Your choice for a backup program? (2010)

[123]

hi,

I'm looking for a portable backup program, which is easy to understand and use, and reliable.
what's your pick?

thank you.

[lyx]

FreeFileSync (http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1475)

It's not my choice for my personal needs (mostly, because i think files should be organized in a way so that a backup application isnt even needed to do backups easily)... but if someone asks me for a portable simple, intuitive to use backup app that just works, then my answer is the above app.

[webfork]

For most, I recommend Dropbox. Although not portable, its been efforts to do so have been discussed at length. Its extremely simple and yet feature-rich, although a bit of a RAM hog.

For portable solutions, I agree with lyx: FreeFileSync is ideal. I usually back up to an external drive with basic file system-level compression enabled. I've tried to create a regular backup system for compressed zip or 7zip files but I can't seem to find one that works effectively and easily with low memory and system resources.

Backup solutions for me over the last few years have focused on preserving the disk and everything on it to an external drive. That way I have a perfect duplicate not just of files but the whole environment when my main drive fails. In addition, I can never lose any individual file no matter where on the drive it got saved. There is a well-reviewed program for Windows called Driveimage XML (portable and here on the site http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=496) but my configuration is unique, running Windows entirely under VMware. I use a whole-disk non-free backup tool called SuperDuper for Mac but if you run VMware or Virtual Box on a Linux machine, I'd recommend http://mondorescue.org/

[LeonardB]

Checkout zBack. It is a backup and synchronize tool with a small footprint. Copy modes include update files, refresh existing files, or mirror source to target and can be run manually, from batch/script, or from the command line. Users can filter files based on extension, size, date, subdirectories and preview their backup/sync before running. I have not been disappointed yet.

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.p ... k&m=Search

[Hydaral]

If you want archive backups instead of file mirroring then PeaZip allows you to save the jobs as batch files that you can schedule, plus lots of archive formats to choose from:

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1048

I personally use portable batch files with FreeArc:

http://www.freearc.org/

I've yet to find any freeware portable app that writes to tape.

[guinness]

FastCopy is another option!

Check this category for a selection of Synchronization Apps.

[Hydaral]

Perhaps the OP should clarify whether they want a mirroring/synchronisation app or a backup/archiving app.

[123]

thanks everyone for your suggestions

Perhaps the OP should clarify whether they want a mirroring/synchronisation app or a backup/archiving app.

i think....a mirroring app will do

[grannyGeek]

I use Zback at work to do fast incremental backups for our eight workstations onto a portable drive. (since Vista requires admin rights to do backups, can't use integrated backup function)

For home use, I usually use the built-in Synchronize feature in FreeCommander. It can do mirror or one-way backups.