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).

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).

Why You Need a Backup?

The hard disk is the main storage medium in personal computers. Unfortunately, hard disks do sometimes fail, or in computer lingo, crash. When a hard disk crashes, all of your data is in jeopardy. Sometimes information can be retrieved after a crash, but it is usually an aggravating, time-consuming procedure that may end in despair.

To backup your files simply means copying files to a second medium as a precaution in case the first medium fails. The medium used to make the copy can be any of a number of different storage choices including floppy disks, hard disks, Zip disks, CDs, or tapes.

Usually we encourage people to cut calories, sample all the food groups in their proper proportions, eat plenty of fiber, and back up their computer files frequently. Everyone agrees, but how many really follows?

Be proud of yourself if you bother yourself to back up data. Remember, though, if you copy your data to some where else on your hard drive, consider the consequences if your hard drive crashs. If you back up to an external hard drive or to removable media and store them next to your computer, what will happen if there’s a fire or flood?

I am sure that peope would hate themself to lose all the files and e-mails which are not backed up. That's what I experienced and that why I started evaluating free backup utilities that make it easier to copy and store valuable data.

The safest approach is to store file backups on safe media in a secure place other than where you work. One way to do that is to use the Internet. So today we review free Web-hosted backup and file storage services.