A losing proposition

Lately I've been worrying about losing my files. Pictures, for example. I don't think we have taken more than a couple of rolls of film in the last five or six years, but my family has gazillions of pictures scattered about on hard drives on several different computers.

I'm thinking about how sad I would be to lose my pictures. I would also be very unhappy about losing my videos, email files, accounting data files, spreadsheets, CAD drawings, music files, and any number of other kinds of files that I have invested money or time in.

So, what's to do?

Featured software:
   Mozy Automated Backup
   MediaMax

Backup vs. Archive

Problem number one arises when you accidentally erase an important file, or your disk crashes, or the file becomes corrupt. Then you're in need of a backup to replace the original file. Then there is the issue of how much space things like home videos take up on your disk. You would like to collect these files into some kind of safe storage and make room on your disk. That is the archive problem.

We all thought these problems were solved when we got writeable CD/DVD drives, right? Well, how's that working out for you?

  • How often do you backup/archive your files?
  • How do you find the disk where a particular file or set of files is located?
  • Do you have an orderly process for deciding what needs backing up, and when?

For me, these issues make backing up to local media a non-starter. So, recently I began to look into the state of remote backup. By that I mean backing up to some other computer, out there on the network, that serves a business of keeping other people's files safe.

Mozy

I found a program called Mozy that is very good at backup. It makes a copy of chosen files, folders, and/or file types on a remote server. It does it automatically, on a schedule you set (or simply when you aren't doing anything else on your computer.) It's easy to install and use, and you get an account and 2 gigabytes of storage on the remote server for free! You can have unlimited storage for $4.95 a month.

I was half way through writing a guide for you on this program when a question arose in my mind. Does this program solve the archive problem? What happens if, having backed up my videos, I erase them from my system, to make room for more? I couldn't readily find the answer to this question, so I sent an email to Mozy support.

It turns out that Mozy keeps all versions of a file (e.g., modifications to a spreadsheet or Word file), but bumps those versions that are more than 30 days old. The latest version is kept indefinitely as long as it stays on your computer. So Mozy isn't good for archival. If you erase a video from your disk to make room for more, the copy stays on Mozy for the next 30 days, and is then erased.

MediaMax XL

So, I went looking to see if there is a program that solves the archive problem. I want free or cheap, and that has always been difficult to find in this sort of program. However, the whole Google phenomenon -- two free gigabytes of storage for gmail, unlimited free video uploads, etc. -- is working to our advantage, I think. Giving away gigabytes of storage for free may soon become commonplace.

I finally found a program that seems to fit the bill, called "MediaMax XL." It either used to be called "Streamload" and is now called "MediaMax," or vice versa -- I'm not really sure which. At any rate, it has several different modes of operation, including manual uploads to the server, as well as an automated backup mode.

MediaMax gives you 25 gigabytes of free storage! For $4.95 a month, you get 100 gigabytes. So that's more for free (25 gigabytes vs. 2 gigabytes, but less for five bucks (100 gigabytes vs. unlimited.) But most importantly, they don't erase your uploads.

This program has some downsides, compared to Mozy:

  • More difficult to install and use
  • Although upload size is unlimited, you can't download a file larger than 10 megabytes in size unless you sign up for a paid account. At the $4.95 level, your files can be up to a gigabyte apiece.

That said, if you're willing to invest a bit of time understanding it, you can use MediaMax for both backup and archive storage.

So, check out the guides on these programs and let me know what you think...

 

 

mozy online backup

MediaMax was a wrong turn...

Submitted by Darrell Icenogle on Thu, 07/05/2007 - 2:18pm.

I confess to getting ahead of myself, promising to present a Guide on MediaMax. I was seduced by two simple things:

  1. 25 gigabytes free storage
  2. space can be used for archival

However, as I got into putting the software through its paces, I found software bugs, site downtime, a confusing user interface, and documentation inadequacies.

MediaMax also has identity issues. It wants to be all things for all people: Archive, backup, file sharing, media streaming, and device synchronization. What they should do is focus on a small subset of this functionality, and do it cleanly. They don't do perform any of these functions in a superior fashion.

At this stage, I can't recommend this program/service. It just isn't in the same league with Mozy. I'm not going to be able to do a Guide that makes sense of it.

However, the two virtues mentioned above may still be compelling for some. If so, I recommend that you stick with the web interface, and with the Upload and Download function, which seem to work well enough.

