Can I transfer Carbonite to my new computer?

Posted by kent on October 30th, 2009

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The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q: I purchased your product about a month ago then I bought a new computer because my old one was so stinking slow. Can I transfer Carbonite to my new computer (It even has my old hard drive in it)?

A: It's a great question, but first we should clarify that while we do review and provide links to Carbonite, NextAdvisor.com is a separate company. With that out of the way, here's the answer to your question:

In short: Yes. That's the great thing about a subscription-based services like Carbonite. I found these instructions on the help section on Carbonite's web site. I'm assuming you reformatted your drive when you put it on the new machine, so the first step probably doesn't apply to you. The main thing you need to do is access your Carbonite account online and transfer your subcscription to your new computer, but here are detailed steps:

1) If the computer that Carbonite is currently installed on is still in use, Uninstall Carbonite (using Add/Remove Programs from Control Panel). Otherwise, proceed to step 2.

4) Follow the instructions to download and install Carbonite

Again, some of these steps will depend on whether or not you reformatted your drive. And if you did reformat the drive, you can use Carbonite to restore the files that were on your old machine.

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AVG Internet Security: 27% off, or two years for the price of one?

Posted by kent on October 21st, 2009

AVG Internet Security has two competing discounts right now. They are mutually exclusive, so here's how they compare:

Offer #1: AVG is offering two years of Internet Security 9.0 for $54.99. This seems to be their standard offer, and it's the one reflected in our comparison chart. That's a cheap two-year plan, breaking down to $27.50 per year.

Offer #2: Until October 28th, you can get a single year of AVG Internet Security 9.0 for $39.99. It's a discount of 27%. Unfortunately there's no way to combine these two offers.

In our recent review of AVG Internet Security, we were impressed with the url blocker and the process viewer. To get the full scoop, and to see how it compares to other services, check out our Internet security software reviews and comparisons.

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How do I know if my iTunes library is backed up by Carbonite?

Posted by kent on October 16th, 2009

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q: I purchased Carbonite and see no indication my songs in I-tunes have been backed up. How can I get it backed up? If it is backed up how would I know?

A: The purchase version of Carbonite should back up your iTunes music by default. If you're not sure that it has, here's what you should do. These are directions for a Windows machine:

1. Navigate to "My Computer" (or "Computer" in Vista)

2. Find your way to your iTunes music via this path:

C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music

3. Look for green dots. If there are green dots by the MP3 files, then they're backed up. This explanation from the Carbonite website shows the three possible states files can be in:

4. If you don't see green dots, then you can right-click on the folder. Use the contextual menu to select "Back this Up."

If you're using a Mac, it's pretty much the same process, except you'll start your search in the "Places" sidebar in the a finder window.

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Symantec on shortened URLs

Posted by kent on October 13th, 2009

Internet security experts Symantec have release a video showing how shortened URLs (such as those used on Twitter) can lead to malware. We've long talked about the danger posed by shortened URLs. Here's what it looks like:

Does this mean shortened URLs are off limits? The accompanying blog post points the way to two plugins, one for Firefox and one for Internet Explorer that will show you the actual destination of the URL. Still, that's no guarantee of the safety of the URL, but it's more information that will help you decide whether or not the link is worth following.

Symantec is the creator of Norton Internet Security, our favorite of the 2010 crop of security solutions. To read our review, and see how Norton stacks up against the competition, check out our comparisons and reviews.

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Can I use an online backup service to move to a new computer?

Posted by kent on October 6th, 2009

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q: I was considering Carbonite after reading your comparison of backup software and services. I am contemplating getting a new computer to replace my dell dim 5150 and thought Carbonite could be a good way to make the transition. but not having purchased it yet, I do not know the details. I do note it is not marketed that way. Good idea or bad?

A: In a sense, using an online backup service to move to a new computer would be just like restoring your files onto a new machine after a hard drive crash. We applaud your ingenuity. It's not a bad idea, but as with any work-around process, there are some things to keep in mind:

1) You will need to do some manual configuring of the backup process. By default Carbonite does not back up everything. For instance, it does not back up video files or any files over 4GB in size. You'll need to go through the backup preferences to make sure every file type is covered.

2) While you can have Carbonite back up your program files, it's best to install these fresh. Make sure you have access to the original installation discs or that you still have the original install files on your PC (and that you've instructed Carbonite to back them up).

3) It will take a lot longer. A full online system restore can take a day or longer, and that doesn't count the original backup which will take just as long. There are many reasons for this, including the encryption used by your online backup service provider (it has to encrypt the data before leaving one computer and decrypt it for the new computer). Last time I upgraded to a new computer, I used a firewire cable to transfer the data from a Powerbook to an iMac and it took less than two hours. Speeds using other cables will vary, but there's no way online backup can match a direct connection.

So, while it's certainly possible, it's an investment of time and effort. Online backup services are meant to keep all your important data safe, and (in most cases) to give you mobile access to that data. If your hard drive crashes, or is stolen, you probably won't care if it takes a whole day to restore your data. But, if you're anything like me, when you get a new computer even two hours is too long to wait. In which case you might want to try something like LapLink's PCmover (though we have not yet had the opportunity to try it out).

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National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Posted by kent on October 1st, 2009

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the big question is: How will you celebrate? The Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance want you to learn how to keep yourself safe online. According to their press release, "just 40% of Americans have had any formal type of online security or safety training."

