adam Novagen(Posted 2011) [#3]
I use FreeFileSync (FFS). While the acronym sounds like a joke, the program is precisely what I need; it can optionally propagate creations, modifications AND deletions, as well as do comparisons by date or by file content. It's also highly optimized; the interface gets the job done without clutter, and it'll go through thousands of files in seconds. I use it to keep my music and programming data backed up on my 1TB Verbatim MediaShare NAS, which also keeps the stuff synchronized between my two work computers.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/freefilesync/

It also makes it super-easy to spot file conflicts. There's a bar between the two folder lists, with icons showing whether files are to be added, changed or deleted, as well as their direction. It uses colour-coding to make this easy, and if there's a conflict - a modification on both sides since the last backup - then a bright orange lightning bolt icon is used. Even if your list is hundreds of items long, a quick scroll down will immediately let you spot any problems due to the visibility of the icon.

Last edited 2011


Ross C(Posted 2011) [#4]
Thanks guys. Adam, does that one do disc images? I'd really like to restore my windows installation, rather than reinstall windows and all my applications.


Yan(Posted 2011) [#5]
Gizmo's Freeware Review


xlsior(Posted 2011) [#6]
I used the windows built-in backup tool to make a restorable image of the OS itself. Then periodically run a batch file that uses Robocopy to mirror any changes to my local files to an external HD.


Htbaa(Posted 2011) [#7]
I use Acronis as well. Once in a year I create a full system image and I run daily data backups. After the first full data backup has been made the incremental ones are finished rather fast as well (matter of minutes).

Home edition is cheap as well.


Ross C(Posted 2011) [#8]
Thanks guys. Just purchased Acronis!