Users report bugs on Apple’s backup solution

Posted by Joe on June 25th, 2008

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When Apple launched its Leopard operating system earlier this year one of the most talked about features was the automated backup tool called Time Machine. However, some users are beginning to report problems with the service that prevent them from backing up the important files that are stored on their computer’s hard drive.

David Zeiler from the Baltimore Sun is reporting a recent issue with Time Machine that has him wondering whether or not the service can truly be relied upon.

But a spate of bugs with Time Machine has me wondering whether I can fully trust it. If nothing else, backup software must be absolutely reliable.

The bug that caught my attention affects my Mac Pro. Since installing the incremental 10.5.3 Leopard update (released May 28), Time Machine occasionally craps out in the middle of one of its hourly backups.

It presents the following message: “Unable to complete backup. An error occurred while copying files to the backup volume.”

Not exactly reassuring, eh?

Mac users looking for a time machine alternative should investigate Mozy, an online backup service that received our highest five star rating in our recent comparison of online backup services. Unlike Time Machine or other backup services that depend on external hard drives for storage, Mozy stores all of their user’s backed up files remotely. We prefer this solution since online backups solve many of the potential issues caused by offline storage.

You can learn more about Mozy and other online backup services by reading our reviews and comparison of online backup services.

• Mozy Mac support moves out of Beta
• NextAdvisor launches new detailed online backup service FAQs
• NextAdvisor reviews new online backup service ElephantDrive
• Wake up and backup!
• 5 reasons why online backup services are superior to offline home storage solutions

Security breach at DivShare

Posted by Caitlin on June 17th, 2008

DivShare, a free, ad-supported online backup and file sharing service, experienced a security breach yesterday. Last night the company announced on its blog that user e-mail addresses and other basic information had been accessed by a “malicious user,” and advised users to change their passwords. Some stored files were unavailable for up to 18 hours as DivShare rolled out new security measures following the breach. While DivShare stated that no financial information had been compromised, this breach demonstrates the importance of security in online backup services. In order to safeguard important files, it is crucial to choose a secure and trustworthy online backup service.

DivShare is not one of the online backup services we have reviewed and recommended. As we posted a couple of weeks ago, Mozy and Carbonite, two of the services that we do recommend, were recently found to be the two most secure online backup services according to Heise, a German computer security publication. Both successfully thwarted attempts by all testers to gain unauthorized data stored on either service. To learn more about Mozy, Carbonite and other online backup services we have reviewed, view our online backup service comparison.

• Mozy and Carbonite receive high marks in security
• Mozy Mac support moves out of Beta
• Wake up and backup!
• 5 reasons why online backup services are superior to offline home storage solutions
• Carbonite agrees- online backup services are good for the environment

How to set up automated online hard drive backups with Mozy

Posted by Joe on June 6th, 2008

We highly recommend the Mozy online backup service for several reasons. It is economically priced at just $4.95 per month for unlimited file storage, offers PC and Mac compatibility and allows you to access your securely stored files from any computer in the world. Plus, it is extremely easy to configure the Mozy service to process automated hard drive backups on your home or office computer.

Since not everyone may be as familiar with the process of setting up online backups with Mozy, we have put together a simple thirteen step walkthrough of the process. You can use this guide as reference while your are configuring your Mozy account or simply review it beforehand to get comfortable with the process of setting up your Mozy account.

Make sure you click here to sign up for a Mozy account before you get started.

Step 1: Registration

Registering for Mozy is as simple as providing your name, email address, a password of six or more characters and the type of account you want to create. It is a good idea to write down your password since you will need it later on to access your Mozy account. Your Mozy username will be the email address you enter on this screen. Consumers should choose MozyHome Unlimited while businesses should select MozyPro, which is for office use. For the purposes of this guide we will select the consumer MozyHome Unlimited option.

