Backing up data is necessary, yet many people do not simply do it. Main reason is the unfriendly software solutions which make backing up a bigger hassle than it has to be. Windows Vista already has a back-up system but it is not flexible as you cannot back up individual folders or specified files.
Microsoft’s free download SyncToy attempts to solve these issues by allowing you to back up to different drives (for example your external storage unit) or different computers on your network. There are 3 ways of backing up your files: synchronization will update both locations, echo will ignore changes to the backup and contribute will update files to the backup but will not delete.
Whichever method you choose, the program is a breeze to use. You specify the “left” folder, and how the folder on the “right” wants to be behaved. After that you can either preview what actions will be taken, or just run it. You can even schedule SyncToy so that your backup processes can run in the background.
Weighing in at just 1MB, and costing nothing, you would be foolish not to use this solution. Granted there are other programs on the market with even more features, but if all you need is simple file backup, you can’t go wrong with basic and easy-to-use software. Even though it is labelled beta, I haven’t encountered any performance issues while backing up to my external storage unit, or to a different computer on my home network.
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