KLS Backup 2008 Pro Reviewed February 2009 What’s It Do? KLS Backup 2008 is a backup, synchronization and disk cleaner program that allows backing up and synchronizing data to local and network drives, CD/DVD media or FTP server. The backup files can be stored uncompressed or compressed in standard Zip, 7-Zip or SQX format and files and folders can be backed up from local drives, network locations, and FTP servers. Does it do what it promises? Reviewer 1: Yes. This is a full-featured backup program that stores both full and incremental backups on DVD or CD as well to network shares or remote locations using FTP support. Reviewer 2: Yes. KLS Backup 2008 Professional is a powerful backup program which is intuitive and easy to use. Once a backup job is scheduled, it runs silently and unobtrusively in the background and it hard to detect that it is running. Restoration of the backed-up files was a smooth process even though I intentionally introduced testing errors. Overall, I am very impressed with this program. Reviewer 3: Yes. I found KLS Backup to be a very good program, with a number of features not normally found in other backup programs that I have used. Reviewer 4: I did manage to get one backup image from it before it started giving me trouble. The problems started when I tried to update the program to the latest version. It has not fully worked since then. Was it easy to install? Reviewer 1: Yes. The 9.23MB download (15MB hard drive space) easily using a standard installation wizard. It offers the standard EULA (End User License Agreement) with the single user and liability restrictions we have come to expect. Setting up the software after installation as well as registration was equally easy and problem free. The program installed and integrated seamlessly in the Windows operating system. It later uninstalled smoothly leaving only a very few fragments in the Registry. Reviewer 2: Installation was fast and easy. Reviewer 3: Yes. It is a standard Windows installation procedure which allowed me to place the program files and the shortcuts where I wanted. In order to be fully functional, it needs to run the KLS Backup Service when the computer is started. Registration of the program, located under the Help menu, was a simple copy-and- paste process. However, when a computer crash forced me to reinstall the program, I had to get help from support, as my registration key no longer worked on the copy of the program that I had. Since it also did not work on the "Trial Version" which I downloaded from the web-site, it makes me wonder if I have been provided with a special "reviewers' test" version, rather than the one ordinarily available to purchasing clients. Once I had downloaded a replacement copy of the program, the registration process went smoothly . KLS Backup can be set to check for updates on a regular basis. After initially prompting for updates, it is then automatic, with no further input required. Reviewer 4: The first install went normally. Good Points? Reviewer 1: KLS Backup 2008 Pro has all the standard features of a good backup program: it performs full, incremental, and mirror backups; tracks file versions; provides standard zip file compression, disc spanning, command line support, backup scheduling, email notification; backs up both locked and open files; uploads backup copies via LAN or to an FTP location; and, saves backups to a local hard drive or CD/DVD. Where KLS shines above many of the others however, is in its abundance of predefined shortcuts for applications such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Firefox, Thunderbird and even Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, and Trillian, as well as its host of third-party software plug-ins. But it is in backing up email where KLS may shine the brightest. Not only will KLS backup email quickly and with ease, it also backs up the address books, certificates, saved passwords/forms, and so on. Not only does it backup flawlessly, but it restores mail just as easily and flawlessly. The sync backup to a network share comes in handy to transfer data from one source to a laptop or desktop. Additionally, KLS offers the ability to backup the Windows Registry and it backs up not only all keys but the sub keys as well. Although I find performance relatively unimportant since I run backups in the middle of the night when the computer is not otherwise in use, I did run a couple of tests. On a folder that contained approximately 1.35GB of data primarily composed of a mixture of pictures and documents, and leaving all of the settings at default, the backup time to a local drive was approximately seven minutes. The resulting zipped file was slightly less than 1GB. Backing up the same folder to a CD took approximately the same amount of time but it then had to split the file to accommodate the 700MB limit of a CD. This took an addition 3 minutes. Of course, speeds are directly related to one’s system. I was using a fairly powerful 3.2GB Pentium IV Dual Core with 2G of RAM. While results will vary, KLS was nonetheless among the faster backup programs tested on my computer. The program overall has a small footprint, does incremental and differentials backups accurately (not always a guarantee with many backup programs), and offers email support through a “ticket request” system and with a guaranteed turnaround time of two days which was met in my testing. My sample question to support was answered within 36 hours and was accurate and easy to understand. Reviewer 2: Setting up a backup process is nicely guided by a wizard-like series of options screens. There is extreme flexibility in choosing which files/folders/partitions/drives to back up and these can be backed up or synchronized within one’s computer or across a network. There is similar flexibility in choosing