Step 2: Computers and Billing

At this point must choose the number of computers you would like to be able to backup and the frequency you would like to be billed. Each computer you plan on backing up with the Mozy service will cost you $4.95 per month but you can prepay to receive a slight discount. Mozy offers three separate billing options. You can either pre-pay for one or two years of service, which include one and three months of free online backup service respectively, or select monthly billing which will charge your credit card $4.95 per month. We recommend selecting one of the prepaid billing plans because there is a slight cost savings and it eliminates the need to worry about the monthly charges. For the purpose of this guide we will be selecting a monthly billing option on one computer. If you have a promotional code you can also enter it on this screen for additional savings. It is not required to move forward, so if you don’t have a Mozy promotional code, don’t worry.

Step 3: Purchasing Mozy

It is time to pay for your newly created MozyHome Unlimited online backup account. Before your process your credit card payment you should confirm that the number of computers, billing options and charges match up with what you selected in the previous step. Mozy accepts all major credit and debit cards, so it is a quick and easy process to pay for your new online backup service.

Step 4: Mac or PC Mozy Download

In this step you will select the type of computer you are going to be backing up with the Mozy online backup service. Mozy works with both Mac OSX and Windows based PCs. Select the appropriate type of software based off of your needs and the download will begin. For the purpose of this guide we will be downloading the Mozy software to a Windows PC. This step also allows you to enter the referral code of anyone who may have referred you to the Mozy service. If you don’t have a referral code (and you won’t if you came from NextAdvisor.com) don’t worry. You can skip that portion of this step.

Step 5: Getting Started with Mozy on Your PC

Now that you have downloaded the Mozy software for your computer you can begin configuring the automated backups. Once you begin the process of configuring your Mozy online backups by clicking ‘Next’ on the first screen, you will be asked to read and accept the Mozy license agreement. Like most license agreements this spells out the basic terms and conditions you must agree to follow as a Mozy subscriber. It is pretty straightforward in nature but we encourage you to at least scan the agreement to make sure you understand the terms.

Step 6: Select Mozy Download Destination Directory

Now it is time to download the Mozy software on your PC. The first step is to decide where you would like to have the Mozy software stored on your computer. By default the Mozy online backup software will be saved in the program files of your computer’s hard drive. Advanced users may want to save the Mozy files somewhere else, but most users can simply click ‘Next’ to continue the configuration process. Clicking on the ‘Next’ button will initiate the download of the Mozy software on your computer.

Step 7: Complete Mozy Software installation and Begin Configuring Online Backups

Once the Mozy software installation you will be presented with a screen that allows you to begin configuring your automated hard drive backups using the Mozy online backup service. Check the box marked “Launch MozyHome Configuration Wizard” and click ‘Finish’ to complete installation and move on to the configuration process.

Step 8: Login to Configure Automated Online Backups

Enter your username and password to login to your MozyHome Unlimited account. Your username is your email address and your password is the one you created in step one. Click the ‘Next’ button to move on to the next step.

Step 9: Establish Your Encryption Settings

User managed encryption is an advanced feature of Mozy. Advanced users may want to utilize a personal encryption key but most users should simply opt to utilize Mozy’s default 448-bit key. Don’t know the difference between an encryption key and a house key? Don’t worry. We recommend using Mozy’s default encryption settings so simply click the ‘Next’ button to move on to the next step.

Step 10: Select Which Files to Backup

Now it is time to choose which files you would like to securely backup online using your new MozyHome Unlimited account. Simply select or deselect the files that you do or do not want to include with your automated backups. Since Mozy offers unlimited storage for just $4.95 per month we suggest that you backup all of your files for the optimal level of protection. If you choose to backup only some files we recommend items such as important financial records and documents, digital pictures and music files, all of which may not be easily replaced. Again, there is no limit on how much data you can store with your new Mozy account so we think most consumers should simply choose to backup all their files.

Step 11: Test Your Upload Speed

Your Internet connections upload speed determines how quickly information can be processed from your computer to Mozy’s servers where it will be securely stored. The faster your upload speed, the faster your files can be backed-up. Mozy’s bandwidth test will determine your upload speed and the amount of data that can be transferred during a 24 hour period. This is really only important for your very first backup which will require uploading all the files you selected in the previous step. All future backups will only need to transfer the files that have been added or changed since the last backup which typically only takes minutes to complete.

