CNET Editors' review
Do you regularly back up your data, files, records, pictures, and other stuff on your computer? The stuff your life basically depends on? Didn't think so. Very few PC owners even bother to take advantage of Windows' fairly simple built-in backup utility, to the despair of technical support around the world. With Windows 7 new on the scene, it's a good time to back up your system, and to start scheduling regular backups, too. GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.0 can help you overcome your Fear of Backups. It's easy to use; it effectively backs up your system; and, best of all, it's free, as in "no money," as in "no excuses." You can bet that replacing lost software will cost a lot more than that.
GFI Backup's text-heavy main dialog box is divided into four large buttons marked Backup, My Tasks, Restore, and Sync, each with extensive explanations of their respective functions. The tools themselves open in much more conventional (and familiar) tabbed Windows dialogs. Online help is available at the product's Web site and via Twitter. It gives you lots of options for creating backups, but its Wizard-driven interface makes it all easy. You can schedule regular backups, too, which is a wise move. GFI Backup does its job as well as expensive software, but it's free.
GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.0 works in Windows 7. It installs desktop icons without asking and leaves behind folders after it's uninstalled, but those are backup records you may want to keep.
Publisher's Description
From GFI Software:
GFI Backup is a completely free, easy-to-use and complete solution, designed for secure backups of all your important documents, pictures, and more. Suitable for beginners and experienced users alike, this tool allows you to back up all your documents, photos, music, emails and programs, via a simple but smart wizard-driven interface. Using GFI Backup, you can back up your data to virtually any storage device, including local and external disk drives, LAN, CD/DVD, removable devices, remote FTP servers, etc. Restoring your data can be done in minutes, using the common ZIP format, allowing you also to split and span the archive over multiple hard-drives. This freeware backup solution includes the Sync Task feature, which enables you to synchronize folders from different media. GFI Backup can also be configured to send error or warning notification emails and summary reports for each finished backup task.
What's new in this version: Version 3.1.2010.0730 has added support for non-Greco Latin Character sets.
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All versions:
3.9 starsout of 21 votes
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Current version:
3.8 starsout of 11 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"At last I've found a easy workable backup programme"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
I have downloaded installed and deleted many so called easy backup programmes but GFI does the job for me, easy to use and that's what many people want, who needs support if it works!
Cons
Nothing yet.
Summary
The best and most easy programme I've ever used.
Still the best!
Updated on Apr 10, 2012 -
"Great backup software also free"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
It is easy to setup and install also the backup of files are faster, though it doesn't backup long file names.
Cons
it doesn't backup long file names
Summary
overall backup software for free is worth a try.
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"Best I could find..."
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Best I could find for my purpose. Excellent looking and very easy to setup...I have about 10 different files to be backed up at different times of the day...and it's doing them flawlessly backing to a HDD, and to a USB memory stick....
Cons
Does only files...No imaging or drives...
Summary
Combine GFI with another all drive imaging program, and you will have the best possible combination...
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"Great program that did most of what I needed."
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Easy to use and to set up.
Cons
Doesn't' handle long file names.
Summary
I needed a program that would back files up on a backup disk, but in a format that would allow me to access and use them occasionally. This was one of the few programs that would allow me to do that. Downside is that it can't handle long file names.
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"Worked, but had issues"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Does back up files, email and registry.
Cons
Could only get back up to complete sucessfully by backing up each item at a time. When selecting all 4 options, email, registry, My Documents & user settings it never sucessfully completed the operation. When backing up one at a time it worked.
Summary
Not impressed by programs inability to cmoplete tasks as shown. Could not back up all items as shown to do. Had to do each one separately. However, it still does get the job done.
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"Excellent Backup Utility"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Easy to use with no much setup to do. The program does everything for you. All you have to do is to assign a job and specify working locations.
Cons
None really though scheduling is a bit confusing and the program does not always works at the time you specified.
Summary
Simple to use and does its job nicely with no error. Would like to recommend it to anyone for backup and synchronizing job.
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"The Search Is Over-This Is The Best Free Backup Softwr"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Incremental Backups
Can Backup To Almost Anywhere
Can Backup FROM Almost Anywhere
Scheduling Works Great
Excellent Flexibility to BackUp One File, Some Files / Folders or The Entire Disk
Check boxes for Backing Up Registry Entries, Email.Cons
Not as Well Known as Some Backup Software So Fewer Support Forums etc.
Summary
This is the most under appreciated backup software out there. From the number of downloads It seems as though it's a secret. Not trying this software is a big mistake.
I've looked for a long time for a backup program that is not crippled in some way and will do incremental backups and have flexibility selecting backup sources and destinations with the capability to backup individual files if necessary.
Why some of the other free backup software is so highly rated by Cnet when it is so limited in scope while GFI Backup 2009, that can run circles around the others, is not, is anyone's guess.
Cnets written evaluation does not even mention it's important features such as incremental / differential backups, and source and destination flexibility.
Makes you wonder doesn't it?
One warning, you may have to work trough some exceptions your first time through. Some of your files may not be accessable or have a problem with long file names etc. These are clearly shown in the report so you can address each of them or simply have it ignore them. -
"no support with home edition"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
This is very good backup software, but when you have a problem there is NO SUPPORT AT ALL. Reason.....it is free software!!!
Cons
see 3 above
Summary
I love the software, but will be forced to look elsewhere because any thing that does not have support of any kind is usually very bad news
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"Back up failed - thanks for coming"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Nice interface
Small sizeCons
Don't work, that's a major drawback
Summary
Wasted 2 hours to see a message saying "Backup Failed" with no further explanation...
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"How Backup should be done"
Version: GFI Backup 2009 Home Edition 3.1.2010.0730
Pros
Fast and reliable and easy to set up.
Cons
none that I know of
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