a backup destination. Backup files can be saved in uncompressed or ZIP formats to internal or external disks , network locations, FTP servers, CD/DVD, or as .iso images. The backup mode can be selected as full, incremental, or differential and the user has full control over when the backups are scheduled. Multiple jobs can be scheduled to run at their individual intervals. Once scheduled, the backup tasks run silently in the background and I did not find them to interfere with the normal functioning of my computer system; however, if interference is noted, there are options to decrease the priority of the job to allow more processing time for other programs. The professional version of KLS runs as a Windows Service which starts automatically when the system is booted and runs silently in the background. The same backup job can be scheduled to run as both a full and incremental job on separate schedules There are selective backup options, known as “plugins”, to preserve specific settings for individual programs. Many plugins are included with this program and others can be downloaded from the Web site. If a plugin is not available, there is an option to request that one be created. I was most happy to see a plugin for Mozilla Firefox; this program’s bookmarks and settings are scattered through non-customizable locations and restoration through other backup software has usually resulted in some loss of data. (Unfortunately this did not work on my system.) The documentation of how to use plugins is sparse, but they are simply found under the “Add” option when one chooses the source of the backup job. The restore function is simple and straightforward to use. A log file is generated detailing the process and any errors encountered. I intentionally tried to create difficulties in the restoration process to test this program’s robustness. When I deleted the directory it was supposed to restore to, it recreated the referenced directory. Deleting incremental backups in the series did not stop this program from recreating a backup from the remaining files available. The help section is clearly laid out and gives a detailed step-by-step description of the main functions and features of this program. Reviewer 3: This is a very complete backup program that can satisfy the needs of beginners to advanced users. The main screen provides clearly and conveniently displays functions of the program and allowing the user to see what jobs have been created, each profile, activity logs, and other useful information. The program has well-designed wizards with onscreen explanations and clearly laid out options Throughout any process, the user may select another stage without being directly controlled by the wizard. A job simulation at the end of the process allows one to see the way the job is set up and modify it if desired. The backup can be verified to be sure it is accurate. The program ran quickly and I was able to continue other tasks without any noticeable effect on what I was doing while KLS Backup worked in the background. To avoid possibly corrupting my data if something went wrong, I restored all the data to a memory key instead of the original location of the data. As with everything else that I have tried out with this program, it ran flawlessly. It was a large set of folders, just under 2 Gigabytes in size, so I went on with other tasks as it was running. It took about 30 minutes to complete, without any intervention on my part. A small window informed me when the restoration was complete and the window closed after a 10-second delay. Small touches like this indicate a program has been thoroughly planned and carefully implemented. The Cleanup feature will permanently erase files and folders as well as Registry keys. Fortunately, one of the defaults is to back up the whole Profile before doing the Cleanup. The backup portion of the Cleanup Wizard is then treated just as any other backup profile and all items for permanent deletion are backed up just in case the user deletes something by mistake. The Synchronization feature allows one to keep exact, up-to-date copies of the same data set. Changes in one set, when synchronized, will be copied to the other. It can be set to work in either, or both, directions; for example: from the desktop to the laptop, or from the laptop to the desktop, or in both directions. The Profile Wizard for synchronization clearly labels each side so that one knows which files are going where. Options can specify which files will take precedence, e.g., whether the newer files overwrite the older ones, or vice-versa, larger files overwrite smaller ones, etc. Synchronization, like other backups, can be scheduled, so that they occur automatically at the times specified. KLS Backup keeps logs of previous activities to provide a complete record Support was very responsive, providing courteous and helpful answers to my questions within hours. The Web site provides for user feedback which suggests that the developers are continuing to work on this program to improve it over time. License terms, when compared to many other similar programs, are quite reasonable: The registered software may either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on one or more computers, or installed on a single workstation used non simultaneously by multiple people, but not both. Reviewer 4: It is difficult to say. It claims to be able to do backups, synchronize folders and act as a disk cleaner; however, I never got it to work in anything other than “limited” mode as a free trial in spite of being a "registered" user. Weak Points? Reviewer 1: I found no serious glitches or “bugs” in the program itself but there were some inconvenient, annoying, and troublesome items. First, the GUI (Graphic User Interface) is not intuitive and not easy to navigate. The