Step 12: Selecting Backup Speed

Now it is time to determine how quickly Mozy will process your automated file backups. Mozy allows you to select how fast you would like these backup to run by sliding an arrow to along a spectrum. There is a direct relationship between how fast the backups run and their impact on the speed of your computer. The faster the online backup process runs the slower your computer will run. Mozy recommends selecting about 3/4 speed since they say that at this level your backups will run quickly but the impact on your computer will be minimal. Ultimately, it depends on your habits. If you will be processing backups in the background while you work at your computer then you may want to select slower backups. However, if you have periods of downtime during the day or plan on processing your backups while you are not using your computer at all, then choose quicker backups. This setting can be changed at any time, so if you aren’t sure of your needs simply keep the default 3/4 speed backup setting in place. This step will also provide you an estimate of how long your initial backup may take.

Step 13: Start Your First Backup

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Mozy online backup automated backup setup process. We recommend that you process your initial backup with with new MozyHome unlimited account immediately to ensure full protection of your files.

As you can see, setting up automated backups with Mozy is a simple and painless process. Plus, you can now rest easy that your important files are safe and secure. To learn more about Mozy or other online backup services read our online backup service comparison and reviews.

Editor’s Note: Contributing Editor Josh Steffen provided research for this guide.

• Mozy promotional discount code for April 2008
• Get 10% off a year of Mozy online backup service with special discount codes
• Users report bugs on Apple’s backup solution
• Mozy discount promo code for April 2008
• Mozy online backup discount promo codes for March 2008

Mozy and Carbonite receive high marks in security

Posted by Joe on June 2nd, 2008

A recent test of online backup services by a German computer security publication Heise found that Mozy and Carbonite were the two most secure services with extensive protection against many types of common hacker attacks.

Heise concluded that each of the six online backup services tested did use fairly complex security measures but, in some cases, they left elementary loopholes open to curious criminals. As stated in the Heise report:

[Online backup services] say they store customer data safely, some of the elementary security measures they take are implemented so carelessly and unprofessionally that they can easily be overcome.

Mozy and Carbonite, the only two services that we have reviewed which were included in the Heise testing, both successfully thwarted all attempts by testers to gain unauthorized data stored on either service. Heise gave the slight edge to Mozy as the test team preferred the companies handling of certain types of hacker attacks.

While we already think very highly of both these services, we are glad to see some additional independent verification of their quality from a security perspective. You can learn more about Mozy, Carbonite and other online backup services by viewing our online backup service comparison.

• Mozy Mac support moves out of Beta
• Wake up and backup!
• Top rated online backup service continues international expansion
• Carbonite agrees- online backup services are good for the environment
• Mozy online backup discount promo codes for March 2008

Mozy promotional discount code for April 2008

Posted by Joe on May 12th, 2008

Mozy, our top rated online backup service, is offering a 10% discount on its annual and two year service for readers of the NextAdvisor Daily blog.

To take advantage of this Mozy promo offer simply click on this link to sign up for Mozy. When you are prompted enter one of the following discount codes:

For 10% off a MozyHome Unlimited annual account enter “APRIL”.

For 10% off a MozyHome Unlimited biannual account enter “APRIL2″.

Remember, you must use the link above to receive your promotional discount on Mozy online backup.

• Mozy discount promo code for April 2008
• Mozy online backup discount promo codes for March 2008
• Get 10% off a year of Mozy online backup service with special discount codes
• Mozy offers 25% discount in response to Upline’s downtime
• How to set up automated online hard drive backups with Mozy

NextAdvisor reviews new online backup service ElephantDrive

Posted by Joe on May 8th, 2008

ElephantDrive is a relatively new entrant into the online backup space but they have a solid offering that competes quite well with some of the more established providers in this field.

We found ElephantDrive to be easy to use and with a simple interface for automating backups and accessing documents. They also offer a free account with a maximum of 1GB of storage so that new users can familiarize themselves with ElephantDrive and make sure the service fits their needs before they buy.

ElephantDrive is built on top of Amazon.com’s web infrastructure meaning that they use Amazon’s web servers to store their customer’s data. While it may seem strange of an online backup company to outsource their storage services to another storage company, we actually see it as a big plus. ElephantDrive customers can rest assured that they data they backup through the service is being stored safely and securely by a well established company like Amazon.com. This is actually a trend in this online backup service space as BeInSync also uses Amazon.

