Backup software

ZDNet has a link for Yadis: “Our number-one-software is Yadis. It’s an easy-to-use backup-tool, which will save you a lot of troubles. It guards your personal data by making real-time copies (whenever you make changes to your documents) to almost any destination you choose. You do not need to schedule. Whenever you make a change, your data is saved. If the backup destination is not available then the backup is postponed until the destination becomes available again. Version 1.9.3.3 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.”

Software	Size:	637 KB
Date:	Jun 2008	Version:	1.9.3.3
License:	Free
System Req:	Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/Vista, Micorosoft .NET Framework 2.0

MailStore - back up your emails from everywhere

So, you’ve got a Gmail account, a LionsLink, some stuff in Outlook…

How do you make sure you don’t lose any of those vital emails?

MakeUseOf has a post on MailStore Home freeware:

• Keep all your emails (from multiple email accounts) and attachments in one archive.
• Backup emails from: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Microsoft Exchange Server Mailboxes, AVM KEN! Mailboxes, Thunderbird, Mozilla SeaMonkey, Webmailer, any POP3 and IMAP accounts, from Imported Archive files.
• Saves space by compressing email archives.
• Super-Fast Search: Search all your e-mail within fractions of a second (incl. the contents of attached documents).
• Remove duplicate attachments: MailStore keeps only one copy of each attachment, even if it dozens of emails.
• One-Click Backup: Integrated CD/DVD burning utility to backup your archives with just one click.
• Message Preview: Preview archived messages directly in MailStore. You can even reopen them in your local email client (i.e. Microsoft Outlook).
• What’s missing: Option to setup and schedule automatic backups.

DriveImage XML backup software

DriveImage XML is an easy to use and reliable program for imaging and backing up partitions and logical drives. And it’s free!

The program allows you to:

Backup logical drives and partitions to image files

Browse these images, view and extract files

Restore these images to the same or a different drive

Copy directly from drive to drive

Schedule automatic backups with your Task Scheduler

Image creation uses Microsoft’s Volume Shadow Services (VSS), allowing you to create safe “hot images” even from drives currently in use.

Images are stored in XML files, allowing you to process them with 3rd party tools. Never again be stuck with a useless backup!

Restore images to drives without having to reboot.

DriveImage XML runs under Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Vista only. The program will backup, image and restore drives formatted with FAT 12, 16, 32 and NTFS.

In case of emergency (or other reasons) you can run DriveImage XML from a WinPE boot CD-ROM.

[update 2008/6/12]

A Softpedia review of a test using XP and Vista had a little trouble with Vista, but still managed a backup.

Safe Deposit Box goes online

Remember “safe deposit boxes”, those little lockers in the bank vault where your parents kept the deed to the house, everyone’s birth certificates, stuff like that?

Now you can keep stuff online.  It might not be considered valid in the eyes of the law, but it will keep your information available.  Keepyousafe.com has free safe deposit boxes online for your files.

Why would I need an Online Safe Deposit Box? What if you were traveling and lost your wallet, itinerary or passport? KeepYouSafe.Com gives you a private place to keep copies of this important information so that your trip isn’t ruined.

What does this cost? Your KeepYouSafe.Com Online Safe Deposit Box is free.

How do you keep the contents of my safe deposit box secure? We use many methods to provide the most secure possible environment for your data. All of the information contained inside each Online Safe Deposit Box is encrypted - that is, encoded so that only the person(s) with a key (password) to that specific box can view its contents. We use the same encryption technology (256 bit AES) that the military employs to protect top secret data.

But couldn’t malicious hackers still somehow manage to access my personal information? Your personal information simply couldn’t be safer than it is in your Online Safe Deposit Box. Our staff of certified security professionals continually monitors public, private and government security alerts to ensure we are aware of all emerging and new security threats before these threats ever have a chance to affect our network or servers. We regularly audit the security of our systems using industry approved manual and automated methods.  Additionally, network security audit firm ScanAlert performs exhaustive tests on our systems every day. The “Hacker Safe” mark that appears on our website means the site is free of all known vulnerabilities that can be remotely scanned for — the vulnerabilities that are exploited in 99.99% of all hacker attacks.

As always, be careful what kind of information you store online with anyone, depending on how much you can trust them and their security.  However, for travel, this could be helpful.

In ’sync with your folders and data

LifeHacker, that source of varied wonderful information, has an article on free ways to synchronize the contents of your folders between computers.

These can go between different operating systems, too (Windows to Mac or vice versa, Linux to Windows, etc.).

BlogBackupOnline is free

BlogBackupOnline is a free service that backs up your blog, in case your blog provider loses everything due to some disaster, or by being hacked, or whatever.

While they reserve the right to terminate service at any time, having a second place with your blog can bring you a little piece of mind…

Backup advice and scripts for 98/ME/NT/2000/XP

A useful article on backups is available at Langa.com, along with instructions and scripts, called “Fast, Easy Backups For Win98 / ME / NT / 2K / XP.” Recommended by Windows Secrets.

Imaging freeware: SelfImage

A backup is just a copy of whatever you select.   An “image” is a complete copy, usually of your entire hard drive, exactly as it is at that moment.  An image is more complete, but takes longer.  Still, an image allows you to re-create your hard driveSelfImage is freeware and open source software.  Free Download a Day has a description of SelfImage.

“There are bunches of tools out there that will let you create an image of a hard drive. SelfImage will let you create an image of a partition that is currently in use. Many disk imaging apps, like Ghost, require that you boot from a floppy or a CD rather than from the hard drive if you’re going to make a copy of that drive, but not SelfImage.”

The advantage of being “open source” is that a lot of people are able to improve and update the software, so it’s more likely to continue into the future.