Looking for Backup Software

[Stevekir]

I am looking for a simple piece of software which ideally will:

1. copy all my files (Documents, Pictures, Music, Movies and a few others) on to an external USB HD, and:

2. now and again (when I ask it to) will automatically find any individual files that have changed and re-copy/overwrite them, and only them, (in full), and:

3. if needed, allow me to manually copy back some or all of the files individually.

Files will rarely change. I don't need incremental backup *, compression, encryption, the Cloud, nor scheduling of update times (my backup drive is normally kept off) but there would be no disadvantage if these features were in included but optional. (Software like this is apparently called “Continuity Software”.)

* By incremental backup (which I don’t need) I mean the type which creates an additional backup of only the parts of a file that have changed, accumulating a separate part for every change to a file.

I have looked at Capterra's site:

Best Business Continuity Software | 2015 Reviews of the Most Popular Systems

and found 7 programs which seem potentially suitable. They all cost between £30 and £70 and are to be installed on the computer (that is, not subject to a subscription).

The names are: Fastbackup (Ahmed Software), Genie Timeline Home 2015 or Genie Backup Manager 9.0 Home Edition (Genie9), Backup Platinum (Softlogica), InstaBackup (Stellar Information Systems), Handy Backup Standard 2014 (Novosoft), Uranium Backup (Nanosystems).

Can anyone rate any of these? What do you use?

Thanks

PS @MAX SyncUp had these features but messed up my computer (Windows produced a red/yellow triangle saying it was incompatible). I want to go for established commercial firms and paid-for software.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I've never heard of Capterra or any of those recommended applications.

There are a number of free choices that work well. I use FreeFileSync. It works well, but might not be the easiest to understand if you don't have experience with these types of programs.

But you want to pay. In that case, I'd recommend Second Copy, which I used to use.

It is $30, very easy to understand, and has been around a long time. Highly recommended. I gave up on it only because I'm too cheap to pay $30.

You can include or exclude by file extension or sub-folder through a simple interface. You make "profiles" to your own specifications and then run the profile with a mouse-click, on demand.

Windows backup software Second Copy: Pricing and Ordering Licenses

 

[Callender]

Most experienced users would simply make regular system image backups manually. Personally if I want to recover only changed files from certain directories then I'd mount my system image backup and "test copy" files. (No files are actually copied but a log is shown of files that will be actually be copied if you go ahead)

System Image Backup - mounted:



Choose changed files to copy:



These softwares are free. Let us know if you think this is suitable.

Edit: As for manually copying individual files you just browse your sysyem image backup and copy whatever you need.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

For backing up my data, I use a folder/file syncing program called FreeFileSync. It does exactly what you want.

For backing up system files (OS and programs), a folder/file syncing program will not work. In stead, I use Macrium Reflect Free (here is a good tutorial on how to use Macrium Reflect) to make images of my C: drive and/or partition (depending on which machine I'm talking about).

 

[Lesta4ka]

@MAX SyncUp

PS @MAX SyncUp had these features but messed up my computer (Windows produced a red/yellow triangle saying it was incompatible). I want to go for established commercial firms and paid-for software.

Hello
This trouble has been fixed long ago. You may use this soft without any doubts, it`s absolutely safe and reliable. Say this as i use it myself several years.