Need BU alternative to Genie

Derekfoxes · May 15, 2012

Win 7 Pro, Core i7, GB drives.

Need to BU WORD documents and photos, soon digital camcorder films.

Used Genie8 for years happily as the BU images on EHD can be read in clear. Then it stopped being able to save to follow on optical disks.

Come to end of life. The company has been splendid in support too.

Bought Genie Timeline Pro 2012 on trust but it is chalk and cheese, wildy different and not for me. Took all night to BU initially, etc. Incredibly if the EHD is not left connected all the time, it keeps on doing BU on the machine it's self! Now what is the point of BU on a machine that can be stolen or destroyed in a fire etc. ?

Searching the web showed some could not restore etc. = hearsay.

Spent hours searching for a replacement but all seemed worse.

What can I do? (Tempted buy a fireproof safe for the EHD and hide/bolt to the wall).

ignatzatsonic · May 15, 2012

I assume Genie is a file-by-file backup application?

There are many such apps:

Karen's Replicator
Synctoy
Synchromagic
GFI Backup Home Edition
Second Copy
Allway Sync
Syncback

What replacements did you find and why did they seem worse?

What special requirements do you have, if any?

windude99 · May 15, 2012

You could also use Cobain backup:Cobian Backup - CNET Download.com
Or, use the Windows built in back up

Brds7t7 · May 15, 2012

Freefilesync is another good one.

Derekfoxes · May 16, 2012

ignatzatsonic said:
I assume Genie is a file-by-file backup application?

What replacements did you find and why did they seem worse?

What special requirements do you have, if any?

ignatzatsonic, Thanks for reply and i will look up your list.

The old ordinary Genie8 was almost perfect, it let me pick the few things i need to BU. Better yet i could see them in clear, most reassuring. Suddenly it stopped copying to optical disks, only EHD. The optical disks and EHD could be stored well away from the computer, in case of theft or fire. It was thus fast, and secure.

The new one is set to BU absolutely everything and first time took all night, so slow. I can stop it saving rubbish like emails (which i can print if needed). It is not in clear so i cannot check it is right. nor is the time saved significant.

Result, chalk and cheese, really serious time/space wasting, and no way to get the BU to a safe place.

Derekfoxes · May 16, 2012

windude99 said:
You could also use Cobain backup:Cobian Backup - CNET Download.com
Or, use the Windows built in back up

windude99, Thanks for your reply.

Will look at Cobian.

Windows own is an included freebie and not reviewed well when i was looking up every choice.

Derekfoxes · May 16, 2012

Burdus32 said:
Freefilesync is another good one.

Burdus32. Thanks for reply.

Will look for Freefilesync.

ignatzatsonic · May 16, 2012

Not sure why all the replacements you found "all seemed worse".

The ones I have looked at will back up to an external, internal, or DVD.

Nor do I know why you couldn't then "get the BU to a safe place".

All the apps I have looked at give you full control over what to back up, when to back up, and the destination.

All do it "in the clear", if by that you mean unencrypted and visible.

All will take quite a while on the first backup because you are likely backing up many gigabytes. But on all future backups, they should take only seconds or a minute or two since the only files that would be backed up after the first time would be new files or modified files.

kado897 · May 16, 2012

Derekfoxes said:
Burdus32 said:

Freefilesync is another good one.

Click to expand...

Burdus32. Thanks for reply.

Will look for Freefilesync.

I did a video of FreeFileSync which will give you an idea of how it works. Backup With FreeFileSync - YouTube

Brds7t7 · May 16, 2012

kado897 said:
Derekfoxes said:

Burdus32 said:

Freefilesync is another good one.

Click to expand...

Burdus32. Thanks for reply.

Will look for Freefilesync.

Click to expand...

I did a video of FreeFileSync which will give you an idea of how it works. Backup With FreeFileSync - YouTube

One of my bookmarked videos Kado.

Gordon Simmons · May 17, 2012

Hello,
I also used to use genie backup manger and updated to Genie timeline 2012 home edition recently.
It's true the company has the best solutions availble around the web.
Have you contacted thier support regarding genie8?
I guess genie backup manger 9 is coming out very soon a month or so as i remembered i've read this on their facebook page.

Another question -Have you tried the cloud ( online backup )? it would the best solution to avoid any fire or burglary.

Derekfoxes · May 17, 2012

ignatzatsonic said:
Not sure why all the replacements you found "all seemed worse".

All will take quite a while on the first backup because you are likely backing up many gigabytes. But on all future backups, they should take only seconds or a minute or two since the only files that would be backed up after the first time would be new files or modified files.

