Other simple backup drives, like HP’s SimpleSave, do allow you to use part of the drive for backup and part of the drive for extra storage, but HP’s software can’t handle versioning. But don’t get too big a drive: You can’t use a drive running Rebit for any other purpose, such as extra storage. The company recommends buying a drive that’s at least 25 percent larger than the one you want to back up. Rebit portable and desktop drives are available in various storage capacities. If you can remember to plug it in once a day, it will back up everything that has changed since you last had it attached. And keeping backup media plugged into your PC 24/7 puts it at risk of power surges, malware, and thieves because your backup is as exposed to those threats as your primary system is.įortunately, you don’t have to keep the Rebit drive plugged in. Of course, constantly creating backups will slow the computer noticeably. The program backs up a file as soon as you change it, so you never have to think about backing up. Rebit is designed for real-time, around-the-clock backup. Or double-click the Rebit system tray icon for the Windows Explorer-like Rebit Browser. Right-click a file in Windows Explorer, select My Rebit, and pick a version of the file from your backup. Rebit makes recovering a specific file easy. iso file from Rebit’s Web site when the time comes). The first time you plug in the drive, it backs up everything on your regular hard drive–data, applications, even Windows.īecause Rebit backs up everything, you can recover your entire system after a hard-drive crash or other disaster simply by booting from a special CD (you can download the. You don’t have to decide which files and folders to back up. You can load Rebit software on any external hard drive.But Rebit offers the easiest backup of all. (On the other hand, the Clickfree software can’t perform versioning, a serious shortcoming.) SanDisk’s 64GB Ultra Backup sells for $160–the same amount that you’d pay for a 500GB HP SimpleSave hard drive, and roughly $20 more than you’d pay for a 320GB Clickfree portable backup hard drive. However, because the Ultra Backup line consists of flash drives, you don’t get many gigabytes for the price. SanDisk put a backup button and a very good data-backup program (one that can back up and restore files, but not Windows) on its Ultra Backup line of portable drives. Other automated backup drives have serious limitations. Heirlooms: Files that you want to keep forever–family photos, the special anniversary card you made for your parents, and so on–need backing up and extra protection. But these large files may require a separate backup strategy. Media: If your backup medium is sufficiently roomy and fast, you can back up your photo, music, and video files every day. Fortunately, any well-designed backup program intended for everyday, nonexpert users (as opposed to IT departments) knows where to look for Outlook data. Also, in XP, Microsoft stores Outlook and Outlook Express data in C:Documents and Settingsyour nameLocal SettingsApplication Data). Most programs store them in a hidden folder inside your user folder (in XP, C:Documents and Settingsyour nameApplication Data in Vista, C:Usersyour nameAppData). But if you often work on these files on other people’s computers, you may want to carry a copy of them on a flash drive or store a copy of them online.Īpplication data: Apps create and maintain data files such as e-mail messages, browser favorites, calendar entries, and contacts that require daily backing up. Your recent documents: If your backup program can handle incremental backups, you don’t have to worry about recent documents as separate entities.
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