Free backup software?

Can anyone recommend a free backup software. For normal backup, not disc image or cloning.

Must be able to backup to DVD and external hdd. No file size limit. Can handle compressed/zip files.

SyncBack looks good, but I believe it can only backup to CD, not DVD. Correct me if Im wrong.

Thank you.

 

Have you looked at Cobian & Back4win? I believe they BU to DVD. I use SyncBack but I'm not sure if it BU to DVD, it's on another box.

...screamer

 

i also recommend cobain and the last freeware winbackup......

 

ive not tried them, but AMBackup and Comodo Backup seem to have the features u want.

 

I have used Cobian for many years and it will backup to external USB drives as well as internals.

It is a very flexible program that can be scheduled and has too many features to list here.

Another big advantage is that it creates its backups in ZIP format.

 

It can't maintain the directory structure can it?

 

SyncBackSE
http://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/syncback-hub.html

or DriveImage XML
http://www.runtime.org/dixml.htm

Not free but useful: Second Copy
http://www.secondcopy.com/

Let us know which you'll choose!

 

Hello,

Karen's PT Replicator

http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp

Mrk

 

Thanks to all of you!

I had a look at your suggestions.

Most of them can backup to CD, but not DVD. As far as I can see from the products homepage Cobian, SyncBack, Ptreplicator and Comodo Backup can not backup directly to DVD. (I may be wrong about this). But otherwise they all look good.

Winbackup looks good. According to the info at the homepage it can backup to external drive and DVD. I may go for this one. Maybe I start a new thread to find out what Winbackup users have to say about reliability etc.

I already knew about DriveImage XML. Also see this http://www.habibbijan.com/?page_id=7 I believe DriveImage XML is more suitable for creating image of drives or partitions. I also need such a program, and consider this one among paid programs like ATI, Norton Ghost, Image for Windows/Dos, BING and Shadow Protect. I have posted about DI XML earlier in this or other forum at Wilders, but it seems no people use it. So I dont know much about it.

If I go for a paid backup solution it will be this one http://www.lapback.no/ because of good review and it can be downloaded in my language, Norwegian.

Again thank you

 

I use an also paid software which turned out to be the fastest and most flexible one, after I have tested a pile of others: FileBackPC.

http://www.fileback-pc.com/

 

Just found this freebie which seems to fill your needs except for file size limit which is 2 gigs. But it can be split if larger and does backup to DVD and get this - it comes with it's own CD/DVD Burner. Looks good!.

DFIncBackup - http://www.dfincbackup.net/freeware.htm

The site is down for some short maintenance so be patient.

 

I realize you said free but Nero Backup 6.6 or 7.0 would do this job perfectly. It backs up & restores directly form DVD. It checks the archive for errors several times. Run Time Software drive image XML is an imaging program. You can back up to DVD. But the time I tried to use it notified me I would have to partition the drive first. Never did understand how it really worked. I think that there are a lot better imaging programs out there that work better but they are not free either. By the way Karen's replicator is a great program. You can even Zip the files with a Zip utility! Then you could backup with a standard DVD burner to DVD. Restore by simply coping form the DVD.

 

Again thanks to all of you.

I decided to try Winbackup, but failed to install.

Is it because of Winbackup, or is it my computer. I did a restart, but that did not make any difference.

 

Can anyone please tell me.... can SyncBack backup to DVD or not? According to their homepage it can backup to CD, but it says nothing about DVD.

If it can, how? Do you need something extra?

(Only concern the free version)

Thanks

 

Well I just used Imageburn for backing up my gaming apps and programs wrote a huge .ISO to DVD. After a sucessful burn to disc I ran it in my drive and grabbed my program files etc. did an install of my gaming programs and its all good. Integrity of the data copied as well as good slow burn to good media, all well I like this program cause it will convert anything and everything to an .iso image which is burned to disc. You can also save the .iso files to external usb and burn the iso whenever. Coolest part pop the burnt disc into your drive and you have access to the files exactly the way you would of if it were on your original hard drive.

 

I found the answer.

SyncBack can backup to DVD.

But you have to use udf writer or something.

I start a new thread to find out more about this.

 

For a commercial file backup software I strongly recommend Backup4all. Once one get used to the interface, which has been much improved since the initial versions, it is really powerful and reliable. And saved files are relying on zip compression, so you can even restore data as soon as you have an unzipper handy, which is quite good for long term archiving.

I used to rely on backupMyPC, which had nice features but a fully proprietary format, on DVD and on HDD. A few months ago I found a CD burned by this program, I couldn't even read what was on it, I would have had to reinstall this old software, just to check what was on the CD.

 

I had a similar experience with BackupMyPC. I had a big need to restore some data so I reinstalled the program after it had been off my computer for several years.

It would not recognize any of my old backup files. The proprietary format is one of the reasons I dropped the program in favor of Cobian. Now, it is off my computer again and forever and the old disks are in the trash. It was of no value to me over all those years of making backups. It failed when needed most.

Cobian has never failed.

 

Thanks to all of you.

Will have a closer look and then try one or two before I make a decision.

Happy New Year