Really? That number seems rather high. A brief and unscientific study of our office showed that no one here could remember ever attending any kind of "online security or safety training" but we all know not to click on unknown email attachments, download strange programs from LimeWire, or pay attention to web pages that warn us that our computers are infected. And we all have Internet security software installed.

The feds have a vested interest in cyber security because bot-infected computers have been used to run denial of service attacks on government web sites.

As a digital society relying on the Internet for nearly everything from financial services to supply chain management to an increasingly smart electric grid, to name a few, America's ability to fortify the security of the Internet is critical to the nation's economic success, the government's ability to deliver critical services, and every American's access to information.

The focus of NCSAM is to make people aware that infected PCs are not just potentially dangerous for bank accounts, they're also dangerous to us on a larger scale. Plus, a DoS attack can totally knock out Twitter, and Senator McCain loves to Twitter.

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NextAdvisor reviews SugarSync online backup

Posted by kent on September 29th, 2009

We've just added another review to our online backup service comparisons. SugarSync is a novel entry to the field, a product that really moves online backup to the next level. Sporting a variety of innovative features, SugarSync is actually fun to use. In most ways it works like other online backup services, uploading your changed files to a data cloud, making sure they're available to you anytime, anywhere.

But SugarSync is more inspired than that. Keeping your files in a cloud has all kinds of potential benefits, and SugarSync takes advantage of them. You can stream your stored music to any computer, or even a handheld device like an iPhone. You can sync data from multiple computers no matter where they are or what kind they are (PC or MAC). You can share your files too. While a lot of online backup service providers do this, SugarSync makes it very easy and very configurable, making it the perfect tool for those who collaborate on projects from remote locations.

Check out our full review and see how SugarSync compares to other online backup service providers.

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Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting: 50% off

Posted by kent on September 10th, 2009

Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting has dropped a nice little surprise discount by offering the first year of its web hosting package for $4.99 per month. That comes in at 50%-off of their normal price of $9.95 per month. This marks a substantial savings from one of our best reviewed web hosting providers. Yahoo! keeps its web hosting under the monicker of Yahoo! Small Business, which is a bit unfortunate, as it probably drives away individuals looking to host personal sites.

For individuals or businesses new to web hosting, Yahoo! Small Business gets our top recommendation. They don't boast the fastest data transfer speeds around, but their interface and customer service are top notch. While we reviewed a number of compelling web hosting services, only Yahoo! takes you through the process step-by-step; you always know exactly what to do and when. Our main complaint had been the price of the service, but with the current discount, that argument is moot.

In the grand tradition of offer notifications, here are some details you should know: the price is good for the first twelve months. The offer expires October 8th, 2009. It's also for new accounts only. Also, registration and setup are free, but domain privacy (which we recommend) will cost you an extra dollar per month.

To get this price, just follow any links to Yahoo! Small Business from NextAdvisor, such as this link right here. Or, you can read our reviews and see how Yahoo!'s web hosting stacks up against the competition.

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Lunarpages coupon: $50-off makes a sweet deal

Posted by kent on September 8th, 2009

Highly rated web hosting provider Lunarpages is offering a $50 coupon which essentially cuts the cost of a year's hosting in half. We're not sure how long this will last (the coupon code is LABORDAY, after all), but it works as of Today at 11:30am. $57.40 per year (or $4.78 per month) is a real bargain for a host of this caliber. In our tests, Lunarpages showed excellent data transfer speeds, and we were impressed with the user interface and site builder as well.

To get the $50-off coupon, just follow one of our links and enter the code LABORDAY at check-out. You can see how Lunarpages compares to other web hosts we reviewed with our web hosting reviews and comparison chart.

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If an online backup provider was subpoenaed, would it have to hand your data over?

Posted by kent on August 27th, 2009

The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question. To maintain the integrity of the original question, we do not edit or change reader questions in any way.

Q: I have a question about online backup services. In both civil and criminal lawsuits, we have all heard or read about an individual's computer contents being used as evidence, and if the crime or individual is "newsworthy," the contents splashed all over the news.

A: That's a great question. First, I should say that I'm not a lawyer and this does not constitute legal advice, but I do spend a lot of time pouring through Terms of Service (TOS) agreements and have worked with legal departments at online service providers in the past. This morning I spent some time with the TOS's of several of our online backup providers.

My entirely non-legally binding findings are: Yes, if your online backup provider was subpoenaed to hand over your data, they would have to do it. Your online storage is, as you suspect, just like the drive on your computer when it comes to a search warrant. Furthermore, the backup service provider does not want to (and legally cannot) store data that they know to be in violation of the law. If the provider were to do anything to disguise your data (i.e, through encryption), they would be in breach of the law. In fact, at least one provider (Carbonite) expressly prohibits you from making your data unreadable, since it would prevent investigations.

In my professional experience, online service providers are sticklers for subpoenas, and will not hand over customer data without a proper court order. While they are required to help out law enforcement, there are consequences to violating a user's privacy (both in terms of public relations and litigation).

But, as you suggest, once that data does get turned over, the genie is out of the bottle. Still, the same would be true if you backed up your data on an external drive and it was discovered during a court-ordered search of your house.

For more on online backup services, check out our reviews and comparisons.

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