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DoubleSafety 4.5 was available as a giveaway on April 6, 2011!
DoubleSafety is a program for automatic data backup. With an effortless user interface, you can store backups on your hard drive or use a local area network, send them to an FTP server or write to a CD/DVD or Blu-Ray/HD-DVD. You can also automatically encrypt data using the 256-bit AES algorithm.
Windows 98/ ME /2000/ XP/ 2003/ Vista/ 7; Approximately 4MB of free disk space
3.57 MB
$29.95
I agree with Jack Frost/#18 in regards to Mike/#6. No need for the personal attacks Mike. Why the 'hating' dude? Seems to be so much of it in certain forums/blogs/online. It's kinda sad. Grow up (said in the nicest possible way, not with sarcasm) and try being kind to others instead of getting your kicks from crap-slinging (doesn't display good character dude). Enough said. Be cool. Thanks GotD for another giveaway worth trying (even if not worth keeping, i don't know yet :) Big Ups!
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Nice program by the sounds of it.
I guess I will be giving this one a try and if I like it I will rave about it on my own website :-)
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Nice program! Simple, basic backup program, using standard ZIP files, that I did not have to spend a SINGLE MINUTE figuring out how to use. Installed perfectly on XP Home and Vista Home Premium. The XP system only has 1 GB of memory and is running several other apps at the same time, but still it ran flawlessly.
Sure, you could find fancier programs, but if you just want basic backup, this is well worth your time to check out.
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Looks like a good little programme to me, (well so far)
I don’t think it’s intended to replace a disk imaging programme but if you wish to back-up say you’re My Documents folder, every night, to another disk then it seems fine.
I saved a folder to a backup drive and then opened it with WinZip and everything seemed to be there which would indicate to me that you don’t need DoubleSafety to open your backed up files.
At this stage a definite keeper as long as the scheduler works.
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@19-Pilsner Panther & @30-Alrock: Quote "Apparently it can’t back up files contiguously over more than one CD-R, which makes the program useless to me."
Yes you can ... Go to Task properties, storage Tab and choose at "Split the backup file" for "CD", "DVD" or "Custom size".
Just try before you cry.
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The web is choke-full with free backup products.
I would recommend using FreeFileSync, free and open-source, and also faster than many paid products.
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@28, @29, @32 - As has already been mentioned several times in these comments - if your hard drive crashes - the internet will still be there once you get back up and running - and then you can download a 30 day trial to Restore your backups. (Or just use a free program like 7-zip)
So the scenario of backing up your data and then losing all access forever to your backups because your hard drive crashes doesn't apply.
Assuming I am happy to use DoubleSafety in the first place - (For me at least) after a hard drive crash and having my data backed up safely and recovered after the crash, the 30 bucks to purchase a permanent license would be a tiny price to pay - Just ask anyone who has lost all their data !
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This seems like it should do exactly what I want.
- Encryption
- Compression
- FTP
- Select files/folder
- Schedule
But I can't get it to work with FTP. I use all the same settings as I do for my normal FTP connection (which works fine), but I get an error that makes no sense. After the progress states "Open Destination Folder" it errors with "Cannot create a file when that file already exists".
The problem seems to be that it removes my prefix \ when is saves the settings. I don't have access directly to the root folder (its shared hosting) so I need the prefix (eg. \myuserid\myfolders\backups\ ). If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it.
I have got it to work with a local destination, but found that if I use the encryption option (other than the base ZIP one) that my Zip applications can't expand it (errors, does not prompt for password) so I assume that if those options are picked that only DoubleSafety can extract the files. Unless some out there knows another way to extract the files. It makes me nervous to rely on a GAOTD app for restoring backups as if the app isn't available any more (lost in the HDD crash for example), so I liked that it created a Zip file.
I hope I can get past these two issues. Otherwise, I'll have to pass on this offering. Thanks.
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Looks like a good backup to Lenovo ThinkVantage Rescue And Recovery which is heavily bloated by ThinkVantage Toolbox (aka PC-Doctor) which is always nagging me to install Norton AV crapware because it is too retarded to reliably recognize that Avast! and ZoneAlarm are running 24/7. Oh, the joys of owning a 'true-blue' stinkpad... at least it's not a HP/Compaq with it'd DRM'd recover coasters (has anybody ever successfully burned recover DVDs with the stock one-shot coaster-burner?)
