Data Backup for Mac

Pros

many options / highly configurable / scheduled backups

Cons

obscure GUI / overwrites Backups without asking

Summary

Wanted to use Data Backup for incremental backups, i. e. I wanted to back up a folder with movies to an external HDD. In future backups it should only backup the movies which has changed. As I tried to achieve, I stumbled upon the rather strange User Interface of the software, as listed below:

1st GUI obscurity: If you chose "versioned" at your backup-options, you will see a Source and a target field. My Source-field displayed sth. like: "Macintosh HD/Users/yourusernamehere/Desktop/Flat_related". My Target field just showed the volume name, e. g. "External Backup Volume".

After the backup was finished, I found the "Flat_related"-Folder on the root of my "External Backup Volume". Thus "External Backup Volume/Flat_related" would have been much more concise in the target field.

2nd GUI obscurity:
You get NO WARNING IF DATA BACKUP OVERWRITES YOUR FILES! When I deleted all but one new file of the folder "Flat_related" and started the app again it simply replaced the former files within the folder on my Backup Volume with this one new file.

All the other files where deleted without further asking. Not what I expect of a versioned backup where only new files should be copied. Especially as it says at the description of the backup type: "Objects which are present on the target but not on the source location will be left in place".

The last thing which I expect from such a delicious thing as a backup software is an outright lie like the one above. Conclusion: Hands off!

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Summary

...gebrauc
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Databackup von prosoftengineering.com ist leider eine absolute Katastrophe. In mehreren Versionen ist es nun passiert, dass sich die Software nicht mehr starten lässt, nachdem sie zuvor einige Wochen scheinbar anstandslos funktionierte. Die Software lässt sich nicht mehr starten. Sie bleibt im Startprozess "Mit Executor verbinden..." stehen. Selbst ein �ndern der Funktionen oder das Lesen eines Fehlerprotokolls ist nicht möglich, da die Software nicht zum Starten kommt. Die Zuverlässigkeit dieser Software ist damit leider nicht gewährleistet. Eigentlich sehr schade bei einer so wichtigen Aufgabe wie der Datensicherung. Ich kann nur jedem davon abraten, diese Software zu kaufen. In beiden Fällen lie� sich die Software nicht mehr neu installieren. Selbst die mitgelieferte Software "Uninstall Data Backup" ermöglichte offensichtlich nicht die komplette Deinstallation aller Dateielemente. Jegliche nachfolgende Installation bot dieselben Fehler. Der deutsche Support von brainworks war mir bereits als absolut desinteressiert aufgefallen. Die Entwickler von prosoftengineering.com klangen zwar erheblich hilfsbereiter, waren aber auch nicht in der Lage das Problem zu lösen. Wenn schon die Funktionen und der Support nicht sichergestellt sind, kann auch nicht mit Bestimmtheit sicher sein, dass diese Software überhaupt zuverlässig arbeitet. Ich werde dieser Software meine Daten niemals mehr anvertrauen.

Summary

This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I highly recommend Data Backup as your backup application. I use a FileVault account and no other backup software was able to make a nightly backup of my boot drive while I was running from my FileVault account. Only Data Backup was able to do that. I had to log out of my FileVault account if I wanted to make a nightly backup with the other backup applications.

I tested Data Backup for a month to ensure that every new file I added to my FileVault account was being encrypted on the backup drive and Data Backup did not fail to keep every new file I placed in any area of my FileVault account in the encrypted sparseimage on the backup drive.

Data Backup was the first application to allow you to backup your FileVault account while you are running from it, and it was able to do that long before any of the other backup apps were capable of doing that, so Data Backup is far ahead of everyone else.

The support I received was also superb. There were some things that I didn't understand but once they were explained to me everything fell into place.

Summary

This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I received my Data Backup 3 bundled with an external hard drive, and prior to my switch to 10.5 from 10.3. It works well although the instructions are not necessarily for "dummies." For example, it is not immediately clear that a clone needs it's own partition. Nor is it clear that to restore a clone one must clone the clone back to it's destination. Using the restore function will not result in the restoration of a bootable volume. At least it didn't for me.