explorer-like panes—sometimes as many as five on a single interface -- are confusing with their side-by-side plus signs. Many options were buried in menus and thus difficult to locate. I am also so very tired of software that is the same Window-centric style and color, but that is simply a personal pet peeve. Secondly, and this is a real deal-breaker for software as critical and potentially damaging as backup software, I really expect to see some type of 24-hour telephone support—even if it were a paid-per-call option. Most backups occur during the middle of the night and if something goes wrong, it is not always practical to rely on email and then wait 48 hours for a response. Those software developers who are in tune with the increasing demands and needs and expectations of their customers are offering not only 24-hour support but live online chat support as well. Those who do not adapt to this trend will find themselves left behind the competition. There is little else in the way of customer or technical support offered beyond a minimal knowledge base which simply redirects to an inadequate FAQ and Help files that are sparse and minimal as well.. Reviewer 2: The documentation in help files and the Web site was a bit weak in helping me to execute specific functions. For example, there is information describing plugins available to back up settings for specific programs, but I was unable to find specific instructions for how to find and use plugins within this program. I did not find much use for the Cleanup function in this program. This seems to be designed to provide secure deletion of sensitive files and can be customized to run in a similar manner to the backup function. In fact, it can run in conjunction with the backup function to backup these files before deleting them. When I ran the Firefox plugin, the only option found for the user profile was “default”. When I ran the backup, I received the error message that the default folder could not be found and the backup was aborted. Armed with this knowledge, I redid this backup but could find no options to get around this problem. Reviewer 3: The trial period is only 14 days, somewhat brief when compared to the usual 30-day period offered with other similar programs. Reviewer 4: I first installed this program and ran the first backup in October 2008. I was then informed of an available update to the latest version. The update failed, returning an error message. Email to tech support was unanswered and the program reverted to trial mode with limited functionality. Repeated update attempts were unsuccessful and a second email support request was unanswered for seven days and then only with a canned response that did not resolve the problem, advising me to install the full version (which I had done) and not addressing my attempted update. The Web-based support function was not user-friendly and requires reentering all information when there is an error or omission on their form. Other Comments? Reviewer 1: Not all backup programs are created equal and each has its strengths and weaknesses. KLS’s strength is in its email backup. For those whose primary need is storing backup data on a local drive, KLS Backup 2008 Pro does a very nice job; but, using it only in that scenario makes the price far too high to be competitive. Reviewer 2: KLS Backup cannot reliably restore Windows to a properly running state. They disclose this in their documentation and on their Web site and recommend use of other dedicated software for this process. Reviewer 3: KLS Backup has two versions, Standard and Professional. The Web site’s Feature Matrix provides a comparison of the two programs. I have found KLS Backup to be a reliable method of backing up and restoring my data files. Reviewer 4: Not all backup programs are created equal and each has its strengths and weaknesses. KLS’s strength is in its email backup. For those whose primary need is storing backup data on a local drive, KLS Backup 2008 Pro does a very nice job; but, using it only in that scenario makes the price far too high to be competitive. Developer’s Web Site: Reviewer 1: The developer’s Web site, while easy to navigate, is sparse in documentation, support, or help. There are no tutorials or other help available on the Web site and it is more of a site with sales marketing in mind than with an eye to customer support. Reviewer 2: The Web site gives a very complete description of the capabilities of this program. Lacking were forums or troubleshooting guides. I found that the claims made for this program were accurate and not overstated as many providers tend to do. Reviewer 3: The site is well-organized and professional, and navigation is easy; however, I would like to see more emphasis on the use of the program. For example, the Knowledge Base section of the site is very thin, with minimal information there. And although we are now well into 2009, the only Knowledge Base article about KLS Backup 2008 is titled “Experimental Features: Running KLS Backup 2008 under Wine (Linux)”. While this is an excellent idea and one to be encouraged, I would like to see more about the current 2008 version, as well as ways that one could use the many features of KLS Backup. Reviewer 4: There was a very plain, even austere look to the website. The biggest graphic on the page is a picture of a padlock and chain, of which I'm still trying to figure out the relevance . Other products are promoted along with a free version of KLS Backup. Will you continue to use it? Reviewer 1: No. The gold standard for me is still Genie Backup Manager Reviewer 2: Yes. I really like this program. Reviewer 3: Yes. Reviewer 4: No. Fortunately, I have other backup solutions that actually work for me. OPERATING SYSTEMS USED IN THIS REVIEW Windows XP Pro, XP Home, XP Media Center Back