Rating: 
Summary: Kind of expensive for what your getting
Review: Backup Exec is a fairly decent backup utility, but it is a bit pricy, and a hard to get used to interface. I can see someone in a big business using this, but if your a small/home office or just a home user, the free utilities that are bundled with Windows 95/98 will do the same job.
Rating:
Summary: Kind of expensive for what your getting
Review: Backup Exec is a fairly decent backup utility, but it is a bit pricy, and a hard to get used to interface. I can see someone in a big business using this, but if your a small/home office or just a home user, the free utilities that are bundled with Windows 95/98 will do the same job.
Rating:
Summary: A mediocre product, problems with CD backups
Review: I have had mixed success with this product. Previously I used the version of this product that came with my HP 5GB tape drive (repackaged as Colorado Backup Software). I had MANY problems with that product. I bought the stand-alone version of Veritas Backup Exec (not knowing that it was the same basic product) and it actually worked much better. PROs: (1) Unlike some reviewer I think that the user interface is actually fairly good. (2) So far, after several backup sessions it seems to be working OK on tape backups. CONs: (1) I can only get the product to work with my tape drive. Even after checking with tech support from HP, Adaptec and Veritas, I can't get this to use my HP CD-RW drive. (although it is supposed to work per Veritas) The problem seems to be between the Adaptec drivers (DirectCD) and Backup Exec. This is a known problem but there does not seem to be a fix for it that I've been able to locate. This is a major concern for me because I had hoped to start backing up to CD rather than tape. (2) I am able to back up my wife PC's which is peer-to-peer networked to mine but Backup Exec never remembers my inclusions/exclusions between sessions for her directories even though they are saved. I have to redo these each time - a pain. (3) It will not backup the registry for networked PCs. (4) The best compression (with the product set to max compression) that I've been able to get is about 1 to 1.5. Pretty dismal! I've tried some other backup software solutions and each one tends to have more CONs than PROs. This seems to be one product area where the software vendors consistently release mediocre products.
Rating:
Summary: A mediocre product, problems with CD backups
Review: I have had mixed success with this product. Previously I used the version of this product that came with my HP 5GB tape drive (repackaged as Colorado Backup Software). I had MANY problems with that product. I bought the stand-alone version of Veritas Backup Exec (not knowing that it was the same basic product) and it actually worked much better. PROs: (1) Unlike some reviewer I think that the user interface is actually fairly good. (2) So far, after several backup sessions it seems to be working OK on tape backups. CONs: (1) I can only get the product to work with my tape drive. Even after checking with tech support from HP, Adaptec and Veritas, I can't get this to use my HP CD-RW drive. (although it is supposed to work per Veritas) The problem seems to be between the Adaptec drivers (DirectCD) and Backup Exec. This is a known problem but there does not seem to be a fix for it that I've been able to locate. This is a major concern for me because I had hoped to start backing up to CD rather than tape. (2) I am able to back up my wife PC's which is peer-to-peer networked to mine but Backup Exec never remembers my inclusions/exclusions between sessions for her directories even though they are saved. I have to redo these each time - a pain. (3) It will not backup the registry for networked PCs. (4) The best compression (with the product set to max compression) that I've been able to get is about 1 to 1.5. Pretty dismal! I've tried some other backup software solutions and each one tends to have more CONs than PROs. This seems to be one product area where the software vendors consistently release mediocre products.
Rating: 
Summary: This product needs some serious re-thinking
Review: I purchased this software to do backups on CD-R(W)s. What a disappointment! Not only does Veritas fail to recognize CD-Rs from CD-RWs, as noted in another review, but if one cd has an error (not an uncommon occurance), the ENTIRE BACKUP JOB IS ABORTED! This means that if you are backing up a 15gb drive, nessecitating 12 CDs and CD # 10 is rejected, instead of asking you to insert a fresh disc and going on, the whole thing stops and you must start with 12 new, blank discs, and you are the proud owner of 10 shiny new coasters! No recommendation from here. Amazon does let you give less than one star, or else I would have.
