SyncBack Pro
Reviewed June, 2010
| What’s It Do?
SyncBack Pro backs up, synchronizes, and restores files to another drive, CD/DVD. FTP/FTPS/SFTP server, ZIP file, email server, networked drive, or removable media. Does it do what it promises? Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request: Yes. This is one of the most powerful, yet easy-to-use backup programs I have encountered. It can perform backups, synchronization, and mirroring tasks that can be scheduled and that can work across networks. The user is given clear and copious information about their options and what will happen before the task is run, and good feedback about what did happen afterwards. The program itself, and the supporting information, are well written and very understandable. I'm very impressed with this program. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: SyncBack Pro functioned as advertised. I used it to schedule and synchronize several folders between my desktop and my tablet laptop over my home network for backup purposes and to do a manual sync/backup of a folder on my laptop to an external USB hard drive. This is accomplished by creating "profiles" that determine which of the many options one might wish to use. Creating a basic profile was not too difficult and was done using a wizard-style walk-though process: Name the profile for easy identification, select the source on the computer and the destination on the other side. Files can be synchronized to many types of media and "spanning" is possible for media such as CD's and DVD's. Profiles can be scheduled to run at certain times and frequencies and several profiles can be grouped to run as a single operation rather than individually. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: SyncBack Pro performs synchronization of data files and various forms of backing up data files. The developers, 2BrightSparks, advertises truthfully what SyncBack Pro can and cannot do. It is nice to see a software maker that doesn't claim that its product can perform more than what the average user will experience. Such honesty leads to satisfied customers and a successful business. Reviewer 4 - Peter Royle: Since installing SyncBack Pro on my computer, I have increasingly used it as my principal backup program. The defaults in the setup wizard provide the essential features to select the files to backup, and one can quickly set it and forget it" using the scheduling module. A wide range of other features make SyncBack Pro interesting to those who need to keep files up-to-date that they access from more than one computer:, such as, for example, one's desktop and laptop. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: Absolutely! The Web Site makes only a single claim: that SyncBack Pro is "Great backup, restore, and synchronization" software. After several months of testing, it lived up to this claim and more. I would not only say that it is indeed "great" but that it is, if not the best, among the very best programs of this kind. Was it easy to install? Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request: Installation was fast and easy. The license agreement was relatively simple, allowing installation on up to five home computers or a single business computer used by multiple users. Upgrading was also easy, requiring closure of the running program but not requiring uninstallation of the old version before installing the new one. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: Installation was a normal Windows installation with nothing unusual. A subsequent update installed over the top of the original install with no problems. This is the recommended method if one has profiles already set up and the user is warned that profiles will be lost if the program is uninstalled and the new version is loaded in its place. SyncBack is available for a 30-day free trial in both the Pro and SE versions. The download for the installer is 7.69 MB. It installs to a 23.3 MB directory on the disk. The EULA allows for one license to install SyncBack Pro on up to 5 computers for home use. Commercial or network-based users are required to have "seat licenses" for each work station accessing SyncBack. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: The 8.24 MB downloaded exe file installed without any problems or conflicts. It was also easy to install on a USB flash drive so it could run from the flash drive and not be installed on the PC. It took up only 23.8 MB of space on the USB flash drive. Reviewer 4: Peter Royle: It is a standard windows installation procedure which allowed me to put the files and the shortcuts in the locations of my choice. One unexpected warning came from WinPatrol, noting that SyncBack Pro was installing a program called nmsaccess.exe to run at startup. According to WinPatrol, ... It allows users on NT based systems to override CD/DVD security restrictions of previous versions. It is particularly needed for a CD burning program that I do use, so I allowed it. Once the installation is finished, the program can be started immediately; or, the user can read the help file, join the mailing list and twitter, or go to the 2BrightSparks Web site to read the beginning Tutorial Help files. Registration was fast and easy with the registration screen opening with my license code (stored on the Clipboard) already filled in. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: It is an unusually small (for similar type programs) 8.24MB file download that took less than 20 seconds to download on a reasonably fast broadband connection; however, it will require a more sizeable 23.5MB of disk space. Installation was unusually fast and smooth as was the click-and-paste registration process. During the installation process, there is a Information window that opens to explain how to upgrade-something I wish all software developers would emulate, and there is a choice and placement of icons, again something that I appreciate and wish all software developers offered. Unfortunately, again, this is all nullified by the EULA. The EULA (End User License Agreement) was non-standard in that it specified two things I do not recall seeing before and which I found potential problematic and more than just troubling: (1) There is a statement allowing that the developer has the right to change the terms and conditions at any time and without notification. In short, I am being made to accept (if I want to download the software I just purchased) a license agreement that could change at anytime. This is like signing a lease agreement for one's apartment only to be told after thirty days that the landlord is changing the lease and moving strangers into the second bedroom! How can I be made to sign a licensing agreement after purchasing the software in which the terms and conditions are changeable? (2) The EULA states that the developer is not required to provide support or updates! As readers of NNT's reviews well know, we place a premium on the importance of quality support, and have withheld recommendations of otherwise excellent programs due simply to poor customer/technical support. Obviously, it would be impossible for me to recommend a program for which the customer/technical support could be withheld or withdrawn at any moment. The licensing agreement is generous-allowing use on up to five computers-but that is as stated in the EULA the last time I read it. It could be totally different today. Good points. Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request: The help file is very clear, well organized, and loaded with appropriate screen shots to illustrate the steps/features they discuss in the text. Setting up a backup task (known as a profile in this software) is a very straightforward, menu-driven process. The user is guided through the process from start to finish by a software wizard and each step along the way is either clear, or there is a help button available. The user is given fine control over what is copied, how it is copied, and when. Files can be backed up, with or without compression. Mirroring is possible, where one drive, directory, or partition contains the files of another location in a one-way transfer, plus or minus the retention of older data removed from the original location. Finally, there is the synchronization option which is a two-way transfer where the most recent files of two locations are updated to contain the most recent version of files from either location. This would be useful, for example, for keeping the most current data updated between a laptop and a desktop, where the user works independently on both, say at work and at home, and then wants the most recent data available from either location. The reporting of the results of one's profiles (tasks) is also clear, with a summary of the task, the last run, and the last successful run all listed on the program's main screen. I particularly liked that SyncBack Pro pops up appropriate warnings whenever I was preparing to execute a task which could over-write original files. I found these warnings to be clear and descriptive of what the potential issues were, as well as what the possible options were to more safely execute the task. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: This is a very useful program that allows one to synchronize files and folders using several methods. For me, it is essential to maintain synchronization between a laptop that I use in the field for my work and the desktop in my office. Building a profile for each folder's sync was fairly easy using the tool designed for this that is part of the program. These profiles can then be run automatically on a schedule of one's choosing or left to be run manually as needed. Once the profile is set up, a "trial run" to see if it is doing what was intended. When the profile runs, it scans for differences and pauses for a time on a screen that displays which files or folders are going to be manipulated and what it is going to do with them. At this point, changes can be made or ignore non-essential things like .thumbs files can be skipped if they need not be duplicated on the target. Options offered by this program are quite flexible. SyncBack Pro has several support options: the built in help files, tutorials and eBooks for download, Knowledge Base & FAQ pages, a Community Forum (that appears to be monitored by 2BrightSparks staff) and the typical support ticket via email. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: Learning how to use a program is a key component in a program's usefulness. SyncBack Pro is easy to learn how to use for several reasons. SyncBack Pro has a built in help file with a Quick Start section, a complete downloadable manual, step by step on line tutorials, on line knowledge base, and on line forums for specific answers. SyncBack Pro is very user friendly and most users will learn how to use it with little effort. I was using SyncBack Pro very soon after I had installed and found the need to consult the instructional information only to determine exactly what actions would occur with each function. SyncBack Pro is program that will copy, compare, replace, and delete files. Since an action can result in the loss of a data file, a user must fully understand what each function will do to data files. SyncBack Pro's makers are fully aware of this and go to extra lengths in using SyncBack Pro safely, yielding the results that the individual user desires. SyncBack Pro clearly indicates what functions will produce what results and strongly suggests that a user test those functions on test files before using on data files. SyncBack Pro takes this safety a step further in allowing a test run for the user to view what will happen to their data files before the action is taken. This feature makes SyncBack Pro a safe program to use. In fact, the whole purpose in using SyncBack Pro is to prevent the loss of data files. SyncBack Pro backs up data files by two different methods involving both opened and closed files. Most back up software refers to a