Suggest an online-backup vendor

I'm needing to find an online backup vendor to backup important files on our computers at home. The great computer crash of 2008 and a friend's house fire reminded me of the need for off-site backup!

(My external drive backup system didn't work when the hard drive on my wife's computer died, causing her partially completed nursing masters thesis to be lost in the eternal electron sky!!!!! Yes, I'm still married although I took a trip through "husband hell"!)

I've looked at Mozy and Carbonite but I'm intrigued by the recommendations from this MaximumPC artilcle:

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_to_choose_right_online_backup_solution_and_free_your_files

Mozy: http://mozy.com/

Carbonite: http://www.carbonite.com/

Requirements are:

1. Economical, no more than $60 per year
2. Ability to store over 40 gigs of important files including family photos and Flight Simulator dowloaded files! I would prefer unlimited storage
3. Easy to use
4. Automatic backup
5. Does NOT need to be HIPPA compliant
6. Ability to backup files from several home computers
7. Small footprint/Not a memory resource hog
8. Most importantly; easy to restore

What do you guys and gals use? I'd like to hear some suggestions as I hit a brain wall trying to decide!!

As an aside, I also need to find an online backup for my office computers.

Thanks

K

Kwiens said:

As an aside, I also need to find an online backup for my office computers.

Click to expand...

Can't help you on services as I use external drives or CD storage. In the interim, how about putting your personal files on a media and store at the office. Store your office stuff at your home. Then you're covered.

Interesting question. I've stayed away from vendor supplied network backups so far. I always have two or three computers networked at home and back up the files from my primary to those other two boxes. Last year added a couple external drives to the mix. However, in case of a fire I'm SOL for some things. Some key files I have at work and home, but not all of them. I'm leaning towards an external drive kept somewhere else much like Brian suggested.

If I went with any off site networked solution I would ensure my files were compressed and password protected to keep prying eyes away. And even then, knowing all the tools that are out there I just do not trust them. Maybe I'll come around someday but for now I'll find other ways to backup my data.

I haven't done it, but a small safe in a detached garage or barn might be an option. I've also dropped pictures on the in-laws' computer from mine and vice-versa.

Finally, everytime you snap some fun pictures post them here. We all get to laugh, awwwww, or cry with you; and you get a sort of "backup" at Doc's expense.

Thanks for the suggestions.....keep 'em coming.

I'm looking for online backup as I already have an external hard drive automated backup with Norton Ghost. I want the home files "offsite". A friend's house burned down last year and he lost everything, except the night clothes he wore to bed, including his external hard drive. I live in Kansas which is also know as "Tornado Alley". If or when a tornado comes through the local backups would be in the next county or even in Nebraska! I want the automated service as I'm not keen on burning files to a DVD and then taking them to a safe deposit box or my relatives.

At my office we are now required under the HIPPA regulations to have offsite online secure backups, so the external hard drive/tape/disk/etc option is not available. I am also researching options there.

Again, I'm looking for suggestions for online backups as I already have the external hard drive.

Thanks,

K

All I can say is that any backup solution is only as good as the last time you tested a recovery. Test, test, test.

Don't assume that just because you are moving data around that you are going to be able to retrieve it. Verify.