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@19 Pilsner Panther....
"my whole music library, which is approximately 25 GB (that’s right, it’s not a typo)."
Is that meant to impress us?
Mines currently 250 GB & I'm sure there are many out there with even larger.
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No thanks. I used a GotD offering for backing-up and compressing in the past. Windows crashed and needed a complete reinstall (as Windows is apt to do). Now my backup of a lot of data is useless unless I pay the ransom of buying a new copy just to recover my own data. Will not make that mistake again.
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REMEMBER: WHEN you download a paid backup program and you use it to backup your PC, and then your PC crashes, will you have to purchase it to restore your PC?
There are too many GREAT FREEBIES out there that will help you backup and restore your PC data.
Don't risk this.
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This is a simple back up to ZIP file format (with all the usual issues of inefficiency that the ZIP format has), utility. How good or bad that is, depends on your own view, but it is kind of pretty universal these days. At least you can access everything IN the archive relatively easily and don't need to use this utility if you have to do restores.
Full registration is $30, which seems a bit high, considering it is essentially a front end to a ZIP library and there are other (free) packages out there that do the same thing, so.....
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#16: "...I tried Easeus which worked well until the computer crashed, then I had 14 backup discs I could not use without BUYING the software!
I thought EASEUS backup app was free (?). http://goo.gl/9ePyT
At any rate, as you've found out a big part of doing a disk image backup is making sure you can restore it. Most backup app rescue-type discs [CD/DVD/BD] are designed just for that, &/or they may include the restoration app on bootable discs along with the archive, providing you choose CD/DVD/BD as the target to store the archives originally -- writing the archives to a hard drive, then burning them to disc isn't the same thing. Acronis has a fast bootable CD that can restore their backups, or you can use Paragon portably after booting to a WinPE-type environ.
But that's for disk image backups, which are the easier way to restore a complete drive/partition, especially if you want it bootable. File backups are a different animal, one that doesn't include the portions that make a drive or device bootable, because those portions aren't visible to the app as files. Depending on the version of Windows you can usually add that part afterward, making an otherwise perfectly restored Windows system drive bootable, or you can install Windows fresh, then restore the file backup to bring it current. With win7 you might prefer one way over the other -- install to a 1st partition creates a small, hidden partition that some want, some don't... putting/restoring the files to a system disk you can use EasyBCD to make it bootable, but you won't have that hidden partition. Google/Bing if you want to find out more about that hidden initial partition, & maybe look at something like [portable?] VirtualBox to test &/or practice. V/Box lets you mount a disc or ISO & boot from it, & let's you create empty, expanding or regular virtual drives to use as a target, though be aware that virtual machines use their own, fake hardware, so unless you start out using an already set up Windows VM, or use something like the Paragon virtualization apps, restoring a backup of your actual system drive may/may not actually run. For testing &/or practice you may not need it to.
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On their site, they don't give any real information about the application. Does it allow you to create a bootable rescue disk? Is it only backing up files and folders or does it allow for a complete system backup? Until these and other relevant questions are fully answered I'm not going to bog my system down.
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@ #9 Kongo Different version number
FWIW, today's version number is different than last year's:
Today,April 6, 2011: DoubleSafety 4.5.1.130
Then, June 10, 2010: DoubleSafety 4.5.0.129
I checked last year's version number and installed today's program over it. There has apparently been several updates to the program since last June, but I don't know what they were.
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#2: "...if this supports backup to external USB drives..."
USB drives/devices are just another drive to Windows for most all intents & purposes, & most all software is agnostic in that respect, i.e. it could care less what the device is as long as Windows says it's a drive.
That said, not all USB drives &/or devices are created equal, nor is every USB drive/device 100% compatible with every PC's/laptop's electronics -- it's possible to blame whatever app when/if the problem's rooted in hardware... it happens. Generally speaking you should also be aware that many (most?) AV apps drastically reduce read/write speeds to external USB drives when doing something like a backup, which unless you're using USB 3, doesn't happen all that fast to begin with. Since a backup app archiving via USB is running, taking up resources for however long the backup takes, it may be more efficient to backup to an internal drive/partition, & then just copy or move those archives to a USB drive/device afterward.
* * *
#7: "I would not use a GOTD backup software. Because what will you do if your system crashes and takes away your copy DoubleSafety."
