The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Automatic Hands Free Backup

Hi guys,

Does anyone know a good backup program that can automatically do hands-free backup to a secondary hard disk?

By hands-free, I mean: Set a directory to monitor, then when a file changes, automatically back that file up, keeping the last x versions of that file.

Like a Mirra (http://www.mirra.com), except software based.

This would really come in useful as a simple version control system, as well as for files that are not traditionally associated with version control (like versions of a jpeg I'm editing).

Thanks in Advance!

Fuzzball
Sunday, February 8, 2004

12 Backup & 2nd Folder from 12ghosts.com

Used to be cheaper than it is now. I think there's another backup program that gets mentioned here a lot, but I don't know what it is.

www.MarkTAW.com
Sunday, February 8, 2004

I take it back, it's just 12backup, the features I thought were in 2nd Folder are actually all in 12 backup.

www.MarkTAW.com
Sunday, February 8, 2004

This is not a stealth marketing ploy - ok?

Try SmartSync Pro from

http://www.smsync.com/

This can do exactly what you want. I use it to sync up my work and home computer. I also use it to back up files to a second hard-drive.

DJ
Sunday, February 8, 2004

Hey, thanks guys. I'll check it out.

Fuzzball
Sunday, February 8, 2004

Centered Systems Second Copy
http://download.com.com/3000-2242-7660949.html?tag=lst-0-1

Super Flexible File Synchronizer
http://download.com.com/3000-2248-10259338.html?tag=lst-0-1

I have used the first, and it's good.

A friend of mine used the second, and said it's very good.

Randor
Monday, February 9, 2004

> Centered Systems Second Copy

I think that's the one that keeps getting recommended here.

www.MarkTAW.com
Monday, February 9, 2004

If your computer is Windows 2003 Server, check out the "Shadow Copies of Shared Folders" feature. This will take snapshots of your filesystem at pre-determined times (e.g. every 2 hours). You can restore as needed directly from the Windows Explorer. The backups are instant and use hardly any disk space due to the semi-magical way in which they are implemented.

It doesn't sound like you're using a Unix, but if you are, the same feature is available there too.

I think it would fit your requirements ideally: you don't really want a "backup" in the disaster-recovery sense, but a way to rollback to an earlier version, right?

Nate Silva
Monday, February 9, 2004