Chad contributes to free-backup-software.net. More on this topic can be found at Free Backup Software Comparison and Final Sync
Free Backup Software!
Backup software should be a top priority! Although several free data recovery software are out there (check out Free Data Recovery Software) you don't want to be in a situation of needing these at all. Start up a backup plan in advance, and back up often. When your important data is stored in a single location, you will definitely lose your data files - it is simply a matter of time.
Note: These types of software are absolutely free, and having freeware you typically have just what you "paid" for. If your files are essential to you, don't compromise, better get a real backup solution like UltraBac or NovaStor.
Although not yet popular, the real future of data backup definitely is based on online or maybe remote data backup. Online backup appears the ultimate goal of backup services, because your data files are protected even from fire and theft. Just a couple years back, this actually cost 0 monthly, however not too long ago it has come down to a low priced range.
Todo Backup Free
commercial grade backup - free
EaseUS Todo Backup Free is actually the free version of EaseUS's better quality commercial backup tool. But do not let the lightweight (free) cost scare you away.
This is a very robust little backup tool that includes goodies such as one-click system backup and recovery and smooth, efficient differential backup to reduce needed storage space.
Small offices will certainly love the power to backup and restore systems to dissimilar hardware and even over the network.
Incremental Backups
Multiple Archived Backups
Works over a Network
Compression
Large-folder Compression
Unattended Operation
Standard ZIP Storage Format
Restore Management
Password Encryption
Idle-mode Processing
Commercial grade backup together with a simple interface and a free charge.
EaseUS Software
Download EaseUS Todo Backup Free
Briefcase Plus
lightweight, free, innovative backup and restore
Briefcase Plus is actually not a backup program, however it can be used together. Briefcase Plus is similar to the Briefcase utility that has Windows, but a lot more powerful -- having automatic incremental copy features as well as compression. The briefcase contents are well compressed, so as to deal with 5 times as much data.
To work with Briefcase Plus being a backup software, set it up to do incremental synchronization to another folder on your PC or perhaps across a network. This effectively mirrors your folder (however with a compressed mirror). Take note, nevertheless, that even though it works over a network, it is really not optimized to lessen network traffic (slows down).
Incremental Backups
Multiple Archived Backups
Works on a Network
Compression
Large-folder Compression
Unattended Operation
Standard ZIP Storage Format
Restore Management
Password Encryption
Idle-mode Processing
The effective way to make use of Briefcase Plus would be to make an "incremental" backup of one of the folders right into another folder on the very same computer.
Rekenwonder Software
Download Briefcase Plus
Comparator
lightweight, free, feature-packed backup software program
Comparator offers folder mirroring and also data synchronization (again, much like Windows briefcase) optimized for use on one computer system (not across a slow network). Comparator has also strong data backup and also data restoration features, however it needs some user interaction (which will be the best thing if you have complex backup tasks.)
Comparator works with a two-panel comparison display to lead you to quickly and easily find where changes to files were made. This allows for fast custom backups just in case you don't like to backup all your documents all the time. You won't have to open up 2 Explorer windows to help make painstaking comparisons, however you will still have the Windows system menu available to you by right-clicking a file.
This data-backup program is multilingual as well as enables the person to create his or her own language set by editing an external file.
Incremental Backups
Multiple Archived Backups
Works across a Network
Compression
Large-folder Compression
Unattended Operation
Standard ZIP Storage Format
Restore Management
Idle-mode Processing
A Free Alternative to the Microsoft® Briefcase.
SoftByte Labs
Download Comparator
TaskZip
lightweight, free, simple backup software
TaskZip is a great little backup tool which runs as a system agent. It can automatically archive specified files and folders into one ZIP file (despite the fact that ZIP-64 isn't really supported, so don't attempt to backup huge folders).
TaskZIP works fairly well across a network and also on removable media just like ZIP as well as JAZZ drives and CDR (in case you have CD file writing software). TaskZIP doesn't control disk-spanning, so ensure your backup will fit in the target media.
Backing up with TaskZIP is very easy if it is a bit kludgy (hey, it's totally free!). Just arrange no less than one "Backup Jobs" and allow it to run quietly in the background (even though really, not as silently as I actually liked.) The program's scheduler can run backups anytime, and you can certainly set recurring schedules for running daily, every week, or perhaps monthly backups. For each backup job, you can even keep about ninety nine older backup copies of each zip archive file.
TaskZIP also enables you to password protect the ZIP file archives. And though TaskZIP doesn't have restoration features, it saves archives as standard ZIP files. In case you don't have a good ZIP tool, go ahead and get yourself a free ZIP program. TaskZIP also enables you to postpone compression completely -- dramatically rushing all things up if you are backing up on the network connection.
Incremental Backups
Multiple Archived Backups
Works over a Network
Compression
Large-folder Compression
Unattended Operation
Standard ZIP Storage Format
Restore Management
Idle-mode Processing
Runs as a convenient icon in the System Tray area of the Windows taskbar. Useful little backup software.
Pierce Business Systems
Download TaskZip
Autobackup
lightweight, free, simple backup software
AutoBackup is the ultimate no-frills backup software. Just do a list of paths to be checked, as well as a backup mirrored copy is done each day of all your documents found in those paths which have been modified ever since the last backup.
In the end (or perhaps start) of each day it looks in the list of directories you actually specify and then creates a backup copy of any documents modified in that particular week to another directory. Simple however effective!
Incremental Backups
Multiple Archived Backups
Works across a Network
Compression
Large-folder Compression
Unattended Operation
Standard ZIP Storage Format
Restore Management
Idle-mode Processing
Bare-bones efficiency without even compression but it really works and if it allows you to restore just one deleted file it will likely be worth every dime you acquired it (as well as a couple)!
Acute Software
Download Autobackup