back up of chosen files from one drive to another as a job, whereas SyncBack Pro calls these profiles. I could find no limit in the number of different profiles I could create. Each profile was specific to which files on which drive were copied to which drive with numerous options on what happens to the files. For some files I desired to keep older versions of the files so I can view the files as changes are made. For some files I wanted the copied files to be the only version of the file on the destination drive. I found it very easy to set up these different profiles for the same files and drives and thus with a few clicks have the files copied as I needed at the time. With very little effort, I scheduled these back ups that occurred without any other action by me and were truly automatic. SyncBack Pro has a group function that makes running several of these back ups as easy as running a single back up. When I had a new data file that I wanted backed up, I found it was easier to create a new profile and add to a group than modifying a profile I already had. I was impressed with the speed at which the files were backed up and did not notice any slow down in my system's performance while the back up was in process. I do have a high performance system, but I have used other software that did cause a noticeable slow down during the back up process. I found the back up to zip format to come in handy when back up drive space was limited (such as a nearly full USB flash drive.) SyncBack Pro calls the second method of backing up files as background back up, based upon the time frequency set for the chosen file(s) to be backed up. SyncBack Pro's developer indicates that such a background back up will save data in case the system or program crashes. Such a crash has rarely happened to me; however, power failures and human errors have at times caused the loss of my data and much effort. While using SyncBack Pro, I did not experience any crashes, so I simulated a human error to test this function. The result was that I did not lose my data. I was able to retrieve a file that I "accidentally" deleted because of the background function of SyncBack Pro. The restore function has numerous options that can be set to delete or replace files during the restore. Care must be taken, as while SyncBack Pro will let one review what is going to happen to files during the restore process before it actually performs the restore, there is no undo function. I lost some test files using the restore function, but quickly learned how to set the options to obtain the results I desired. Like the back ups, the restore should be tested with test files until sure of the results before using it on data files that could be lost. A neat feature of the restore function shows the differences of what one has and what will be replaced. Using this feature I was able to restore select files from a backup and not restore files that I didn't want restored. I use my USB drive to work on my business files on my home PC. With so many files, my USB drive gets cluttered with older versions of the same file. I often would spend a lot of time to make sure I had the last version of a file I had been working on. SyncBack Pro has saved me numerous hours by performing this for me. Like most companies, the security on my company PC is such that installation of software onto the PC is prohibited. With SyncBack Pro installed on my USB flash drive, I was able to use the program without having to install it on the company PC. In this way, files that I revised on my home PC replaced the older version of the file on my company PC with little effort or time. The filters (options) of SyncBack Pro synchronization function let me replace files as I desired. I really liked the Mirror function that copied all the files from my company PC to my USB flash drive and deleted all other files so I had only the files I desired to have on my USB drive. Reviewer 4 - Peter Royle: SyncBack Pro makes it easy, even for someone who has never made a backup before, There are excellent tutorials on the 2BrightSparks Web site that explain exactly what needs to be done. These can be viewed or downloaded in Help file format (e-book) or as pdf files. Although I have used many backup programs over the years, I appreciate the clear explanations. When starting for the first time, the opening screen is very simple. It is clean and utilitarian: there are no distracting graphics to clutter things up and waste computer resources. A "Wizard" opens for the first backup profile. Every step of the way is the same clean, clear interface, with all jargon and technical references explained and even illustrated. One can click on most parts of the screen and instantly brought to the precise part of the Help file which will aid in really understanding each step along the way. This is certainly one of the best approaches for backups that I have ever seen, for "newbie" or advanced users alike. At its simplest level, one can accept the defaults and be assured of making a complete backup of all data; however, at each stage of the set up, selections can be easily modified and refined from very clear choices. Context-sensitive help is immediately available for each step and for every refinement. It is also easy, and a very good idea, to schedule regular backups of your data and SyncBack Pro makes this easy. Any one of your profiles can be selected with a time when the computer is not otherwise being used. A very nice feature of SyncBack Pro is the ability to put several profiles into one "Group Profile". A Group collects several other profiles together. This allows me to keep my separate sets (profiles) but a group can be scheduled as a single unit. At that time, all the individual profiles are run (backed up) one after the other, so one need not set up a whole series of individual schedules, trying to estimate how much time each would take, etc. The Group is much easier to manage and much more efficient. After it has run, the log file can be examined for each of the individual profiles, giving details of the most recent backup. Backups, however, are not particularly useful if they cannot be recovered when one's original data has been corrupted or lost. The Restore function in SyncBack Pro allows copying files back to their original location to another location. For example, I restore some profiles to a shared folder on my network. As long as I do not encrypt the files in the backup folder, the data is available to other computers on the network. 