This comes up whenever there's a backup app or similar on GOTD... If it helps, assuming you lost your drive &/or needed to restore a full backup: 1) presumably the backup app you used would be included in that backup. 2) you'll need to boot to something to restore your backup, some OS on CD/DVD/USB or using another PC/laptop -- add DoubleSafety wherever you need it today while it's on GOTD, or use the trial version when/if needed. 3) Since DoubleSafety stores your backup as a .zip file, the free 7-Zip [7-zip.org] can also be used & it's available for multiple platforms/OSes.
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According to the history.txt file, DoubleSafety v. 4.5 is dated 4/21/2010, so some may already have & use this version. DoubleSafety is a nice, lightweight file backup app that's for the most part free of the excess features that can make this sort of software harder to learn & use... I don't use file backup apps that often, but tried Nero BackItUp the other day for the 1st time -- I wanted to backup the portable version of The Cleaner I'd set up, nothing fancy, & BackItUp tried so hard to be helpful it wound up being fairly confusing. While for inactive files it might still be easier/faster to just right-click a folder & select 7-Zip, DoubleSafety avoids that [Nero] trap, letting you very quickly setup a backup job you can manually execute &/or schedule. And importantly, DoubleSafety works with active files too [7-Zip won't], using Windows VSS [the Shadow Copy that let's you perform System &/or File Restore]. Some will like that DoubleSafety archives can be quickly un-zipped using something like 7-Zip, giving you a copy of your backed up files/folders complete with the original folder structure. Today's GOTD comes packaged with a decent enough help file that mentions that the app's priority is lowered when minimized, & that it uses the file's Archive attribute to determine if a file is newer or changed from a copy already stored in a backup archive. While adjustable, default compression resulted in an archive that took up just over half the original disk space, which is on a par with the results I get from Paragon backup apps [though those are raw data, not files]. DoubleSafety lets you use other apps to schedule backup jobs, as well as having it's own internal scheduler -- to use that scheduler it has to be running, so by default it'll set itself to start with Windows... it won't however monitor files/folders & backup to synchronize whenever changes are made. Writing to CD/DVD/BD is handled by StarBurn, or archives can be written to disk or uploaded via ftp -- on-line features include e-mail notification BTW.
Installing DoubleSafety should be both trouble free & painless, with the app's folder holding 17 files, 1 folder, taking up ~5 MB [deleting *extra* files brings that down to 3 files, 1 folder, ~4 MB -- if that matters to you]. DoubleSafety adds itself to the registry's HKCU Run key by default [to start with Windows], & setup adds an uninstall key plus [depending on Windows version] a couple of entries under ASProtect. Registration data is stored in the User section of the registry, so you'd probably want to run the GOTD Activate.exe in all Windows Profiles where you want to use the app. Logs, options, & jobs are stored in text files in a new folder under User App/Application Data.
I don't think there's a completely painless way to backup your stuff -- it either takes time or $ or both. If dollars are less a problem than time, mirror your files on one or more added drives with a RAID setup -- every file written/altered is backed up instantly to the additional drive(s). External setups with eSATA, multiple drives, & RAID can be had for <$100. If accessing one or more individual archived files is most or very important, use File backups, but be aware they won't give you a cloned & bootable drive if you should need one. OTOH Paragon's backup apps can access individual files in their backup archives, & can mount the archive as another drive, though testing archives is more time consuming & iffy [7-Zip can verify a DoubleSafety archived zip file is good], & I have had extracting individual files fail. Personally I tend to do both, but I'll almost always rely on 7-Zip rather than taking the time to fire up a file backup app. And if it helps those using VMs [Virtual Machines] at all, in my experience they compress very well but take a long time to zip/un-zip or otherwise archive, so I tend to just store full copies as is, taking the hit when it comes to used disk space -- most apps can be set to not include .vhd, .vdi etc. in backups.
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Here's a "duh" note for (some of) you. When you buy that backup hard drive, an external USB with MUCH higher amount of storage than the drive(s) you'll be backing up is a must. I'm using Acronis True Image Home (Payware) and it has a clone option and makes the clone bootable. I do a once or twice a week backup when I'm ready to get off the computer for the night and clone my main hard disk. This copies everything across to my external USB overnight. Yes it takes time, but I'm not on the machine anyway while it's working. By doing it this way, I don't have to deal with compression issues or software I have to hunt down so I can do a restore, and I can pull separate files if I need them. As for today's soft, I'll give it a look and see if the methods compare with what I'm using. I archive data files to CD/DVD on a regular basis for things (like family photos, tax returns, etc.) that aren't going to change. Ashampoo works well for that and doing so gives me a lot of peace of mind..
