Online backup and storage has been around for a few years, but it hasn't been practical for the average user until the recent widespread broadband availability. Now most people have a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or cable connection that provides an upload speed of 128 to 256Kbps (kilobits per second) and higher, all day, all the time. Getting your data from your hard drive to an online service is not a problem anymore.

There are several advantages to online backup. First, the backup does not remain on your computer, nor is it necessary for you to store the backup or at your home or office. We all take precautions when it comes to backing up important data, but water damage, fire, theft, and vandalism all are a fact of life these days. Your insurance company may cover the loss of your hardware, but it won't cover the loss of your data.

In the next few pages, will take a look at some of your online backup options. Although none of the services we explore will provide guarantees for data storage and retrieval, all of them have industrial strength data centers that have redundant backups and fault-tolerant storage. And although most online backup services won't actually guarantee your data, they have to get hit pretty hard to lose your data. For example, one program we look at later in the article is Officeware Systems' FilesAnywhere, which uses RAID (redundant array of independent disks) 5, a special redundant storage system. Rather than one vulnerable hard drive, RAID 5 has three or more hard drives in an array storing your data in a format called striping. Essentially it means that if one drive fails, another good drive one can be hot swapped without losing any data. Would your system be so lucky?

Online backups take up no extra room on your machine, other than a small amount for a desktop application. You don't need to worry about changing floppies or CDs, loading cartridges, or monitoring hard drive usage. For the average user, it is like having an endless hard drive, as long as you are willing to pay for more space.

The keys to good online backup solutions are organization (deciding what to back up) and scheduling. Because you are charged per megabyte or gigabyte blocks, you want to use that space effectively. You can reinstall some applications, such as Microsoft Office or QuickBooks, from a floppy, so you don't need to back up these programs. If you want to avoid tedious reinstalls, consider creating a disk image with Symantec's Norton Ghost or other software. With Norton Ghost, you can build your machine, put everything you want on it, then make an image (an exact copy) of the hard drive or partition, and move it to another hard drive or save it to CDs. (If you save an image to CD, you'll want to store a copy of the CDs offsite). Then, if you ever need to rebuild your system, you can install the image on your system, restore your current data, and return to the way things were before.

All of the programs we looked at for this article let you pick and choose your data files and folders for backup sets. A backup set is usually a collection of files or folders or, in the case of the FilesAnywhere program, even Registry keys that you can back up at certain times. Of the programs we reviewed, only IBackup provides an automated way of finding your files, so if you organize where your files are located, such as in the My Documents folder, the backup process will be much easier.

Scheduling is also a key component of a good backup. All the products we reviewed provide simple ways for scheduling backups. With a broadband connection, there's no reason to perform a backup while you are using your computer for other tasks. Schedule the backup to run at another time, such as at night when you are away from your computer. If you update or save a lot of important files or folders each day, you may want to back up your system nightly; otherwise, you can perform a backup once or twice a week.

All of the Web-based backup options we looked at let you create multiple backup sets, which let you back up the files that change often more frequently and the files that don't change as often less frequently. Take time to think about what and when you want to back up. Scheduling a backup is usually a one-time process.

After you set up an online backup program, test it out before you trust it with all of your data. Back up a folder or a few files, move them to another location, and then restore them. Make sure the system puts all the files back where you want them.

A Few Options

All the products we detail below offer free trial periods, so you can try several of them to see which ones fit your needs. There's no sicker feeling than trusting you have a good backup and then finding out it doesn't work.

Officeware Systems FilesAnywhere Remote Backup. FilesAnywhere Remote Backup (starts at $8.95 per month for 500 MB; www.filesanywhere.com) sets itself apart from the other programs we reviewed as not just an online backup, but also as a truly all-around backup and online storage solution. Remote Backup is essentially a superset of the features, including everything in the Standard plan, plus a nice desktop backup program.

Remote Backup includes WebDAV (drive mapping) or FTP connectivity, and it lets you drag and drop folders and files from Windows Explorer to your online drive. Similar to IBackup, you can schedule Remote Backup to run daily, weekly, or monthly backups. You can also choose a custom schedule, which lets you back up as often as every few minutes. In addition, the program provides Novosoft's Handy Backup utility that lets you synchronize files on your local machine or network. It will even write to CD-RWs with full spanning (multiple disks). Remote Backup is similar to IBackup in that it not only lets you send email notifications, but it also lets you launch any program before or after running a backup.

FilesAnywhere offers a variety of programs, but Remote Backup is essentially a superset of its other products. Remote Backup includes all features that the standard online storage solutions offer (Web access, file sharing, and photo sharing and ordering), but it adds the backup client.

FilesAnywhere and the desktop component, Handy Backup, offer some unique features, such as backing up Windows Registry keys, ICQ, Microsoft Outlook, and Outlook Express files. Although you can save Outlook and Outlook Express files using other backup programs, you have to manually select them. No other program we looked at backs up individual Registry keys.

