Don't forget Syncback !!!!

[Second Shadow]

I can't believe Syncback wasn't included in the Backup software review.

It has an amazing set of features and it's quite user-friendly. Plus, the author is constantly releasing new updates with bug fixes and new features, something that I really appreciate.

I did try many of the programs mentioned in the review a while ago, when I was looking for an FTP Backup solution tool. I finally chose Syncback for it reliability and simplicity in achieving what I wanted.

Please include it in future updates of the review (and NO, I'm NOT the developer )

[mouser]

actually syncback has been mentioned in several threads on this forum (do a search and youll see) - and it has lots of fans; clearly a good program.

our backup review was kind of a combo review, and we didn't end up doing a full comparison of all file backup tools - our primary focus was on incremental versioned backup functions due to the nature of the review.  would be nice to do a comprehensive review this year on backup tools.

[Armando]

Hello.

Just posted in another thread about that same subject. Although I understand Mouser, it should be understood that SyncBackSE is not only a synchronization program: it's a backup (incremental or whatever you want) solution AND a synchronization solution. Please have a look at my comment in the thread named "Acronis now does backup of individual files/folders" ( https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=3285.0 ). (It's true though that the software's name (SyncBackSE), suggests synchronization only... too bad.)

I wrote :

I've been able to do everything that Genie does and more. Like, for instance, ignoring files that have/have not been modified/created within a certain range of time; I've never been able to do that with Genie Backup -- and there are lots of other options you don't have in Genie Backup. So, I really wonder why SyncBackSE didn't figure in the backup software review. In my opinion, it's really the best.

PS: I use True Image for full backups, and SyncBackSE for synchronization and incremental backups. I backup to three different hard drives (sync some stuff, and backup others) : one internal, and two externals. Never lost one single file... I can't afford to lose anything : everything, and I mean *everything* is on my computer (except for my girlfriend).

Z.

[Mentat]

I agree Armando,
I use SyncBack and True Image like you.
SB need to be more present in the DC forums  because it's a wonderful piece of program with lot of possibilities.

[urlwolf]

I use syncBack too.
However, I found a show-stopper: No way to recover the incremental backups. It has no provision for getting only the latest copy of each file. A big omission if you ask me.

[Armando]

No way to recover the incremental backups

What do you mean by that?

[urlwolf]

Well, if you want to have the latest version of every file, you have to either know where it is (unlikely) or copy "by hand" every folder cronologically on top of each other so it does get that latest version of everything.
Crazy, don't you think? That's my only gripe. Unfortunately, some users don't care about this feature, and the developer said that it will be months before he implements proper incremental recovery, so I'm still in the market for a backup utility.

Otherwise, it is a very nice application.

[jdd]

urlwolf, I also use SB so I want to make sure I uderstand your comment.   Do you mean to say that the recovery will restore ALL the files, including the incremental backups whereas you would like the ability to restore only the incremental portion of the backup set?  Did I get that right because now I am worried that I may have lsot some files during a recent restore operation.

Thanks,
jdd

[urlwolf]

No, you don't lose them.
Ideally, what it'd do is the following.
You point SB to a folder of a long list of daily incremental backups dated say yesterday. It should be smart enough to recover ALL files since day 1 and overwrite the new ones in cronological order. End result: you have the most current version of everything. Right now, it doesn't do that: it recovers whatever is in that folder (say: yesterday files) and that's it.

This is so shocking that I thought it was impossible that the program didn't offer that feature. I asked in the forums, and it doesn't! (but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

[mwb1100]

I think there might be some confusion with terminology.  I think urlwolf is talking about versioned backups, where more than one version of a file is kept in the backup store (correct me if I'm wrong, urlwolf).

Syncback does support 'incremental' backups, such that only the files modified since the last backup are copied to the backup location.  However,  SyncBack does not really support versioned backups - they can be simulated using variables similar to environment variables to change the backup destination based on the date of the backup.

SyncBack's restore functionality does not know anything about the multiple possible backup destinations, so it does not automatically get the latest version of a file from the entire set of possible backup locations.  If you're doing a full restore, to get the latest files you have to restore from the oldest backup destination, the the next newest, etc. until you get to the newest backup destination.  To restore a single file, you have to look in the various backup locations to find the newest one.

True versioning support is a frequently requested feature on SyncBack's forum; I believe that 2BrightSparks have indicated it will be in the future release of 'SyncBack Pro', but there is no estimated date for that release.

[Armando]

I believe the easy solution to that problem is to use at least two types of backup :
1- Incremental
2- synchronization.

I do both ( + full backup… more about that later).
I use the incremental backups just in case a file was deleted by mistake (or corrupted) and I didn't notice (and the corrupted/deleted files got synchronized by mistake). So, this way, I have the best of both worlds : an easy way of recovering all the most current files, and an easy way of recovering single file problems which might have been duplicated during the synchronization process.

Syncback does support 'incremental' backups, such that only the files modified since the last backup are copied to the backup location.  However,  SyncBack does not really support versioned backups - they can be simulated using variables similar to environment variables to change the backup destination based on the date of the backup.

Yes : just use the variables. I use them to create a new little zip (with date + hour of the backup) file for everyday. Easy easy easy.

SyncBack's restore functionality does not know anything about the multiple possible backup destinations, so it does not automatically get the latest version of a file from the entire set of possible backup locations.  If you're doing a full restore, to get the latest files you have to restore from the oldest backup destination, the the next newest, etc. until you get to the newest backup destination.  To restore a single file, you have to look in the various backup locations to find the newest one.

But, like I said, the way to prevent that is to use : 1-synchronisation backups + 2-incremental backups. Actually, my strategy is to use
1- True image to do full backups,
2- SyncBackSE to synchronise files  that have been modified *since the last 14 days* (could be less or more, but that's the number I chose, but I use that so that the "synchronized" files don't uselessly take to much space on my backup drive : I’m not doing a full backup there…) 
3- use SyncBackSE to do small incremental backup up, compressed into zip files, to prevent corruption or single file deletion problems.

These Backups are of course done everyday and sent to different volumes.

So, in case of disaster, I restore :
1- my Acronis Trueimage backups
2- and then the current SyncBackup synchronized files.

AND in case of a "little disaster" (where, for example some files were deleted/corrupted by mistake, and where the synchronized backup logically also missed the deleted/corrupted file), I use the incremental backups. Easy easy easy.
Well... No?