Data Back-up: Mozy and ADrive

Many people have no plan for dealing with lost or corrupted data on their computers. We keep more and more vital information on our computers, but we often don’t think about how easily that information can be lost. Bank records, family photos, and work or school documents can all be lost in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, there are plenty of services out there that can help prevent such data loss, and some of them are free. I currently suggest one or both of two free services that help you back up your important data: Mozy and ADrive. Both services offer free home versions, with a paid expanded service for unlimited storage or enhanced services.

The first and most full-featured back-up service is Mozy, which provides free storge for up to 2 GB of data. That probably won’t be enough to back up your entire music collection, but it will probably be sufficient for your work or school documents. Unlimited storage is available for $5, which is a fair price, but not free. Mozy is available for Windows and Mac.

You start using Mozy by downloading and installing the Mozy client. When you first run this little program, you tell it what files and folders you want to back up. The initial indexing and backing up can take quite a while, depending on how much data you back up and your connection speed. Fortunately, the program can run in the background and you can set it to use less or more system resources, depending on your preferences.  Once you have Mozy all set up, the program runs quietly in the background, keeping track of the files and folders that you have altered. The program then uploads the data to the Mozy secure server. This can be done on a scheduled or on-demand basis. The whole idea is to take your mind off having to back up your data, and in this respect, Mozy does an excellent job.

While the every-day use of Mozy is easy and painless, the service really shines when something goes wrong. I unfortunately had the chance to put Mozy to the test earlier this year when my hard drive became corrupted. After having my laptop serviced and a new version of Windows installed, I simply went to the Mozy restore page and chose the most recent back-up data set to download. (If you think that your data my have been corrupted or you need a prior version of a document, you can also choose from earlier data sets as well — a handy feature.) After you select the files you want to restore, Mozy puts them all together in a self-extracting file. All you have to do is download the file, open it, and put the files and folders back where you want them.

Mozy would be my clear over-all pick for best backing up service if it weren’t for the 2 GB cap on free home accounts. Still, for your absolutely vital data, that may be enough.

The second service I recommend is ADrive. Unlike Mozy, ADrive requires now program to download, so it is cross-platform. ADrive is a simpler service than Mozy — it just stores your stuff online. However, what ADrive lacks in feature set, it makes up for in storage space — 50 GB, to be exact. For most people, that is enough to back up all your important files, like documents, music, and photos.

Because ADrive does not use a program installed on your computer, you must specifically select which files to upload. This is done in your web browser by way of a Java applet, which works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Java can be a pain to use because it takes a long time to load, but you can also use a simple uploading form if Java doesn’t work for you. However, the Java console (pictured below) is probably the easiest way to upload files and folders.

Downloading batches of files is done in much the same way as uploading. You can also click on an individual file to download just that one file. The upload and download speed varies, and it never is extremely fast, but it gets the job done. ADrive has a simple interface and is ad supported. It doesn’t do things automatically like Mozy, but that huge amount of storage makes it an attractive option.

Whether you use Mozy, ADrive, both, or another back-up solution, the important point is to make sure you protect your important data. Both these services are good at what they do, and they’ll help you prevent a lot of tears when the next disaster occurs. Remember, when it comes to data loss, the question isn’t if it happens, but when it happens.