Restoring files is a snap from within the Handy Backup utility. Just highlight a backup set, open the Actions menu, and click Restore. Unlike Xdrive, you don't need to choose a destination for a restore; it restores files, folders, and Registry keys exactly as they were backed up, with little user interaction. In fact, once we specified what to restore, the only extra step we had to do was to approve the import of our stored Registry key back into the Registry. The Registry backup and restore is a great safety line for cleaning up after virus attacks.

The Handy Backup utility uses secure FTP connections on all file transfers, and it runs in passive mode by default to avoid firewall problems. Any FTP client can also connect to FilesAnywhere storage or you can use Windows Explorer to map a drive to your online account.

Your Remote Backup files are stored raw, zipped individually, or zipped into a single file. If you attach any of your individual zipped files to email messages you are sending to relatives or friends, we should mention that the compressed files appear with two file extensions, such as myphoto.jpg.zip. Some email filters may mistake this type of file extension (the double file extension) as a virus.

Remote Backup also offers the option to use 128-bit Blowfish encryption for storage online, as well. With online encryption, you need the Handy Backup utility to decrypt the files, though you can download them still encrypted with a mapped drive or FTP. File transfer is in SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) mode all the time, although the online-storage-only solution (another package) lets you use non-SSL transfers.

Remote Backup also offers some features for digital photo buffs. When you store files online, the program will automatically make thumbnails of the images. You can then view the thumbnails alone or in a viewer. The Viewer lets you rotate and zoom-in on images, or you can create a slideshow containing your images. You can also buy hardcopy prints of your images, as well.

Remote Backup also lets you collaborate on a project with other users, if necessary; simply create multiple users and share files on the same Remote Backup account. You can also assign permissions such as Read Only, Create/Update, and Full Access. Because sharing the same file with others can cause problems with update conflicts, Remote Backup also supports version control with Check In/Check Out.

A little less in price than IBackup's basic subscription plans, FilesAnywhere Remote Backup has the most features of all the programs we reviewed. With the option to automatically back up general files and folders, as well as Registry keys and email client files, Remote Backup offers comprehensive coverage of your data. Add to that its ability to schedule backups to local drives or to your own network, as well as file sharing and a wealth of Web-based features, and you have a great all around solution.

Pro Softnet IBackup for Windows 7.0.4. IBackup (www.IBackup.com) is a comprehensive program that has versions available for Windows, Linux, or Unix platforms. The program offers a Basic subscription plan, giving you 50MB of storage space for as little as $3 per month. The Basic subscription comes with many features such as file sharing, FTP, WebDAV drive mapping, Web access, and sub accounts. Or you can choose a Backup Only plan (starting as low as $14.95 per month for 4GB of storage space), which offers the same features as the Basic subscription except for the drive mapping and sub accounts. Additional storage plan options are available for higher monthly fees.

IBackup offers manual or automated wizard-driven backup and restore options. Like FilesAnywhere, IBackup lets you encrypt your online files, but you'll want to keep your password in a safe place because if you lose it, you'll lose your data. Xdrive's data transfers are also securely sent using the SSL protocol.

By default, IBackup for Windows automatically selects known data files and files associated with installed applications to back up. It selects files contained in My Documents, Favorites, and Microsoft application data and ignores program files. If you really want to back up everything on your system, you can select each file and folder manually.

Backups are done incrementally, so after your initial full backup, IBackup uploads only the files that have changed from earlier backups. Essentially, the program creates snapshots of previous daily backups. Normally you won't see these snapshots listed when you view your online backup folders. You will need to turn on the Snapshot views to see the daily backups from the past seven days and retrieve the earlier versions of files.

The Mirroring option lets you preserve the directory structure on your PC in the online backups. With Mirroring, if you save a file on your system named C:\My Documents\Bills\Electric\July2004.xls, for example, IBackup saves the entire path to the MyIBackup folder online. If you disable the Mirroring options, only the file, not the path structure, saves to the root of the online drive. This can cause confusion or even result in the program overwriting the file with files of the same name.

The primary application is the Backup Manager where you can create backup sets, restore files or folders, or view your online storage. Using IBackup is fairly easy, although there are a few instances where you will need to read the prompts. Wizards are available for Backup, Restore, and Files Selections. The Files Selections Wizard is essentially the same as the Backup Wizard, only it finds your files automatically.

The Restore Wizard works about the same as the Backup Wizard in reverse; you select files you want to restore and then choose their destinations. Unlike FilesAnywhere, however, you cannot just restore a backup set; you must select a source and a destination. We thought IBackup worked well, although we ran into a few snags when it came to selecting destination folders. To restore an entire drive, we had to select all the folders, but not the drive letter, on the IBackup online drive, and then we had to select the drive on our system. If there's any doubt of what IBackup transfers, you can view the comprehensive logs for confirmation.

We actually found it easier to do a manual restore, dragging and dropping specific folders rather than using the wizard. For Backup and Restore, you can manually drag files or folders either direction in the IBackup manager. You can also select a source and destination and click the Backup or Restore button on the bottom of IBackup Manager screen. Alternatively you can use the WebFolders feature, which is convenient way of storing and retrieving files between your computer and your online IBackup account . You can back up or restore files by dragging files between Windows Explorer and the WebFolder window. If you'd like to work completely in Windows Explorer or access your online files through applications, such as Word, you can map your iDrive, as well. Unlike Xdrive, drive mapping requires a separate download.

