If you know me you will have realised that I am almost paranoid about backups. After a near disaster a few weeks ago (Yes – I did have all the backups I needed) I decided to try out online backups. I have an external hard drive, but as I use a laptop the external drive doesn’t stay connected and I have to remember to do the backup.
I decided I needed a method of backing up that would be automatic and didn’t require me to remember to set it going and wait for it to finish. I found a service online that sounded good and signed up for their free trial. Meanwhile I posted a thread on a forum that I belong to asking which online backup services people use. You can see the thread here on the Warrior Forum.
The two most recommended services were Mozy and Carbonite. Both cost the same, within a few cents. You can Purchase Carbonite here or Purchase Mozy here
Both offer a free trial.
Some antivirus programs include online backup. I set one up for a client a few days ago. There are two main differences between the service included with antivirus software and the dedicated, paid for services.
One is the frequency of backup. It is likely that your antivirus backup service will back up to a schedule – once a day, once a week, etc. The dedicated paid for services perform continuous, running backup so long as you are connected to the internet.
The second is the amount of storage space available for your backup. The included services often offer less space – with an option to pay to upgrade the space.
Make sure you check out both of these and choose a service that is right for your needs.