Rating:
Summary: This product needs some serious re-thinking
Review: I purchased this software to do backups on CD-R(W)s. What a disappointment! Not only does Veritas fail to recognize CD-Rs from CD-RWs, as noted in another review, but if one cd has an error (not an uncommon occurance), the ENTIRE BACKUP JOB IS ABORTED! This means that if you are backing up a 15gb drive, nessecitating 12 CDs and CD # 10 is rejected, instead of asking you to insert a fresh disc and going on, the whole thing stops and you must start with 12 new, blank discs, and you are the proud owner of 10 shiny new coasters! No recommendation from here. Amazon does let you give less than one star, or else I would have.
Rating: 
Summary: Veritas Backup Exec Desktop Version 4.2
Review: Installed easily and automatically began full system backup. After backup was complete , the software prompted to test the boot devices (diskettes and CDs) and media (CDs). The media that had just been completed and "assured good" was not readable. In addition , the backup software corrupted a number of boot files on the hard drive backed up rendering the system non-bootable. Customer support was reluctant with most time spent explaining that the product "couldn't have done the damage". Product support was NOT extrodinarily knowledgable , but was responsive. Eventually , all corrupted boot files were identified although corrective procedures did not work. I finally worked through the problems with OS manuals and old backups ( non Backup Exec ). In the end , an incompatibilty with installed software on my system that was not documented in the readme files caused the problems . This software "Adaptec's Direct CD" needs to be disabled when using Backup Exec. I now have backups that are "tested" good but have little confidence. I would not recommend this product for the novice.
Rating:
Summary: Veritas Backup Exec Desktop Version 4.2
Review: Installed easily and automatically began full system backup. After backup was complete , the software prompted to test the boot devices (diskettes and CDs) and media (CDs). The media that had just been completed and "assured good" was not readable. In addition , the backup software corrupted a number of boot files on the hard drive backed up rendering the system non-bootable. Customer support was reluctant with most time spent explaining that the product "couldn't have done the damage". Product support was NOT extrodinarily knowledgable , but was responsive. Eventually , all corrupted boot files were identified although corrective procedures did not work. I finally worked through the problems with OS manuals and old backups ( non Backup Exec ). In the end , an incompatibilty with installed software on my system that was not documented in the readme files caused the problems . This software "Adaptec's Direct CD" needs to be disabled when using Backup Exec. I now have backups that are "tested" good but have little confidence. I would not recommend this product for the novice.
Rating:
Summary: Awkward Product shows lack of customer focus.
Review: Looking to backup to a cdrw drive for my 20gb hard drive, this program seemed to be the logical choice. I have a new computer and after several attempts at full backups with multiple error messages, I contacted tech support. Despite the ad promoting that this program supports most cdrw drives, it does not support some that are in the newer computers such as my Philips cdrw 4x4x24. If and when it will be supported they don't know and from what I can tell, don't care. As an alternative, I attempted to use my zip drive which required 15 disks rather than 3 cds with the accompanying extra time and extra media expense. Disaster Recovery and full backup was then successfully performed only to fail when tested. Although the program may be beneficial to some, I have not found it to be user friendly or forgiving. Tech support hasn't been much help either. In contrast, Amazon.com has been very helpful and supportive. I will remain a loyal Amazon.com customer: as for Veritas, I will look elswhere
Rating:
Summary: Veritas Backup Exec Version 4.2
Review: Looking to backup to a cdrw drive for my 20gb hard drive, this program seemed to be the logical choice. I have a new computer and after several attempts at full backups with multiple error messages, I contacted tech support. Despite the ad promoting that this program supports most cdrw drives, it does not support some that are in the newer computers such as my Philips cdrw 4x4x24. If and when it will be supported they don't know and from what I can tell, don't care. As an alternative, I attempted to use my zip drive which required 15 disks rather than 3 cds with the accompanying extra time and extra media expense. Disaster Recovery and full backup was then successfully performed only to fail when tested. Although the program may be beneficial to some, I have not found it to be user friendly or forgiving. Tech support hasn't been much help either. In contrast, Amazon.com has been very helpful and supportive. I will remain a loyal Amazon.com customer: as for Veritas, I will look elswhere
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