If you've never backed up your e-mail then you could do a lot worse than use KLS Mail Backup to make backups of your most important files.

KLS Mail Backup copies messages, email addresses, folders, rules and can even copy your browser history, favorites and cookies, etc. Best of all, it doesn't save them in that annoying MST format that MS Outlook uses - it compresses them in ZIP format that anyone can restore when they need it.

The big question is, how long does it take and what applications does it work with. Well, with Outlook Express it's pretty quick although it doesn't work with Microsoft Outlook unfortunately. It does however work with Mozilla Thunderbird, SeaMonkey and Windows Mail which isn't a great deal but covers most of the major alternatives outside of Outlook. One added bonus is that it can also backup Windows Live mail contacts, Messenger files and configuration but not unfortunately, the mail itself.

KLS Mail Backup is a pretty flexible mail backup system that has most of the major avenues covered except the glaring omission of Microsoft Outlook.

Download KLS Mail Backup 1.3.0.0 in Softonic

It's always a pain trying to remember to backup things so why not let an application take care of it automatically?

Cobian Backup works as both an application and service. The program is very light on resources for a backup program of its size and runs in the background very discreetly. it makes periodic backups but unlike some programs, doesn't seem to slow down your PC in the process. It acts too quickly to really slow down whatever you are doing although if it has to backup a very big file, you will notice some lag (more than 1 GB). The program only copies your files and folders in their original or compressed mode to another destination and does not perform any compression itself. This is to ensure that nothing is corrupted during the backup process but if you are backing up particularly large files, you might find this something of a problem unless you've got lots of backup space. However, there are limited compression and strong encryption methods available if you need to reduce the size of your files and protect them at the same time.

A very convenient program that backups quickly, quietly and without any further prompting from it's user.

Download Cobian Backup 9.5.0.201 in Softonic

Creating disk images is the easiest way to back up and restore lost data or just to give you peace of mind.

The problem is that usually, such software is not that straightforward, such as Norton Ghost, which does a thorough job but isn't exactly the easiest program to use. O&O DiskImage meanwhile is a free software that enables you to image your entire computer and restore single drives in relatively few steps.

O&O DiskImage allows you to image all drives including drive information and system partitions but it can also be used to restore just single drives. It's the ease of use that really appeals about O&O DiskImage though. It's divided into two simple functions - create an image and restore an image. You can also check for image information and updates for O6O DiskImage. However, you won't be able to restore with this version - you'll need to upgrade to the Professional, Workstation or Server Edition of O&O DiskImage to do that.

O6O DiskImage is one of the easiest disk imaging programs you will use and is a great starting point for imaging beginners.

Download O&O DiskImage 3.0.730 Express Edition in Softonic

The world of FTP can be a little confusing for anyone new to it or unfamiliar with what it's all about.

Basically, FTP servers are a quick and easy way to remotely back up or store any data on your PC. To use one, you'll need an FTP client such as Save2FTP, which is a free and easy-to-use utility designed to automatically back-up your most important data to remote FTP servers. Of course, you'll need an FTP account which Save2FTP can't provide - this you can obtain from a web hosting company or other dedicates online storage host.

However, Save2FTP doesn't just act as a go between for you and an FTP site. It actively prompts you when you need to make backups based on your own time schedule and preferences. In this way, Save2FTP can actually help you organize your backups and schedule automatic backups. Generally FTP client interfaces aren't complicates and Save2FTP is particularly easy to use making it suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

It would have been nice to have had some sort of browser extension for Save2FTP but as a general FTP server, it hots all the right notes.

Download Save2FTP 2.1.2 in Softonic

FileHamster provides real-time backup and archiving of your files while you work. It enables you to monitor specific files on your hard drive and automatically create incremental backups whenever those files are modified. It also enables you to store notes about the changes that have been made, allowing you to quickly locate a specific revision or provide a detailed account of the work you've done on a project.

First backup tool for artists

Optimized to intelligently handle the varying saving schemes for all applications and includes features focused on helping artists be more efficient while they work.

Real-time backup

Creates revisions as you save without affecting your workflow.

Plugin support

Easily add new features through plugins. See our Downloads page to get them!

Simple

Users of any skill level will be able to back up their files in seconds.

Easy interface

Easiest backup tool on the market.

Comments

Make notations as you go, enabling you to easily know what changes were made in each version.

