All About Backing UpJohn Samuels

PCRAMSJune 2012

What is it?

A procedure for creating copies of some or all of the programs and files in your computer.

Why Do I Need it?

To find and reinstall lost or corrupted files

To recreate an entire partition or hard disk

Basic Types

File

Partition

Disk

Partition “C”

Partition “D”

Methods

Full

PartialIncremental

Differential

How much space will I need?About as much space as you have used on

your disk – a little less if compression is used.

Where do I put it?Another drive on your computer

An external hard driveeSATAUSB 3.0Firewire

A network attached drive

A drive on another computer

The Cloud

Speed

Faster

Slower

How do I restore my system?

•From Windows•From a Linux, DOS or WinPE boot disk•From a network computer or NAS•From Windows boot

Scheduling

Once, or once in a while (Full)

Automatic periodic backup

Full, Full + Partials

All the time

SecurityPhysical Security – where to store the backup

Data Security – encryption and passwords

What Program Do I Use?Windows Backup (Windows 7)

Free Programs

Paid Programs

Macrium Reflect

Windows BackupBackup and Restore—improved for Windows 7—

creates safety copies of your most important personal files, so you're always prepared for the worst.

Let Windows choose what to back up, or pick individual folders, libraries, and drives yourself.  Windows can back up files on whatever schedule you choose—just set it and forget it.

You can back up to another drive or a DVD. And if you're using the Professional or Ultimate editions of Windows 7, you'll also have the option of backing up your files to a network.

EaseUS ToDo Backup Free Good backup utilities that combine maximum user friendliness with

excellent functionality and some helpful extras take the chore out of an essential duty. When all that comes for free, the excuse to blow off backups wears thin. Easeus Todo Backup is just such a free backup and restore utility. Like any good backup tool, it will back up your entire system's current state, data, settings and all, or just what you want it to, including partitions or full disks, and restore your computer in the event of a hard-disk crash or other calamity. Its Disk Cloning feature will help you migrate your operating system and data to a new hard disk when it's time to replace the old one. You can also use it to create bootable CD-ROMs using either Linux or the powerful Windows Pre-installation Environment (PE), which is a big improvement over MS-DOS.

Two things set Todo Backup apart from many other backup utilities (three things, if you count that it's free): its easy-to-use interface and its wizard-based operation. Colorful, large, clearly labeled buttons and icons make it easy for even new computer owners to use, a big plus because they need protection the most yet are usually inexperienced at securing it. The program walks users through its operations and explains each step with detailed instructions, augmented by a good Help file for further assistance.

Todo Backup is freeware and is certified for Windows 7. It downloads as a compressed file but extracts, installs, and opens without fuss.

EaseUS Backup WorkstationPaid - $39.00 Single LicenseDozens of featuresSimilar to Acronis, ParagonDoes not include technical support

Macrium Reflect Free Macrium Reflect Free Edition makes file backup incredibly easy thanks to its intuitive

user interface and helpful wizards. Installing the program did confuse us a bit, because although it's a free program, it

refers to purchasing the program, and you're given a confirmation number. On top of that, the program recommends that you view the online tutorials before getting started, but you might have some trouble deciphering them unless you speak Italian. Luckily, the built-in Help menu is more than adequate and written in English. The user interface is simple but professional in appearance. Intuitive commands line the top of the window, and tabs reveal options for disk images, partitions, XML definitions, and scheduled backups. A helpful wizard guides you through the process of setting up your backup. We were able to quickly select our backup location (local hard disk, network, CD/DVD). Before proceeding, it provides you with a summary of your backup so that you can see the backup type, destination, compression type, and password protection. Here is also where you can make advanced configurations to the compression levels and file sizes.

The program did slow our computer while it worked its magic, and we were unable to browse or work with other resource-intensive programs at the same time. However, we were able to watch the backup process, and the program successfully backed up our C Drive without a hitch. If you're looking for a simple but reliable backup program, we highly recommend Macrium Reflect Free Edition to all users.

Macrium Reflect Standard

•Drag and drop user interface•WinPE 3.1 rescue environment, Linux 3.0 kernel•Incremental & differential backups•File & folder backup, NTFS permissions•Direct disk cloning, Disk imaging•Reorder & resize partitions, Compress backups•UEFI Support•Integrated email component•Restore multiple partitions•AES Encryption & password protection, •Disk space management•Backup definitions, Scripting support•Browse backups•Image verification•Schedule backups

Macrium Reflect Standard

CobianFreeware / SharewareCobian Backup is free backup software

that supports scheduled local and remote backups. Users love its rich feature set, as Cobian supports nearly every feature of its shareware alternatives. All current versions of Cobian are freeware, but the latest (version 9) is no longer open source. 