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I agree with #3 and #7 when your computer crashes it gone but when I was using it I like it. so I am downloading and reinstalling it now :)
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Apparently it can't back up files contiguously over more than one CD-R, which makes the program useless to me. I wanted to create a hard copy of my whole music library, which is approximately 25 GB (that's right, it's not a typo). It would probably take about 20 or so CD's to contain it all, so I thought this thing might work. All I got was an error message during the backup of the first disc, and so I tried again, ruining two blank CD's. What a piece of garbage! Don't bother with it unless all your data can be contained on one CD. My PC is a fairly new Dell high-end model, running Windows XP SP 3, and it's continuously kept up to date.
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#6 @MikeR, since you've laid into Volodmyr for having the nerve to post a comment on this page, let's apply the chocolate ashtray test to your own review. The only useful comments it contains are as follows:
"Fast, clean download. The developer doesn’t attempt to bundle rubbish like unwanted toolbars or malware home page changes. First impressions: very, very clean interface. An impressively easy wizard with step-by-step assistance. Here’s a useful article on Gizmo (on differential backups) that spells everything out very clearly: File Backup Terminology"
The rest is fluff. Ten paragraphs of it. Seriously Mike, clean up your own act and leave off the personal attacks.
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Looks like a new release is due soon...
DoubleSafety 4.5 released April 21, 2010
DoubleSafety 4.4 released July 10, 2009
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Well, I too checked on some of the awards and found them ok. CNET did give it 5 stars as did some of the others mentioned. Tucows did not list the software anymore but that is not unusual.
I did not like GFI as it was a bit too complicated and unreliable.
This software may be useful to some, and not to others more advanced. It is unfair to tear it apart simply because YOU don't like it.
Zip format is not the best, and MOST backup free backup software use proprietary formats. I tried Easeus which worked well until the computer crashed, then I had 14 backup discs I could not use without BUYING the software!
Remember that anything you get on GOTD goes away if the computer crashes. GOTD is a 'onetime installed software.
Double Safety does what it says. No fancy bells and whistles, but it works.
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I am currently using the 4.4 version and I am very happy about it. I am also using the eastTec Backup 2009 and no comparison: Double Safety wins hands down. Faster, cleaner, more convenient. Yes, it has its drawbacks, but I like the idea of having one zip archive, which can be opened even in case of crash and so no more original program anymore. Incremental and differential available, option to update the existing archive or to create a new one every time, perfect support for network and USB drives. I will definetly upgrade my 4.4 to the 4.5!
Ciumbia
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Can only save as a zip file!!! Not enough options for back up sets, time stamps. Try Uranium backup, it's free all the time.
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Some folks running McAfee might be scared off the doublesafety.com site -- McAfee actually blocked it, showing a page with a big red warning that I had to click through. Looking at 2 separate McAfee reports however it seems a reputation problem rather than bad downloads -- http://goo.gl/HoKon -- http://goo.gl/zTqGF . Looking at the 1st few pages of the McAfee community reviews, negative comments are very much outweighed by good ones, & while I don't wish to discredit anyone trying to be helpful, if there was a concerted effort to harm doublesfety.com's rep, I would expect the sort of negative comments I read.
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Not for me:
Backup to FTP Server failed with errors, but no way to find out WHAT error. Have to start from scratch. (I had killed all programs first.) Then I got "backup saved but with errors". Now what???
Does not save login information so you have to retype all the information every time. One letter error in the password and you have to start from scratch!
Could not find how to do incremental backup.
Wasted over 1.5 hours trying to get uploaded to FTP.
If you try this only use a very small backup set first until you figure out if it will work. For me it won't.
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Very nice program IMHO. (And yes, #2, it allows backup to any local drive).
Sure, there are lots of alternatives but I haven't found a payware one that is better nor a freeware one that is as good.
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This program looks pretty good to me so far, not sure why it's getting thumbs down.
It installed and activated easily, and when first run opened the wizard to create a new job. Very simple step by step, with options to browse and add folders to be backed up, as well as where to back up to (you can back up to a usb device via the local/LAN selection). The job can then be saved and scheduled, or run from the (created) icon.
