Backup Software?

[300rman]

I am looking for advice on some home-PC backup software. I want it to be easy to use, some of the ones Ive tried are very time-consuming to add specific files and folders, or to exclude certain sub folders in a directory that you want everything else backed up, as adding 100 subfolders individually just to exclude one folder is a real PITA.

Also, It has to be easily configured. I want a sync-type backup where after the initial backup, the only things that get re-copied are things changed or added.

I want any changes made on the computer hard drive to be mirrored on the portable drive (including file deletes). But I do not want changes to files on the portable hard drive to be mirrored on the computer's drive (in case I delete something on the portable drive, it wont get deleted upon a data sync)

Lastly, I dont want the backup to be put into some cryptic file format that only the program that made the backup can decode. I want it to carbon-copy the files, so when I open them on the portable drive, they are all right there exactly as they were on the main computer.

Anyone have any suggestions? KLS Backup has some of these features, but the sync option does not allow for subfolder exclusions, and the setup for mirroring files and not deleting them on the original drive is kind of cryptic. The backup option is really easy to use, but every time you run it, it re-copies EVERYTHING, not just the stuff that changed. and copying 100GB of data every few days will be hard on both of the drives being used, NOT what I want.

[Big Mike]

Why not just use the backup system built into windows? ( I assume you are using Windows)

[TecateDan]

Questions like this always remind me of Zoolander where they are talking about the files being in the computer so he smashes the computer to get he files out..lol

[300rman]

Does the windows 7 backup software have this flexibility? I have used built in windows software before, and never EVER liked it, so I never bothered to check out the backup software they included.

[Big Mike]

File backup


Windows Backup allows you to make copies of data files for all people that use the computer. You can let Windows choose what to back up or you can select the individual folders, libraries, and drives that you want to back up. By default, your backups are created on a regular schedule. You can change the schedule and you can manually create a backup at any time. Once you set up Windows Backup, Windows keeps track of the files and folders that are new or modified and adds them to your backup. To set up file backup, see Back up your files.

Yes it should do what you want, check it out.

[kb0nly]

Windows 7 backup does an ok job, but i find sometimes it glitches and doesn't always get everything. I use SmartSync Pro to do manual backups now and then, and let Windows does it on a schedule, this way i for sure get it all.

[zzmegad]

I know you are not looking to add another pc to your network, but windows home server has the most kick ass backup features that work flawlessly and have not screwed me yet.(about 8 years) I have the original WHS. I know there is a new version WHS 2008, but I havent used it. Btw it is very user friendly and simple to setup if you can do stuff like install windows. It also has other really cool features.

[zzmegad]

The WHS really shines when you have multiple computers to backup