Download FileHamster 1.5.4.2 in Softonic

Backing up your company data is probably one of the most important things you'll ever do via your PC.

If the worst happens, you'll always have somewhere to start from again but you need to know that those backups are reliable and thorough which is what FileFort claims to do. FileFort is an easy to use file backup program that automatically backs up your business data to virtually any type of storage media including CD, DVD, Blu-ray and remote FTP servers.

The FileFort backup process can be fully automated to kick in at a time convenient to you although it's recommended that you do it overnight if it's a large amount of data as it can take a while. FileFort has obviously been designed with beginners or backup phobic in mind taking you through backups and scheduling of backups in easy steps. It's the flexibility of FileFort that possibly marks it out though - it can be run from your hard disk or network folder, uploaded to a remote FTP server using Fling FTP Software or written to a CD, DVD or Blu-ray disk using FileFort's own integrated "Express Burn" utility.

FileFort enables business users to perform through and automated backups to any medium while you concentrate on the more important aspects of running a business.

Download FileFort 2.03 in Softonic

Are you worried about the security of the data you store on your PC? If so, start using Syncplicity and you'll always have a synchronized backup copy to hand.

Syncplicity is an online free storage service which includes a 2 GB virtual hard drive where you can keep a copy of all your important files (with a maximum size of 300 MB each, that is). This copy is updated in real time, meaning that if you change the contents of the folder on your local PC, these changes will be immediately synced with the Syncplicity virtual drive.

What I liked most about Syncplicity was its ease of use. The program can be configured in a couple of minutes, just by following the step-by-step wizard that runs the first time you launch it. Plus, you can set up Syncplicity to use with Facebook, Scribd and Google Docs.

On the downside, I missed having a built-in file manager, and therefore being able to check my synced files without having to open the web browser. Also, I found Syncplicity quite slow: it took me about an hour to sync a hundred photos, and my connection is not precisely a slow one. Oh well, I guess the trick is to leave the program working in the background and move on to something else.

If you're worried about the security of your files, keep them backed up and synced in real time with Syncplicity, an online storage tool with 2 GB of free space.

Download Syncplicity 2.0.3114 Beta in Softonic

Sharing files online can be a pain if you don't have a proper web space or the people you want to share them with don't know how to access an FTP server.

SpiderOak is the perfect solution for these situations, as it provides you with the necessary space and tools to store and share your files online in an easy, safe way. After creating a personal account for free, SpiderOak lets you select which files and folders you want to share and uploads the content to a 2GB web space you're given for free with your account. Then you can simply go on with your work while SpiderOak uploads all the data to their server.

Besides being a storage and backup service, you can also use SpiderOak as a way to share files online. After uploading content to your SpiderOak account, you're offered the chance to share it (all of it or just selected items) on a personal page hosted in the SpiderOak servers. In this way your family and friends can access your photos, videos, documents or any other files you want to share.

The best thing about SpiderOak is undoubtedly its simplicity of use, together with the fact that is cross-platform; that is, it can be used in Windows, Mac and Linux. And if I have to point out any weakness that would be that it takes way too long for SpiderOak shared spaces to be available online – even if it's only a few pictures you're sharing on them.

SpiderOak is probably one of the easiest ways to store and share any kind of files online, no matter what operating system you're using.

Download SpiderOak in Softonic

There are plenty of tools out there for creating disk images of your hard drive but there are a few that work specifically with USB drives.

USB Image Tool is a smart little application that's capable of generating images of your USB devices so you can always restore the disk image anytime you need. With USB drives now capable of holding up to 1 Terabyte of data, it's very wise to create images in case of hard disk failure.

The program automatically detects USB devices connected to your computer and scans them before asking you whether you'd like to create an image backup or restore a previously backed-up image. USB Image Tool can create images of USB memory sticks and MP3 players, that are mounted as USB drives. Note that the tool requires the .NET Framework 2.0 installed in either XP or Vista and the usbit32.dll included in the archive must be placed in the same directory as the EXE file.

If you've got a lot of data stored on USB drives, USB Image Tool is an easy to use and space efficient way to protect your information.

Download USB Image Tool 1.27 in Softonic

We constantly hear about the importance of creating backup copies of all our important documents, in case someday our computer happens to die. So if you've finally decided to follow this wise piece of advice, you can start with Uranium Backup.