At $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year, ElephantDrive is almost two times the cost of Mozy or Carbonite. Additionally, ElephantDrive has file size limits of 1GB and maximum monthly file transfer of 1000GB. While the vast majority of users will have no problem staying within those limitations, we would prefer if they weren’t enforced especially given the premium price of the ElephantDrive service.

Like Mozy, ElephantDrive offers Mac support although the services offered to Mac users are more limited than those offered to PC users. So, if Mac support is important to you you may want to evaluate Mozy as well.

Since ElephantDrive does offer a risk free unlimited trial of 1GB of storage we strongly suggest that any consumer in the market for an online backup service test it for themselves. In fact, it would be pretty simple to test ElephantDrive head to head with Mozy (who offers 2GB of free storage in their trial) to determine which is the preferred service for a given user’s needs.

We have written extensively on the benefits of using an online backup service to secure your important files like music, videos or documents. It is great to see new services like Elephant drive entering the space as this will ultimately mean more innovation and more value created for consumers.

To learn more about online backup services read our recently updated online backup service reviews and comparison.

• Mozy Mac support moves out of Beta
• Users report bugs on Apple’s backup solution
• Mozy- if its good enough for the worlds largest corporations, its good enough for your laptop!
• NextAdvisor launches new detailed online backup service FAQs
• Wake up and backup!

Is online data storage the secret to eliminating many data breaches?

Posted by Joe on May 6th, 2008

We cover many different types of service providers at NextAdvisor which gives us a unique insight into how some of them may intersect to provide even more consumer value than an individual service may provide as a standalone product. One such trend may be the use of online file storage to help prevent the impact of data breaches and identity theft.

There is an alarming trend in the data breaches of personal information that we cover. A significant portion of these data breaches are caused by the loss of some sort of computer storage device, whether it is a USB drive or a laptop hard drive.

We have previously written about the many benefits of online file storage for backing up important files on your computer. We are now starting to wonder whether or not online file storage could be a major step that consumers and corporations could take to prevent the impact of data breaches involving the loss of laptops or other offline file storage devices.

The primary function of online backup services such as Mozy or Carbonite is to securely store a copy of important files you also store on your computer. However, these services also provide direct access over the Internet to files that are stored secure on these services. It would be possible for an individual to store all of their sensitive files, such as those that contain personally identifiable information, remotely and only access files from the Internet as they need them.

This would likely prevent many of the issues associated with losing a laptop or a portable file storage device because it would eliminate the need to store large amounts of personal data or financial data locally on your hard drive or storage device.

There are some logistical issues, such as the fact that you would need to be connected to the Internet in order to access files. However, it seems like there may be something to this given advances in online storage technology coupled with the increasing risks of identity theft.

Have any thoughts on the use of online file storage to help prevent identity theft? Let us know in the comments below.

• Wake up and backup!
• NextAdvisor launches new detailed online backup service FAQs
• 5 reasons why online backup services are superior to offline home storage solutions
• NextAdvisor reviews new online backup service ElephantDrive
• Users report bugs on Apple’s backup solution

Mozy Mac support moves out of Beta

Posted by Joe on May 2nd, 2008

Our top rated online backup service, Mozy, announced this week that their Mac OSX version of their service has moved out of its beta testing mode and into general release. This means that Mac users will have the same level of stability and support as PC users.

Mozy is the only online backup service that we have reviewed which offers a Mac client, although Carbonite is reportedly working on a Mac version of their service which should be available sometime later this year.

While estimates of the number of Mac users in the United States greatly vary, the number is clearly growing. It is excellent to see that Mozy, and eventually Carbonite, are working to ensure this population has access to world class online backup service.

To learn more about online file backup visit our online backup service reviews and comparison.

• Users report bugs on Apple’s backup solution
• NextAdvisor reviews new online backup service ElephantDrive
• Top rated online backup service continues international expansion
• Wake up and backup!
• Mozy and Carbonite receive high marks in security

5 reasons why online backup services are superior to offline home storage solutions

Posted by Joe on April 23rd, 2008

We have previously discussed the many core benefits of online backup services and provide an extensive comparison of the leading online backup services on our site. But, we have never covered the many reasons that online backup services are superior to the various offline options that are available for consumers.