I haven't completed the back up yet so can't speak to speed, but there seems to be a lot to like for someone like me who knows I should back up more carefully/frequently than I do. Definite thumbs up!
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Today's same as last year's:
Today,April 6, 2011: DoubleSafety 4.5
Then, June 10, 2010: DoubleSafety 4.5
http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/2010/06/10/
NO, but thanks for offering again!!
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Bit disappointed that it makes one great zip file, unlike Vice Versa which re-creates the tree structure and is so much easier to get one file instead of messing around with what could be a massive ZIP file.
Also can't see any incremental options. Might be wrong because I've uninstalled it now, but would need this if I was going to use it.
Will stick with Vice Versa which has done me proud and saved my life several times over the last 10 years of using it.
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I would not use a GOTD backup software. Because what will you do if your system crashes and takes away your copy DoubleSafety. Use GFI Home (free) and can be downloaded anytime 24/7
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@ #1, Volodmyr The Helpful
Hi. Thanks for your review. It's obviously based on your extensive user experience of today's GOATD. Could I refer you to a couple of other websites where you can help users in the same way:
Auto site: Very useful piece of machinery! It has four wheels and an engine. It can take you lots of places. It can even carry other people too. Cool!
Yachting website: Very useful piece of stuff! It lets you go on water and can even carry other people too. Cool! Thanks!
As to today's DoubleSafety:
Fast, clean download. The developer doesn't attempt to bundle rubbish like unwanted toolbars or malware home page changes. Kudos to Power Labs. After DL, install but don't open: simply hit the GOTD 'Activate' icon in the downloaded folder.
First impressions: very, very clean interface. Can be maximised to full screen. An impressively easy wizard with step-by-step assistance. Is likely to allay the genuine fears of many who would really like to run back-ups but get baffled by the procedures and processes involved.
(For anyone in that situation, here's a useful article on Gizmo that spells everything out very clearly):
https://www.techsupportalert.com/content/file-backup-terminology-what-do-terms-differential-incremental-mean-and-how-will-they-help-m
Today's app seems not to have many external reviews. That's not necessarily a bad thing as GOATDers can assess this for themselves. There is, however, this assessment on CNET:
http://download.cnet.com/DoubleSafety/3000-2242_4-10448132.html
Unfortunately, most CNET "reviews" are as useful as a chocolate ashtray, and that one's no different. The developer's credibility isn't helped much by the website's citing of umpteen "awards", many of which are instantly recognisable as fake click-through scam sites. Power Labs would do itself a favour by taking down that particular page.
I'm running DoubleSafety at the moment and will add a further comment, based on my user experience, later.
Meantime, many thanks GAOTD, Power Labs, and especially. . .
Volodymyr The Helpful.
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Under the "Awards" page I see they list Tucows giving a "4" cow rating, the trouble is that when doing a Tucows search, nothing comes up searching for DoubleSafety.
So I went on to the next "Award" -- TopShareWare.
The latest under that location was a "SPONSORED" mention - no "Award", and no customer comments could be found. The latest version listed there was 4.3 on October 04, 2005.
This search became interesting and I went to the next "award" site listing BrotherSoft.com. Here was found the listing had occurred on 2010-06-16, with a total download history of 118 but none last week.
So, I am wondering what a "Award" means with this company. Is it special recognition, or is it a simple listing? Certainly, it must mean that such a designation doesn't have to mean much for Power Labs. In fact, listing as done on their webpage makes me question the abilities of the program just on the integrity factor itself. It may be a good program, but I will not use it because of that factor.
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Previous versions only use the archive bit to determine the scope of diff backup. This is an outdated method. I hope this version should improve this.
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Nice to see this back. I lost it when I had to replace a hard drive (restored all my data from DoubleSafety's backups, of course!).
I've been trying to use the free version of GFI Backup, but in comparison it's slow, a resource hog, and seems to be quite temperamental.
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Went to their site to see if this supports backup to external USB drives, but no info. So presumably only backs up to optical disks.
I don't like to waste my bandwidth to download and test it (monthly quota of 5Gig only).
Freeware alternative: Syncback Free
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Very useful piece of software! Differential backups to regular .zip format, versioning support, easy activation, data encryption (AES)! Perfect!
Thank you GOTD!
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