I recommend everyone should consider Carbonite

Recently I had some free time and decided to satisfy my curiosity on whether or not my Carbonite’s online backup program was all it was advertized to be. And because it was I decided to mention it again in a Good Boot.

Carbonite automatically backs up the most important files on your computer and stores them in a secure, offsite location.

Those files include but are not limited to: AppData Local, Locallow and Roaming, Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Music, Pictures, Programs and Videos. Files that can be easily recovered from any computer.

Carbonite is novice-friendly, installs quickly and easily, works in the background to update your backup without slowing down your computer, “double-encrypts” files so only you can see your files, retrieves your backed up files over the internet with its remote access and “just in case” does not delete a file for two weeks after you delete the file from your had drive.

To retrieve one, several or all your files you simply click on Start > Computer and scroll down to the Carbonite folder. It opens and displays like any Windows Explorer folder all your backed up folders and files. In addition there’s a folder displaying files pending backup.

Carbonite also provides an e-mail warning if for whatever reason a week passes without it being able to back up your data.

As an example: I seldom use our user group laptop between meetings. If I do not boot it for over a week I’ll receive an e-mail sent to my desktop computer alerting me that there has been no recent updated backup of the data on the laptop.

The cost is only $54.95 per “year” for unlimited backup space with no limit on file size.

The only complaint I’ve received concerns the length of time it takes Carbonite to initially upload data. It’s true that depending on Carbonite’s access to your computer and the amount of data to be uploaded, the initial upload may take several days. But once the initial upload is complete, updating the backup is so efficient you’ll not be aware of it.

Carbonite offers a 15 day risk-free, no credit card required full version trial.

I’m not suggesting you forgo backing up to an external hard drive. However keep in mind an external hard drive is nothing more than a hard drive in a box, subject to the same hazzards that can corrupt your computer’s hard drive.

For me Carbonite has become my data security blanket.

Here’s wishing you a Good Boot.