2BrightSparks provides support, not only to registered users, but also to those who are testing out the software. I found that most of my questions were already answered by the extensive information in the Help Files, the Tutorials, the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), and Knowledge Base articles. There is also an active users forum that inactively monitored by 2BrightSparks' staff, who responds quickly to requests. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: I find myself in a quandary here. It is impossible for me to extol the virtue of this program-and there are many-due to the issues with the EULA as described above. The very fact that there is no required support for a $50.00 program is alone enough to negate its worth in my opinion. So, I will simply say this: This may well be one of the finest backup and synchronization programs I have used, but with no guarantee of support and an unbinding license that can be changed by the developer at any time, it is not a program that I would want to purchase. Weak points. Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request: Overall, I found little fault with this program. The only feature I found myself wishing for is the ability to do true disk imaging when Windows is not active. This is the most reliable way to backup and restore the root drive and operating system and would make this package complete for my needs. The help buttons on screens would be more useful if they were linked to the portion of the help menu dealing with the topic being addressed on that screen. When I open the log for a task, it is usually to check out which errors occurred in the execution of that task. When I open SyncBack Pro's logs, there is much information displayed about what went right, but I had to hunt a bit before finding the link to open the description of the errors. This would be improved by automatically placing a description of the errors at the end of the first screen displayed. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: I really did not discover any serious weak points in my testing. Sometimes the generating of profiles was a trial-and-error proposition due to "path errors" on my part but eventually, I got them all to work and run on schedule by studying the error logs produced when a sync run failed. The logs open in Internet Explorer browser window. Using IE as the default HTML viewer is a minor irritation for me. I would prefer that any program recognize the default browser for the system and use that. If one never uses IE, and therefore does not bother to update it to the most current version, it could cause problems. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: The restore function for a single file from a multi-file backup is cumbersome in having to select all the other files from that backup that one does not want restored. I found that when I needed to restore, it was usually a single file. I suggest that and option be added to select file(s) the user wants restored rather than files one does not want restored. Reviewer 4 - Peter Royle: I have found very little to disappoint me with this program. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: The EULA, the EULA, the EULA. Developer's Web site. Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request:: The Web site has more impressive support information, starting with a series of ebooks dedicated to teaching how to perform specific tasks. Like the help system, they are clearly written and appropriately illustrated. The FAQ is extensive and covers issues that interface with SyncBack Pro but which are not directly controlled by this publisher (such as operating system issues, problems with anti-virus software, and networking). Many other publishers end their support interface at the sharp border where their software ends, so it is admirable that this publisher has extended his support to give real help to his users. The forum is active and the staff responds quickly and appropriately. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: The 2brightsparks Web site is a fairly busy one with a lot of information there. It focuses on four main products and has graphical links to each of them. There is also the typical menu bar on the top with most having a drop-down sub-menu linking to several things. I never had a problem finding what I was looking for. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: SyncBack Pro's Web site is easy to navigate to find what one needs. In viewing the site in Internet Explorer 7, I noted that many of the pages did not fill the screen. This requires a lot of scrolling for complete viewing. The forum is active and current. I noticed that most comments were answered by a SyncBack Pro staffer within minutes to hours. Reviewer 4 - Peter Royle: This is a well-designed and easy-to-use Web site. On most pages, there is a set of tabs across the top which will navigate to each of the main sections of the site in one click: Home, Products, Downloads, Support, etc. Going deeper into the site, the tabs disappear, but there is still a drop-down box at the top which will quickly transport one to other pages on the site. When possible, I do like to find out about the people behind the programs, and 2BrightSparks does have a little bio about each of its personnel. They also provide many links to very interesting outside sites. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: The Web site is marred only by a home page that tries to be a bit of a pastiche of all of the other various pages on the site. As such, it is cluttered with software purchase links, third-party advertisers, awards, snippets about various programs for sale, etc. Once one gets to the product pages, they are quite excellent and easily negotiated with the information needed to make an informed decision. There are tabs that allow easy navigation between products, downloads, a Web store, support, contacts, and company information with drop-down menus under each tab. Overall, it is an extremely well laid out Web site but made unattractive by a Home Page that tries to be too much for too many. Other comments. Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request: It is obvious that the developers put extensive work and planning into designing this program from the user's perspective. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: At first, I was not very successful at using the email backup feature. I was able to successfully create the profile to send files to gmail . The problem was that the files were not usable when received in gmail. Regardless if compression (zip) is used or not, nothing I had installed would open the attachment. Windows Vista has a baked-in zip utility but it was ignored and not available via the right-click menu. I finally resorted to installing a third-party open source utility called 7Zip that did extract the files and allowed me to save them in uncompressed form on the computer. It may be that the attachments that came with the email were just called "attached" and had no file extension of .zip to trigger the utility. I found this a bit strange, but I was able to work around the problem. Those who are not "tech-savvy" might find this a challenge. Like many very powerful programs, SyncBack Pro will take some study to fully utilize its capabilities. The more I worked with it, the better I liked it. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: I do not feel these comments are a weak point, but should be included here. As SyncBack Pro clearly points out, it is not an image back up program. It will not back up one's entire system. There are many kinds of back ups based upon the type of disaster one is trying to recover from. I do not agree with what SyncBack Pro says about image backing up. Installing Windows and other software programs is not that simple. An image backup may not have the latest updates, but it will have many more updates than the Windows install CD has. That is not to mention the numerous hours put in customizing Windows and other applications for one's personal desires, if in fact all those customizations can be remembered. There are software programs that will make image back ups on an unattended schedule, so the reasoning that a user will not make regular image back ups due to the hassle involved is not valid. Imaging software cannot do what SyncBack Pro can do, so I think a wise user would use SyncBack Pro. Reviewer 4 - Peter Royle: For some years, I have been using a different program for my backups; however, I recently had considerable trouble trying to restore some rather critical data that had been corrupted. I am very pleased with my experience with SyncBack Pro, so I have been gradually switching from the older program to this one. The licence agreement provided by 2BrightSparks is especially attractive, and sets a new standard for all software developers: One registered copy of software may either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on up to 5 computers in a non-commercial setting (home), or installed on a single workstation used non-simultaneously by multiple people, but not both. In my household of teachers and students whose use of computers is constant and critical, this licence fits our needs exactly. Given the cost of the program on a per-capita basis, along with ease of use, reliability and excellent support, this is a bargain that I cannot pass up. For those who would like to test out the program, there is a fully-functional 30-day trial version. There is also the SyncBack Freeware program available from the 2BrightSparks site. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: Those of you who have been reading these reviews for any length of time, know that this is an unusual review from me. There is sometimes simply a line that must be drawn when businesses, in this instance a software developer, believe they can continue doing business without regard to concern for the very customers who keep them in business. Over the past few years, I have seen this situation become worse and worse with software developers, many who now offer absolutely no guarantee with their products and refuse any liability from their product whatsoever. We have grown accustomed to the bizarre practice, unique to software developers in we purchase software but do not own it. Enough is enough. I think it is time that we started somewhere by withdrawing our support of those companies who place customers second to profits. Will you continue to use it? Reviewer 1 - Name Withheld By Request: Yes, definitely. Reviewer 2 - Dana Bostick: SyncBack Pro has been running for months, tracking any changes in the folders and files selected in the profiles I set up. These are all automated and scheduled to run during off hours. All folders have been kept in sync as far as I can tell, with no missing information and the directory structure was duplicated on both computers as I set it up. I will continue to use SyncBack and explore other options it offers. Reviewer 3 - Dana Cardwell: Yes, especially on my USB flash drive. Reviewer 4 - Peter Royle: Yes, absolutely. Reviewer 5 - Mark Snyder: No. Not because it is not an excellent program, but out of principle. I would rather use a lesser product if it means doing business with someone who has some sense of consumer rights and some respect for their customers. |
OPERATING SYSTEMS USED IN THIS REVIEW
Windows 7 Pro, Vista Home Premium, XP Pro, XP Home, XP Media Center
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