Data Backup Software and Service

Backup all your data into one disc! Can you imagine that? Now, it comes true, because of the development of Blu-Ray Disc.

Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage media format. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same physical dimensions as a standard DVD or CD.

The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue laser (violet colored) used to read and write this type of disc. Because of its shorter wavelength (405 nm), substantially more data can be stored on a Blu-ray Disc than on the DVD format, which uses a red (650 nm) laser. A dual layer Blu-ray Disc can store 50 GB, almost six times the capacity of a double-dual layer DVD (or more than 10 times if single-layer).

As the internet becomes more and more convenient, international trade among different countries becomes more and more popular. However, such kind of business mostly depends on the internet to communicate and computers to store vital information. Just imagine that, one day, your business contracts, emails, client database as well as some other important information were lost. Are you sure you can restore them and be back in business soon? Consequently, it is too late to regret that you did not have a back-up in advance.

However, we can not always avoid data loss. Sometimes, we delete some specific files by accident or failure; sometimes we lose data because of a hard disk failure as well as virus infection; sometimes our computer even will be stole by others.
Usually, we do simple backup such as file copy like copy and paste. This is fine as long as there are no problems with the file system on the original disk. But as soon as the copy in progress finds a file which can't be copied (for whatever reason, file system corruption say) the copy process stops. Leaving you with the time consuming and rather mundane task of trying to workout where and why the file copy stopped and what files remain to be copied.

Maybe Windows Backup utility’s features and functions are not comparable with the third party software, even a freeware - EASEUS Disk Copy, but indeed its compatibility is unparalleled. The Windows Backup utility helps you create a copy of the information on your hard disk. In the event that the original data on your hard disk is accidentally erased or overwritten, or becomes inaccessible because of a hard disk malfunction, you can use the copy to restore your lost or damaged data. The Windows Backup utility helps you protect data from accidental loss.

The hard disk and partition imaging software take a snapshot of your hard disk so that you can restore your system at a later time to the exact same state the system was when you imaged the disk or partition. This is useful for system recovery in case of a hard disk disaster. The term "image" is used because such software often copy the state of the hard disk sector by sector to your image. Hence if your hard disk was (say) defragmented with certain software occupying certain sectors when you backed up, it will be returned to that same state when you restore your backup. The image utilities often do not allow fine control what you backup - you can specify the partitions or hard disks to back up, but you usually will not be able to specify which folders to exclude or include. They are useful for backing up your system drive or partition, that is, the drive that you placed your operating system on. Hard disk imaging software are sometimes also used to clone a hard disk to another (useful for the times you change or upgrade your hard disk).

On the other hand, the hard disk, folder and files backup software listed here allow a finer control over what you back up. You can selectively backup and restore (say) your documents and email while omitting other files and directories. Some of the utilities allow you to schedule your backups, so that you can be sure that your important data are backed up periodically (for example, daily, weekly, monthly, etc). Depending on the utility, it may or may not support the backup of your system drive (the drive you booted from).

Beinsync lets you synchronise your folders on various machines so you're never without your files.

The program has a Windows Explorer type layout and individual folders can be selected for sharing.

After installation you're guided through the process of setting up folder synchronisation; series of popular folders are suggested, such as My Pictures and Internet Favourites.

When you select a folder you must leave the first machine on while you sync. All file transfers are performed using a direct peer to peer method. Data goes through various ports and there shouldn't be any firewall issues. It takes a few seconds to connect and despite a slightly worrying "connected (behind nat)" message on our test machines, which any Bit Torrent user will know means crippled speeds, Beinsync went flat out transferring files as fast as our upload link could manage.

Folders can be shared via an email link, so even if your friends and family don't have a Beinsync account they can access a selection of files. Using this method, the PC where the files are hosted acts as a form of web server; everything is encrypted and browsing the shared files is a simple list or thumbnail affair.