We here at Make Tech Easier have talked about many backup options.
Each one has their merits and is well worth looking into. Depending on
your needs, one may be better than another. That being said, SafeCopy is another automatic backup option for your Windows or Apple machine.
The
beauty of the automatic backups is you do not need to change your
saving habits. The reason most people do not back up their devices
regularly is because they forget or they will “do it later”. SafeCopy
helps by continuously backing up your documents folder so you do not
need to worry about forgetting to backup or sync your files.
What can you backup?
After
you download the application and install it, the setup is pretty
standard. You will need to go through a few steps to configure SafeCopy.
You are given 3Gb of free space which won’t expire. If you need more
space, paid plans are offered.
If you have less than 3Gb in your
documents folder, you can select to back up the entire thing. However if
you have lots of pictures, music, documents or whatever else in there,
you may need to be selective. For myself, I keep pictures and music on a
separate hard drive and DVD backups. Most of what is on my computer is
documents and spreadsheets.
Configuring SafeCopy
The way
SafeCopy saves you time is because it is pretty hands off. This dream
comes through by setting SafeCopy up in a way that works for you.
Configuring SafeCopy is a breeze.
When you start it up for the first time, you will be asked to either sign in or create an account.
Next
you need to select the folder(s) you’d like to backup. As you can see
in the screen grab, it recommends the My Documents folder. If you would
like to save only files in a specific folder, you have an option as
well.
The
Custom option lets you drill down a more specific grouping of folders.
This is great is you have a more complex organizational system than
dumping everything into one folder.
Advanced settings
The
advanced settings are where some of the magic happens. You set things
like a hotkey combination, proxy info and the size of the files to
ignore. Also on this page, you need to select how often to backup your
info. I have it set to hourly, but the default is to continuously backup
your the folders you selected.
After the backup
Once
you have the initial backup under your belt, there isn’t a lot you need
to do. Like many other backup applications, you can access your files
from SafeCopy’s website. You simply login with your info.
The
super cool part is, not only can you browse through the folders by
clicking through folders, but you have a search option. Type in the name
of the item or folder you’d like to find and voila, there it is. You
can also access the search and the browse option from the desktop
application.
Sharing files
Another
good use for SafeCopy is for sharing larger files. Once backed up, you
can choose to share a file by sending a link via email. You can select
how long the link will work, choosing from 1 day, 1 week or unlimited.
It’s like your own Mission Impossible message that self destructs.
Conclusion
The
ease of use (or lack there of) and layout are great. It is similar to
Mozy, but offers 1Gb more space and a little more in the way of advanced
settings and searching options. It didn’t seem to be a resource hog
either. The search and sharing features coupled with the 3Gb of space
are a step up over many other backup options.
Another perk is the iPhone app and mobile access to your files. This anywhere access is pretty important to the on-the-go users.
What do you use to safeguard your files automatically?
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