Online Backup Solutions for Families
Tell Me About Mozy
www.mozy.com (affiliate link)
Pros: Free version, 2-hour automated backup window, access to previous versions of files, private security key option, web restore, support for open files, advanced options for "tweakers"
Cons: Advanced options may be confusing, no easy way to see individual file status, unresponsive customer support during review
Mozy allows you to back up up to 2GB for free. They also offer a paid solution for $4.95/month that gives you unlimited storage, and a commercial solution (www.mozypro.com) for $6.95/month, plus usage fees based on how much you back up.
Installation and Configuration:
To sign up for an account just visit the Mozy website, answer a short questionnaire, download the software (1.9MB), and install. When you first run Mozy you're prompted for your account information (your email address and password) and asked to set up your first backup set. The first screen is important because here you choose to encrypt your files using Mozy's 448-bit key or your own key. If you really want to protect your files, enter your own key so nobody but you can access your files. Of course, if you lose your key, you won't be able to access your files, so be sure to write down the key and store it in a very safe place. It's also important to note that once you choose your encryption method, you can't change it unless you uninstall Mozy from your PC, remove your computer from your Mozy profile using the website, and the reinstall Mozy on your PC. This is a pain, but should not be an issue during normal use.
Once you choose your encryption, initial configuration is straight forward and the program defaults to some basic "backup sets" that should work for most people. While these can be adjusted as necessary, I didn't like the way the standard backup sets, like "Pictures," showed a gray checkbox (indicating some files would be backed up) when I manually chose a directory that happened to include those types of files, even after I deactivated that backup set. After I figured out what was going on, it was apparent why Mozy worked this way, but it may be confusing for some users.
In addition to the default backup settings, Mozy allows you to create additional backup sets to fit your needs and has options for backing up Internet Explorer and Firefox bookmarks. Mozy also offers a variety of settings for customizing the way your backups are run, including how long your computer must be idle before Mozy kicks in and how much of your bandwidth to use for copying files. While you'll be fine if you leave these settings alone, it's nice to know they're available if you feel the need to tweak things.
Backup:
The Mozy application runs in the background, backing up your files and uploading them to the server when your computer is idle. Because of this, it shouldn't interfere with your normal computer use. Your initial backup may take a long time depending on the size of your files because ALL the files you specify will be copied to the server. The Mozy website suggested speeds of 2-4GB per day, but as much as 9GB per day if you let your computer work "undisturbed." Subsequent backups should be much faster since only the changed portions of changed files will be uploaded.
By default Mozy will automatically back up your files every two hours. However, you can get around this by "forcing" Mozy to backup by clicking Mozy's "Start Backup" button.
Restoring Files:
In addition to restoring files from the Mozy Remote Backup "drive" on your PC, you can also restore files from the Mozy website. After selecting the files you want to download, you'll received a link to a zip file containing your choices. On the Mozy site you can also request a CD or DVD of your files for $29.95 + .50 per GB + $5 FedEx shipping. This may sound expensive, but it's a great solution if you're trying to recover a lot of files and don't want to wait for them to download.
Note: If you chose to use your own private key during configuration you'll need to use Mozy's decryption program to unencrypt your files after you open the ZIP file. This small program is available on the Mozy website and until you use it, you won't be able to read your recovered files.
As an added plus, Mozy stores previous versions of files for 30 days and allows you to restore any of these versions, rather than just the most recent upload. This could be a lifesaver in the right circumstances, for example if you accidentally overwrote an important document.
Final thoughts:
I really liked Mozy's two-hour backup window and the ability to restore files over the web. The program's settings could be overwhelming, but the defaults should work for most users. However, and this is a big one, during my testing several emails to customer support went unanswered, including one regarding what I thought was a "bug" in which Mozy would add files outside my test directory to the backup set. While I was able to get around the this by creating my own backup set instead of modifying one of the defaults, the lack of follow-up from Customer Support was disconcerting.
Note: When contacted about the lack of response from customer support, a Mozy representative agreed that this was a serious issue and promised to bring it up in the next management meeting. It should also be noted that Mozy Unlimited customers have access to live chat with customer support engineers.