Rating: 
Summary: Disaster recovery doesn't work on WinXP SP1
Review: I purchased BackupMyPC based on two glowing reviews, which told of the disaster recovery feature. That was the whole reason I
purchased the program. I install the product, and attempt to create a disaster recovery CD-ROM, and it tells me that it can't do that because Microsoft's SP1 has been installed on my WinXP
system.I just went through having to reload WinXP, update off the Microsoft web site, then restore off my Microsoft backup file. Just what did this product buy me when its disaster recovery
feature doesn't work? NOTHING! Chris Shaker
cjshaker@shaker-net.com
Rating: 
Summary: Does the Job
Review: I too give it 5 stars partially to offset a couple of seemingly clueless reviews. Otherwise would give it 4 1/2 stars due to a couple of minor interface issues. I've been using this software, in one form or another for several years (originally Veritas, now Stomp). Have used the Stomp version on 2 PC's for past couple of years. Love it. I simply do full and partial backups to 20gb Seagate Hornet tape drives. Works great. I'm typically backing up every couple of weeks. I have also used it to backup to CD-R discs with no problem (just takes a lot of them for 10gb worth of data). I have a couple of minor issues with the user interface and one major issue which is an annoyance, but clearly something I can live with. The major issue (at least as of vers 4.71) is that when marking selected files/folders to be skipped on a backup job, it is hard to quickly find the list of files/folders you unselected. For example, I have a backup that backs up everything except media files (I skip the My Music folder, and My Pictures folder). I also skip a couple of other files that always give errors (because they are in use or have invalid file names). But when I simply look at the folders in the Stomp window at a high level, it is hard to figure out which ones contain the files I which will be skipped. One nice feature is to name backup "jobs". I have several with names like "Full C without MP3's", "Differential C", "MP3's and Photos Only". Just start the prog, select the job you wish from the pull down list, click Backup. I have not had to do a full restore yet (knock on wood). But occassionally I go back to earlier versions of files or databases. So I have restored full folders and individual files from backup (as much as 300meg of data at one time) with nary a problem. With a 20gb tape I go to bed and wake up to a completed backup. A Seagate 10/20gb Travan (Hornet) drive and 3 20gb Travan tapes will do it for most people. Rotate 1 of the tapes in and out of a safe deposit box or friend's house. (An on-site copy of your backup protects you from a hard drive failure, but not from a fire). If you just want protection from a hard drive failure, I suggest a duplicate hard drive and making a nightly copy or using Raid or some kind of backup software (Stomp could do this too - compressing to the second drive so you would not need it to be as large as the original). That is certainly very worthwhile (hard drives fail often, fires occur seldom). Although you might also be at risk on the second drive with a lightning strike - so a USB drive that you unplug every night from both the wall and the PC would be best probably (lightning can't get to it if it is unplugged from both the PC and the wall socket). But for real protection, you need offsite backup. Currently, if you have less than 40gb of data which changes frequently, tape is probably the best option. Anyway - Stomp BackupMyPC is good software if you have compatible hardware (check their list on the website - seems like they have hundreds of drives listed as compatible). If you do nothing else, go buy one of those USB 2.0 hard drives and copy everything to it once every week or so (and maybe use Stomp to do interim stuff to CD daily). I have used Stomp with 2 different CD-RW drives (Lite-On and no-name brands) and, as I said, with Seagate IDE 20gb tape drives.
Rating:
Summary: Does the Job
Review: I too give it 5 stars partially to offset a couple of seemingly clueless reviews. Otherwise would give it 4 stars due to a couple of minor interface issues. I've been using this software, in one form or another for several years (originally Veritas, now Stomp). Have used the Stomp version on 2 PC's for past couple of years. Love it. I simply do full and partial backups to 20gb Seagate Hornet tape drives. Works great. I'm typically backing up every couple of weeks. I have also used it to backup to CD-R discs with no problem (just takes a lot of them for 10gb worth of data). I have a couple of minor issues with the user interface and one major issue which is an annoyance, but something I can live with. The major issue (at least as of vers 4.71) is that when marking selected files/folders to be skipped on a backup job, it is hard to quickly find the list of files/folders you unselected. For example, I have a backup that backs up everything except media files (I skip the My Music folder, and My Pictures folder). I also skip a couple of other files that always give errors (because they are in use or have invalid file names). But when I simply look at the folders in the Stomp window at a high level, it is hard to figure out which ones contain the files I which will be skipped. It would be nice if the folders that would only be partially backed up were highlighted in someway. Of course I have named the job "Full C without MP3s" so I do know what the job does. I just don't know precisely which individual files I "deselected". One nice feature is that you can name and save your backup "jobs". I have several with names like "Full C without MP3's", "Differential C", "MP3's and Photos Only". Just start the prog, select the job you wish from the pull down list, click Backup. All of the settings and selections you made when you saved the job are used in the backup. I have not had to do a full restore yet (knock on wood). But occassionally I go back to earlier versions of files or databases. So I have restored full folders and individual files from backup (as much as 300meg of data at one time) with nary a problem. With a 20gb tape I go to bed and wake up to a completed backup (it probably runs about 3 hours). A Seagate 10/20gb Travan (Hornet) drive and 3 20gb Travan tapes will do it for most people. I suggest you rotate one of the tapes in and out of a safe deposit box or friend's house. (An on-site copy of your backup protects you from a hard drive failure, but not from a fire or similar disaster). The download of a 30day free trial from the Stomp website is probably worthwhile to evaluate the software for your particular situation. Another review speaks about the time and effort involved in backing up an 80gb drive to a DVD-RW. Worth reading if you are considering it. He seems frustrated that the software can't change the DVD for him (?!). But the point is, takes a lot of DVDs (I think they each hold about 4gb uncompressed). Of course, once you've done a complete backup, you could probably do incremental or differential backups for a while before doing another full one.