SyncBackFreeware and SharewareSyncBack is full-featured backup software

available in both freeware and shareware versions. The freeware SyncBack has a few limitations that the shareware version doesn't, like inability to backup open files, but both versions offer extensive features—including backup profiles and options for local and remote backups. The shareware version of SyncBack will set you back $30. 

MozyHomeFreeware and SharewareMozyHome does unlimited online backup for

just $5 a month. Mozy is a set-it-and-forget-it solution, and the setting up part is incredibly simple. If you're just looking to give it a test run or you don't need unlimited backup, sign up for MozyHome Free, which gives you 2GB of backup space for gratis. 

CarboniteCarbonite is an online backup solution similar to

MozyHome. For $50 a year, Carbonite provides unlimited online backup and is another set-it-and-forget-it solution which offers off-site backup to remote servers. The biggest difference between Carbonite and Mozy is the price: Carbonite is $50 per year upfront compared to MozyHome's $5 per month, which adds up to $60 a year but doesn't lock you into a year. Carbonite does not offer a free version like MozyHome Free's 2GBs, but there is a 15-day trial. For more user comparisons, check out our Carbonite vs. Mozy faceoff.

ParagonParagon Backup & Recovery 2012 Free - a disaster

recovery tool for stand-alone Windows-based PCs. Combining all the existing backup techniques and exclusive recovery environments, this latest edition satisfies the needs of even the most demanding user and is simply the most powerful free backup tool available today. Paragon Backup & Recovery 2012 Free allows you to take complete control of your PC's safety. Based on solid commercial backup and recovery software from Paragon, it has a rich set of features that you can trust. Simple to install and easy to use.

AcronisAcronis True Image creates full live disk images of

your PC so that when the time comes that you need to restore a backup, you're not just restoring files—you're restoring an exact copy of your PC as it was. The latest version of Acronis supports excluding individual files and folders from your image or you can set criteria for the data that you want to back up (in case you don't actually want to include everything in your disk image). Acronis True Image costs $50 and a 15 day trial version is available.

Acronis Freeware's cool, but some programs are worth paying for. Antivirus, graphics, and

accounting tools justify their cost if they outperform their free competitors, but for our money, nothing beats top-quality backup software. And for our system, nothing provides the level of security, total restoration capability, and confidence like Acronis True Image Home Edition. Acronis automatically creates full, incremental, and custom backups; remote backups; and even optional Internet-based backups with file synchronization features. It also includes a variety of tools for cleaning disks and shredding files, creating bootable media and secure partitions, backing up settings, adding and cloning disks, sandboxing unsafe operations, and other useful tasks. And, while Acronis True Image Home Edition creates thorough, top-quality backups, it does the job with amazing speed, even when working in the background.

Acronis True Image's user interface has an Office-style ribbon toolbar with tabs labeled Get started, Backup and Recovery, Synchronization, and Tools and Utilities. Acronis can create several types of backups using different levels of compression, different priority for system resources, and even different destinations, such as removable drives. Incremental backups create one main backup and only update it with changes to your system. Based on hard-earned experience, we always create new full backups that we store on a dedicated hard drive, plus a full copy on a removable drive. It's not overkill: Many times we've used Acronis backups to restore entire systems after unrecoverable disasters, even to completely new drives on third systems with Acronis installed. The Home Edition will also restore systems backed up with various free versions of Acronis, such as True Image WD. Help and support are plentiful.

Let's be clear: A proper external hard drive for storing your backups is far more important than which backup solution you choose, as long as you make use of it. We've compared Acronis to premium competitors like Ghost as well as excellent free tools such as Easus and, yes, Windows Backup, which you've already got (and use, we hope). Each does a good job and is much better than nothing. But experience is the best teacher. Based on our real-world experience, we trust Acronis True Image Home Edition.

ConclusionsNo one program does it all or all wellPaid versions offer more features, if you need

themThere are hundreds of programs available.

You must select those which gives you the desired features at the least cost.

User feed back in forums is useful to determine if these programs work as advertized and are properly supported.

You MUST perform a backup and test restoring it in your environment!!