If only! I have spent ages in terms of hours per day keeping the software running and the numbers reducing. Leave it on at night where apond it stops running.

At 80 life is to short to just sit was watch it - too much to do and I am slow.

Am looking in detail at one recommendation at SyncBackPro.

Thanks for your interest

Derekfoxes · May 17, 2012

Gordon Simmons said:
Hello,
I also used to use genie backup manger and updated to Genie timeline 2012 home edition recently.
It's true the company has the best solutions availble around the web.
Have you contacted thier support regarding genie8?
I guess genie backup manger 9 is coming out very soon a month or so as i remembered i've read this on their facebook page.

Another question -Have you tried the cloud ( online backup )? it would the best solution to avoid any fire or burglary.

Gordon, hello.

Do you find it is slow?

Yes, contacted support, and in the past very good indeed. A little problem at the moment - no doubt my age - cannot get through today.

Where do i look for CLOUD. It looks expense. My son thinks it allows snoopers to see.

ignatzatsonic · May 17, 2012

Derekfoxes said:
ignatzatsonic said:

Not sure why all the replacements you found "all seemed worse".

All will take quite a while on the first backup because you are likely backing up many gigabytes. But on all future backups, they should take only seconds or a minute or two since the only files that would be backed up after the first time would be new files or modified files.

Click to expand...

If only! I have spent ages in terms of hours per day keeping the software running and the numbers reducing. Leave it on at night where apond it stops running.

If you have a Core 2 Duo and backups are as slow as you imply, then:

You are using a poor backup application

OR

Something is wrong with your system in general

OR

You are creating many new Gigabytes of data every day.

I have about 400 GB of data and back up every day. It typically takes 30 to 90 seconds.

Derekfoxes · May 18, 2012

ignatzasonic, Thanks for reply.

Using poor BU. Yes, Genie, and no reply from my last two messages - though the have been good in the past.

Something wrong with system. No, new expensive very fast machine, great for Photoshop Elements 10 on 58 GB for my 7,500 photos back to 1947, good editing. Norton 360 protection.

Rely heavily on MS WORD for diary and authoring, nowhere near a GB. Happy with old Genie8 for years.

Next job should be making Blu-ray disk 'films' silent and sound from a variety of scanned film and digital camcorders. Done it before but dye based optical disks do not last well and new drives do not always play old stuff. so expect to keep the matrial on drive D: 2 TB drive.

Your volumes and BU speed very impresive, forgotton if you named what you use and if available in the UK.

ignatzatsonic · May 18, 2012

Derekfoxes said:
forgotton if you named what you use and if available in the UK.

I use Second Copy, which is available to anyone. You can download a 30 day trial version from Centered.com. It's 30 dollars if you want to use it beyond 30 days.

There are several downloadable completely free backup programs that are known to work well and I would expect them to work about as well as Second Copy.

I have no experience at all with Genie and don't know how well it works or why it might be problematic in your case.

Gordon Simmons · May 20, 2012

Derekfoxes said:
Gordon Simmons said:

Hello,
I also used to use genie backup manger and updated to Genie timeline 2012 home edition recently.
It's true the company has the best solutions availble around the web.
Have you contacted thier support regarding genie8?
I guess genie backup manger 9 is coming out very soon a month or so as i remembered i've read this on their facebook page.

Another question -Have you tried the cloud ( online backup )? it would the best solution to avoid any fire or burglary.

Click to expand...

Gordon, hello.

Do you find it is slow?

Yes, contacted support, and in the past very good indeed. A little problem at the moment - no doubt my age - cannot get through today.

Where do i look for CLOUD. It looks expense. My son thinks it allows snoopers to see.

Yes cloud is still expensive at the moment, but you don't have to worry about security most of the services uses modern encryption methods. Encryption techniques may vary depending on the online backup service you choose to use, but all of the reliable services will use one of the accepted security measures to keep your data safe and secure. Preferably if the service offers encryption before leaving your machine.

About genie timeline it's working seamlessly on my machine, all is good so far.
Any specific issue you are facing?

Derekfoxes · May 21, 2012

Gordon Simmons said:
Derekfoxes said:

Gordon About genie timeline it's working seamlessly on my machine said:

Yes, it really does not work for me, removed it and gone back to 'Genie 8 Pro' in it's current level, that will do very well.

They are still helping me and it will do perfectly when I re establish it.

Unfortunately a lot of interruptions and welcome visitors, on top of looking after myself, animal and greenhouses.

They wanted me to test my new Blu-ray writer for making periodic hide-able Back Ups. Took forever, my first time, but there it is and readable.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

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