This backup application will help you create security copies of selected files and documents and save them in different locations, including network units, USB devices and removable hard drives. Of course, you can also backup to another folder in the same drive, but that wouldn't be very smart (if you lose that hard drive, you lose both the original and the backup copy).

The most outstanding feature in Uranium Backup is that you can schedule those backups to be run at specific days and times. The scheduling menu has lots of options so you can easily have your backups done when you're not using the PC and thus it doesn't disturb your work.

On the downside, this freeware version doesn't include other interesting features like the ability to save backup copies to an FTP drive, a CD or a DVD.

Uranium Backup is a simple, easy-to-use backup tool you can use for your security copies, provided you don't need FTP support.

Download Uranium Backup 6.8.0.2531 in Softonic

Backups are not the only resource you have left when you're hit by computer disasters. Disk images are another alternative choice.

With Macrium Reflect you now have access to a free disk imaging solution (which is not that common unfortunately) that enables you to create a perfect mirror image of your hard drive. This means that, in case your computer suddenly "dies", you can always bring it back to life by restoring your previously created disk image.

Of course, disk images don't make sense if you store them on the same hard drive you're copying, so you'll need to use an extra storage device (external or not) or a networked drive to save your mirror image.

Macrium Reflect is very easy to use because it lets you create images via an assistant that guides you through the whole process in just a few simple steps. What doesn't seem that easy is the scheduled backup tool: it works with XML template files and novice users will surely find it confusing. Also, Macrium Reflect lets you create rescue disks, but unfortunately only for Linux, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

If you care about the safety of your documents, take a moment to create a mirror image of your hard drive with Macrium Reflect. It's very easy to use and can really save your life!

Download Macrium Reflect 4.2 Free Edition in Softonic

Backup copies are the kind of thing you always remember to do when it's already too late. So next time you complain about losing important data, think about it twice and use a backup app.

Backup SafeKeeper is a great choice for all your backup needs. It's a small app with which you can make copies of your important data and store them in a safe location. The backup copy can be compressed in several archive types and different compression levels and also protected by password. What's more, you can choose between several backup options, including a new copy from scratch or just an update copy that only includes those files that have changed – also known as incremental copy.

Backup SafeKeeper includes other functions such as the possibility to schedule backup jobs and a data synchronizing tool that lets you sync files between your computer and, for example, your USB memory stick. The program is fairly easy to use, though a bit of documentation would have been nice to have.

With Backup SafeKeeper you can easily create a copy of all your important documents and synchronize data between your PC and a removable drive.

Download Backup SafeKeeper 1.6 in Softonic

Backups are increasingly important in an age of huge hard drives and large amounts of data that if lost, could be disasterous.

You can automate backups of your important data, files and folders to be saved immediately into ZIP format. The advantage of this is that you don't need any special software to unzip backups - simply use WinZip or WinRAR. Alternatively, the program supports the backing up of files to a remote location via FTP or options to Email it to your mail server. You can schedule backups so you don't need to worry about remembering to backup your more important data. The danger of this is that if the backup fails, you may not be made aware of the problem. Fortunately, the program e-mails you if this happens so you don't have to worry about bad or half done backups. You can change the date and time of filenames for archiving plus also copy files and directories using wildcards on schedule. This is useful if you need to specifiy a specific date for a backup that has to be performed on the same date or day every week or month.

Scheduled backups and compressed output files that can be opened in any ZIP application, JaBack is a solid backup solution.

Download JaBack 8.04 in Softonic

MozBackup is a simple utility for creating backups of Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, Mozilla Suite and Netscape profiles.

It allows you to backup and restore bookmarks, mail, contacts, history, extensions, cache etc. It's an easy way to do Firefox backups and Thunderbird backups.

Download MozBackup 1.4.8 in Softonic

Magic Transfer is the easiest solution for those synchronizing the main settings and information on several computers that you use constantly. Many people use two or more PCs - at work, at home, or a trip to a friends place!

If all of these computers, in some magic manner, were able to keep track of all your recent changes and all the work done, you would find in Favorites a new bookmark created at work or have all the emails created and sent in the office at your disposal on your home computer.

Make working between computers easier today!

Download Magic Transfer 2.3 in Softonic

When you need to keep a copy of any important file always at hand, you have basically two options: either you save it to a portable device (i.e. a USB memory stick) or you upload it to an online location.