Also, although there is a caveat regarding successive versioned backups it wasn't clear to me exactly what the practical ramifications would be to all the other files and folders stored on the hard drive. It became clear when they all disappeared and I had to call tech support.

On the other hand, I have called tech support twice and both times they were very patient and knowledgeable, willing to take as long as was necessary to resolve this knucklehead's issues. Especially this last time when John helped me recover the folders/files that went hiding.

Once I understood better how to use the software I find it to be simple and effective. Time Machine is a fine adjunct to Data Backup and I would recommend it to anyone.

Summary

...thousa
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
After giving Data Backup a try I found out that this program has put one invisible folder ".indelible-info" with one file "indelible-backup-des-info.xml" into each and every folder on my hard drives. Altogether I have now 13,508 ".indelible-info" folders with 13,508 "indelible-backup-des-info.xml" files in them on my hard drives. Yes, 13,508 (thirteenthousandfivehundredandeight) each. Moreover, the xml files have very restricted permissions (-rw-r--r--) which makes it more or less impossible to get rid of them in eternity.

When I contacted Prosoft's support department about this (with a screenshot that shows everything) they first acted as if Data Backup would only put one single ".indelible-info" folder onto a hard drive and that it would be possible to delete with the "rm" command. After I wrote back that this is not about one folder but 13,508 and that I would like to get rid of them they stopped communicating with me.

I would be very careful with this application!

Summary

This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
The problem with "Warning..." type reviews is that the author assumes what happened to him is universal and will happen to everyone. That is seldom (not "never" but "seldom") the case, whether it's this software or something else.

I've been using DB for several years without any such problems. But I can't say "Buy this! You will NEVER have problems!" either.

So, to balance things out: this product has worked flawlessly for me for years now. Hence: 5 stars.

Summary

This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I've had major problems with DataBackup over two versions: version 2 and the new version 3. I've really wanted to like this app as a highly recommended alternative to Retrospect. But I've had a series of problems over the years including executor problems and 'internal errors' once I finally got past the executor problems. What's worse, when I contacted tech support they just wanted to sell me the upgrade to version 3 rather than help with my problem. I had to be persistent and send more emails before they would actually provide tech support. Bad sign.

Like a fool, I went ahead and upgraded to version 3 anyway (hoping it had been improved with the upgrade) after the executor problem had finally been solved by tech support only to encounter 'internal errors' when making routine, albeit extremely slow performing backups with version 3.0.5 (on a system I keep clean and running smoothly by performing routine weekly and monthly maintenance with the best utilities and no hacks).

When this happens the backup stops. When you resume the backup after having to quit Data Backup and restarting, it doesn't pick up the backup where it left off, but starts over making it extremely slow. But it never finished a single complete backup due to 'internal errors' that are never explained so there's no way to solve the problem.

Needless to say, I no longer use it because it simply doesn't work and tech support is slow and unresponsive. After doing much research including reading Joe Kissell's excellent Take Control eBooks, I now use dedicated apps for dedicated backups: Time Machine + an Apple Time Capsule for automatic hourly archive backups; the excellent SuperDuper for automatic bootable duplicates to an external drive; and CrashPlan Pro and BackJack for automatic offsite backups over the Internet. Once it's all set up as explained in Joe's eBooks it works consistently like a charm with no hassles. That's the way it should be.

Don't buy this product; there are better ones out there with better tech support.

Summary

This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I bought an external hard drive which had this software on it. I couldn't get the backup to work (totally my fault), and called their support. They were fabulous! The guy worked with me for almost an hour to make sure I had everything set up right, then walked me through setting up a clone image and a regular backup setup. It worked perfectly, and he couldn't have been more patient, respectful, or helpful. Amazing experience.

Summary

This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Great product, great support!