Rating: 
Summary: So far, it has worked great for backups and restores
Review: I used it with a windows 98 SE pc.
It backed up my system fine, when choosing individual drives or folders or files. One time, while backing up the ENTIRE pc, over 80 gigs of data across 3 hard drives, (on an old underpowered Celery 300), it hung up.
So I only gave it 4 stars. Maybe it is slightly worse than the 4 stars I give it, after seeing other reviewer's writeups. But for my own experiences, it has worked rather well and it backups up real fast, using CDRW or CDR media.
Rating: 
Summary: Just another dissapointment
Review: I, too, initially thought some reviewers might be clueless after I downloaded the eval copy and tried it with my system. I ran the disaster recovery backup, and everything was working fine with my listed-as-supported LG cd burner using cd-rw discs--until I ran out. Then I tried a cd-r and it rejected it as already having data on it that needed to be rewritten by the program blah blah. Unable to find any reference to such a problem in the documentation or online support (which to me is worse than the problem itself when evaluating new software), I decided to start over with cd-r's in case it had some problem with switching media types while a backup was in progress. It still rejected every cd-r type I had. Makes me wonder who is clueless and who is lucky.
Rating:
Summary: Be sure to thoroughly test eval copy
Review: I, too, initially thought some reviewers might be clueless after I downloaded the eval copy and tried it with my system. I ran the disaster recovery backup, and everything was working fine with my listed-as-supported LG cd burner using cd-rw discs--until I ran out. Then I tried a cd-r and it rejected it as already having data on it that needed to be rewritten by the program blah blah. Unable to find any reference to such a problem in the documentation or online support (which to me is worse than the problem itself when evaluating new software), I decided to start over with cd-r's in case it had some problem with switching media types while a backup was in progress. It still rejected every cd-r type I had. Makes me wonder who is clueless and who is lucky.
Rating:
Summary: Easier to simply type your files back on your computer
Review: Is the stuff America makes when the manufacturing jobs get shipped to China?? I presume it is designed and made in America... SHAME. First, I read that my TDK drive was supported, but the software wouldn't work. Alas, my drive would work if it was the external model, but not if it was the internal model???? I wanted my money back ... but they ignored my e-mail and the company I purchased it from wouldn't accept it back. I gave it to a friend ... he had a supported CD Drive. It made his Disaster Recovery Disks (to floppies), but won't write to his CD. First he was told it was bad media. We then bought expensive media ... still wouldn't work...then we were told it was a conflict with either his Roxio or CD Creator software (...well what writing software does the remainder of the world use??) Now he's mad at me for wasting several days of his time. My suggestion is that you use your inherent consumer capitalistic power and STOMP on this software.
Rating:
Summary: Easier to simply type your files back on your computer
Review: Is the stuff America makes when the manufacturing jobs get shipped to China?? I presume it is designed and made in America... SHAME. First, I read that my TDK drive was supported, but the software wouldn't work. Alas, my drive would work if it was the external model, but not if it was the internal model???? I wanted my money back ... but they ignored my e-mail and the company I purchased it from wouldn't accept it back. I gave it to a friend ... he had a supported CD Drive. It made his Disaster Recovery Disks (to floppies), but won't write to his CD. First he was told it was bad media. We then bought expensive media ... still wouldn't work...then we were told it was a conflict with either his Roxio or CD Creator software (...well what writing software does the remainder of the world use??) Now he's mad at me for wasting several days of his time. My suggestion is that you use your inherent consumer capitalistic power and STOMP on this software.
Rating:
Summary: Wish I Never Bought It
Review: The packaging looks great, the reviews looked great. System requirements and backup devices listed on the box all looked great! Listed as compatible with all devices including Zip. We have two computers, one with a 250 Zip, the other with a 750 Zip. Both OS are Windows XP Home. All went well with the computer with the 250 Zip, but all failed with the computer with the 750 Zip. Kept getting error message "detected unexpected media removal" Back Up Failed. I continued to get this message, and there was no media removal. I contacted Tech support and they told me the 750 Zip is not compatible with their software. Why is that not stated on the systems requirements? This software is useless and I've wasted more $$$
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't even support Dell drives!!!
Review: The software appeared not to be able to back up across multiple CDs, which is the only reason I had bought it. I then found in the documentation a line saying that some versions don't support this option, without any way to know whether mine did or not. Customer support via e-mail responded after 72 hours, with some suggestions that were irrelevant, such as running msconfig when they had already confirmed that I have Windows 2000, for which msconfig doesn't apply. Then I checked the list of supported drives and found that the Samsung CDRW/DVD that came standard with my Dell Latitude is NOT supported. PLEASE, PLEASE check the list of supported drives BEFORE purchasing this software!!!!!
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