Within this second option, you can easily use your own email address with Backup to Email, a simple tool that turns your mailbox into some sort of virtual drive that can hold a copy of important files with two important advantages: they're protected with your email password and they're always accessible via a simple web browser.

Backup to Email is very easy to use: you only have to fill in the program's configuration menu with your email details. From that moment on you'll get a new option in Windows Explorer context menu, with which you'll be able to backup files to your email account right away. Files will appear as attachments to single email messages on your mailbox, but note that if they're larger than 10 MB they'll be automatically split. Fortunately the program includes a merging tool with which you can bring them back to their original state.

With Backup to Email you can save a copy of your important documents right to your email inbox and have it always at hand.

Download Backup to Email 1.4.3. b24 in Softonic

Who said your PC is useless when you're away from it? You can now have making backup copies for you!

IdleBackup is especially created for this purpose: it controls the processor level of usage and takes advantage of those idle moments when the CPU is not working in order to create backup copies of your most important documents.

The program enables you to set a given period of time between backups (which surprisingly can only bet set in seconds and with your mouse – no keyboard allowed) but the automated process won't start if the computer is being used. There's also the possibility to manually start the backup copy.

The first backup will be a full copy, but the rest of them will be incremental which means that only those files which have been changed will be added to the backup. Copies can be saved to any other local folder or a networked drive. Apart from setting the period of time and the source and target folders, there are no other options to configure copies.

This is quite a simple backup copy program, but still it makes good use of those times when your computer is not in use.

Download IdleBackup 1.12 in Softonic

We're constantly reminding you how important backup copies are. Now let us repeat it once more, and also recommend you this app for your backups.

Areca is a plainly designed open source tool with which you can make backup copies of all your important documents on a regular basis. Despite its simple appearance, I personally found the program to be quite difficult to use, mainly due to the usage of strange concepts (such as a "workspace", which I still don't know what is for) and the fact that they actually refer to backup copies as "targets", which took me a while to find out.

Other than that, the program features the classic options and tools in this kind of software apps. On the downside, it lacks the possibility to schedule copies. However, it does make up for it by offering support for incremental backups, file compression, FTP server and other goodies.

This backup tool is simple in design, but a bit confusing to use. While it lacks backup automation tools, it also offers some extra options like file compression and support for incremental backups.

Download Areca Backup 6.0 in Softonic

Constant backups are an essential part of avoiding the worst if your hard drive ever decides to die on you or your laptop is stolen etc.

Hinx Backup Easy is an unglamorous but very easy to use backup solution for basic backup needs. The program allows manual and automatic copies and backups that you can schedule for the day and time of your choosing so you always have a list and copy of your most important documents without worrying about it. You can schedule the backups to be made automatically to your hard drive or FTP server and choose whether you want unique backups each time or just to copy over the old files. Hinx Backup is a cross platform app because it's written in Java but the downside of this is that it can be rather clunky and unnecessarily slow. Since the program is so basic, I'm not sure why they had to do this. On the plus side, it is extremely easy to use and doesn't change the format or compression ratio in any way so your copies are always pure.

A simple but effective program although the developers could have avoided the Java and made it much better. It's also not exactly sophisticated for advanced backup needs.

Download Hinx Backup Easy 2.3 in Softonic

Losing Data (computer files) is at its least a little disconcerting, at most the potential failure of your business. Backup software used regularly ensures your computer against these losses by storing copies of your data in a safe place. Back4Win is free, and is highly regarded by thousands of users as a no-cost solution for data integrity.

Key features:

• Optionally backup your data as an EXE file that can be expanded on most machines without decompression software
• Restore from damaged backups, or even spanned backups with missing or damaged disks (directory disk is not needed)
• Backups are labeled with a unique easy-to-find time stamp
• Variable compression rates to suit different machine specifications (older machines perform faster with lower compression rates)
• Powerful arrangement of backup size - spanning disks, predefined disk size to suit CDR and CDRW media etc.
• Optional Password locking of the ZIP file ensures you or your licensee are the only ones able to access sensitive data
• Logical, easy-to-use functions without annoying pop-up windows
• Various modes of backup operation provide easier and faster ways of doing your backups
• The Restore window lets you select single, several or all files of a backup set to restore
• Does not have 2Gb and 65535 file limit of other ZIP backup programs

Download Back4Win 5.3.3.0 in Softonic