The IBackup scheduler lets you view and create scheduled backup sets. Like the other programs we reviewed for this article, you can create multiple scheduled backups. Clicking the Scheduler button in the IBackup Manager brings up a spreadsheet-type list of currently scheduled backups. You can edit existing backups or create a new set. Clicking New brings up the Backup Wizard, which walks you through the backup process. You can keep an eye on your online usage by clicking on the Calculate Backup Size button.

In either the Scheduler or the Backup Wizard, you can launch a backup immediately or schedule it for a later date. IBackup's default schedule is set for daily backups, but you can also choose to perform backup hourly, weekly, or monthly. If you're concerned about the success of your backup but won't be around to see if there were any problems, you can choose to receive an email notification explaining errors or failures, or you can choose to only receive a notice that tells you the backup was completed. IBackup also has the option of turning your computer off when the backup is complete.

Like FilesAnywhere, IBackup lets you create sub accounts, as well as share and collaborate files. The Basic subscriptions plan lets you create as many as three accounts; the Snapshots feature allows as many as seven accounts, and a Versioning feature lets you store an unlimited history. You can assign sub accounts to specific folders, and like the main account, you can access them the same as you would access your main account. The Basic subscription also has an Image Gallery feature, which creates thumbnail images that you can choose to view full size.

Overall, IBackup's Backup Only package is a good choice if you just want to back up your files. Although the restore feature leaves a bit to be desired, it is a good all-around program, especially if you go with the 4GB Backup Only plan.

Xdrive Desktop. At $9.95 per month ($99.50 annually) for 5GB of space, Xdrive Desktop (www.xdrive.com) offers the most economical backup and storage solution of all the products in our roundup. You can access the online drive using a Desktop application or Web-based online interface. Although Xdrive doesn't sport an extensive feature set like FilesAnywhere, it provides users with what they need: a backup program, adequate online storage, and file sharing. You can choose between a fast mode or the slower SSL secure mode for uploads and downloads. The simple Explorer-like Web interface lets you access and manage your files from any computer without using additional software. The desktop application provides all that plus a mapped drive you can use with applications or Windows Explorer and scheduled backups.

Xdrive is a nice program for sharing large files with your relatives or friends, and it is also really good for backing up your system. The simple interface lets you choose drives, folders, or individual files to back up. Using Xdrive, you can create multiple backup sets so you can back up different files and folders on varying schedules.

You have the choice of three backup types: Incremental, Differential, and Full. No matter which backup method you choose, Xdrive will run a Full backup to the MyBackup folder on your Xdrive the first time you back up data. When you choose a Full backup, Xdrive does a complete backup of all the files and folders in the set you chose to backup. An Incremental backup only backs up the files that have changed since your last backup session. Differential backs up the files that have changed since you performed the last Full backup.

When choosing a backup procedure, consider how much data you need to back up, how much time you want the backup to take, and how you plan to restore the data you have backed up. Xdrive uses no special restore process; all you do is navigate to your Xdrive and drag your files and folders back to your hard drive. If you select a Full backup, drag the latest dated backup to your hard drive. With an Incremental backup, start with the last Full backup and work to the most recent, copying files to your hard drive. A Differential backup requires you to copy the last Full backup and the most current backup. Xdrive does not version files like FilesAnywhere does; you can go to earlier backup dates for files that have changed.

Scheduling a backup with Xdrive is easy. You can schedule one backup at any time, with one day per set, or you can set the backup to work in multiples of weeks. Deselecting the Recurring Backup option creates a backup set that you can launch manually at any time.

When the backup runs, a command line (DOS) window opens, displaying the files that Xdrive is uploading. You can minimize the window, but you don't want to close it because doing so cancels the backup. As for performance, like the other services we explore in this article, Xdrive is only as fast as your connection. At a maximum of 128 to 256Kbps on our cable connection, uploads took awhile. We suggest scheduling larger backups for when you are away from your computer. Xdrive claims its data center connection to the Web can support T1 speeds in both directions without a problem.

In short, Xdrive, while not as polished or feature complete as IBackup or FilesAnywhere, offers a lot of space for a little money. For the hobbyist or technician who doesn't mind a little extra work, it's definitely worth a look.

Take Your Pick

All three packages we reviewed offer a convenient way to back up your data, differing mostly in the amount of online space, ease of use, and features. Xdrive offers the most space for the least money, but restoring data isn't very convenient. iBackup and Remote Backup offer automated online encrypted storage for better security and photo buff capabilities at close price points. We think Remote Backup has the best desktop software because you can use it to back up to your own removable media or network. Of the three, price not withstanding, we like FilesAnywhere best for automated backups and restores. However, for flat-out storage value, you can't beat Xdrive. All three products have trial versions, which offer a risk-free way of finding the package that works best for your needs.

by Jay Munro