That is, until now! Below is our list of five important reasons that online backup services are superior to offline home storage. To learn more about online backup services please visit our online backup service comparison guide.

1) Online backup services are value priced

Online backup services like Mozy and Carbonite offer unlimited storage for a low monthly or annual fee. This means that the more data the store the cheaper these services cost per giga bite. For example, if you store 50 giga bites of data on the Mozy online backup service which costs $4.95 per month, then you are paying about $0.10 per giga bite. However, as the amount of data you store increases your costs actually decrease; 100 giga bites of storage would cost about $0.05 per giga bite. With offline home storage, which requires external hard drives to store your data, have recurring costs that are always fixed. If you need more storage you have to buy a bigger drive. Additionally, external hard drives do not last forever (see point four below) which means you will have even more costs when you need to replace old drives.

2) Online backup services scale to meet your needs

Whether your are looking to store a few MP3s and digital photos or you want to store hundreds of gigabits worth of information, online backup services will fit your needs. Unlike offline storage solutions, online backup services offer unlimited amounts of storage on demand. As mentioned in point one above, both Mozy and Carbonite offer unlimited storage for a fixed fee. This means that you don’t have to wrangle with the decision of how much storage you need in your laptop or external hard drive. Online backup services will grow with you.

3) Online backup services offer a higher level of security

With online backup services your files are stored in facilities that leverage the best practices in data security. For example, Carbonite utilizes the same intensive security measures that major financial institutions use to store account information. Offline storage options, on the other hand, are only as secure as you make them. For example, if you use an external hard drive to backup your data and that drive is lost or stolen, all the information you have stored there is in jeopardy.

4) Online backup services have a longer shelf life

A recent Google study found that about 8% of all hard drives will fail within the first two years of service. This means that one in every twelve hard drives, including internal and external drives, will fail in as little as 24 months from when they are put to use. We don’t like those odds when it comes to storing your important files and documents. Online backup is superior because the service providers themselves manage the hardware and have advanced contingency plans for any issues that may arise. In most cases, online backup service providers securely store multiple copies of the files that you upload to their service which nearly eliminates the likelihood that you will lose any of your backed-up data.

5) Online backup services are more environmentally friendly

As we discussed in our Earth Day post, online backup services are much more environmentally friendly than the hardware based alternatives because they cut down on the number of home storage devices that have to be produced and shipped all over the globe. The folks at Carbonite also pointed out that online backup services eliminate the need for storing information on other media such as CDs or reams of paper which are much more damaging to the environment.

Visit our online backup service reviews and comparison to learn more.

• Users report bugs on Apple’s backup solution
• Is online data storage the secret to eliminating many data breaches?
• Carbonite agrees- online backup services are good for the environment
• NextAdvisor launches new detailed online backup service FAQs
• NextAdvisor reviews new online backup service ElephantDrive

Mozy offers 25% discount in response to Upline’s downtime

Posted by Joe on April 23rd, 2008

Our top rated online backup service, Mozy, is offering a 25% discount promo code on one or two year subscriptions to their service through the end of April. The discount is specifically targeted towards current and former customers of Hewlett Packard’s competitive online backup service, Upline, which has been plagued with technical issues since its launch earlier this month.

Upline was launched April 7, 2008 and available for only about a week when the service was suspended so that HP could address the newly discovered technical issue. HP has not released the number of customers that have been impacted by the service suspension but they have announced that all US customers are eligible for a refund.

To receive 25% off a one or two year subscription of Mozy simply click here and enter the promo code UPLINE at check out. The discount is available to any new Mozy subscribers through the end of April.

To learn more about online backups visit our online backup service reviews and comparison.

• Mozy discount promo code for April 2008
• Mozy promotional discount code for April 2008
• Mozy online backup discount promo codes for March 2008
• Get 10% off a year of Mozy online backup service with special discount codes
• Mozy- if its good enough for the worlds largest corporations, its good enough for your laptop!