I may have another candidate for the archive service slot -- i.e., for adequate space to remotely archive your important files and actually offload them from your personal computer. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice, though, so mum's the word until I can confirm that it's a good choice.

Mozy Mainstream Guide

Submitted by John Grana (not verified) on Fri, 07/06/2007 - 9:40am.
A very helpful guide; thanks for bringing it to my attention. I have two questions: 1) When Mozy is checking to see whether a file still exists on your computer, is it also looking around at other things in your computer, say, information that can be used for advertising? What are the implications of using Mozy with respect to firewalls and virus checking programs? 2) If your hard drive dies, what does Mozy do? If it searches for your hard drive on a periodic basis and doesn't see it, will it still hold a copy of your files for a full 30 days? Again, many thanks. John Grana, New York City

Mozy Mainstream Guide

Submitted by Darrell Icenogle on Fri, 07/06/2007 - 11:36pm.
I'm pretty sure the answers to both of these are positive (i.e., that the license agreement protects your privacy, that Mozy coexists happily with firewalls and virus checkers, and, yes, once your files are backed up they will stay on the Mozy server, no matter what, for at least 30 days.) Nevertheless, I put your questions to Mozy support so we can get their response on record.

Will require patience

Submitted by Darrell Icenogle on Sat, 07/07/2007 - 9:51am.
"Thanks for contacting Mozy Support. This is an auto response, just to let you know that our hours are between 7:00AM and 5:00PM Mountain Time Monday through Friday. If you've contacted us during these times, you can expect a response within 24 hours. If you've caught us on the weekend, we'll get back to you on Monday."

Response from Mozy support

Submitted by Darrell Icenogle on Tue, 07/17/2007 - 4:16pm.

I finally got a response to your questions from Mozy support:

Darrell,

I'm very sorry about the delay.  I'm not quite sure why no one answered your email, but I do apologize for the delay in response.

1.) Mozy does not release your personal information to anyone and does not use your information for advertising.  Mozy only scans the folders that you have selected for backup, so if there is information that you don't even want Mozy to see, you can just deselect it for backup.  Also, Mozy will not prevent your firewall or virus checking software from working, although it does require you to list Mozy as a trusted program so that it can send data over the internet. 

2.) If your hard drive crashes Mozy will probably crash as well, so it will not backup or scan your files.  If it doesn't backup your files are safe for as long as you own the account.  If it does backup, for some reason, and your files are not there, you still have 30 days to restore your files.

I hope I was able to answer your questions.  If you have any more questions you can send us another email or you can check out www.mozy.com/support

Thanks,
Jeff

 

mediamax problems

Submitted by JD (not verified) on Mon, 08/20/2007 - 2:55am.
The service mediamax has serious problems for almost a year. Latest 2 months are the worst in the history of streamload aka mediamax. Due to many errors made, a severe dataloss the service is hardly functioning now for about 3 months. - Uploads are still not arriving or with a delay of weeks - Old files are disappeared and claimed that they might be recovered in another 6 - 8 weeks. The data loss is claimed to have taken place on june 15 2007 and in august there is still another 6 - 8 weeks of recovery to go - support hardly answers any emails - credit card withdrawals made too early are reported by several users You can read more at http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/07/26/streamload-upgrade-goes-very-wrong-...

Wow!

Submitted by Darrell Icenogle on Mon, 08/20/2007 - 11:00pm.

I had no idea it was that bad...

On July 5, I noted (in the first of these comments) that I had 'taken a wrong turn' with MediaMax:

However, as I got into putting the software through its paces, I found software bugs, site downtime, a confusing user interface, and documentation inadequacies.

It appears that about that time, they were trying to address some of their problems, but made a mess of things. For the sake of their users, I hope they get it straightened out.

For the moment, Mozy and IDrive-E seem to be the best choices in this category... 

IDrive and MediaMax XL

Submitted by Christoph Dollis (not verified) on Thu, 02/28/2008 - 7:27am.
Thanks! I almost got MediaMax XL until I read your brief review and the comments it provoked. Instead, I am trying IDrive and was pleasantly surprised to get an extra 10GB - 12GB in all - for referring five friends to receive a one-time email invitation. I actually felt the service was good enough to write a brief email to my five friends ahead of time recommending they sign up if they don't have a backup plan already. Your guide was excellent. I watched it after starting to backup my data and it's going faultlessly so far.

Changes in online storage and online backup space

Submitted by Jenny (not verified) on Sat, 05/23/2009 - 8:22pm.

The market has changed a lot, with MediaMax already out of business... and with the global recession, certain money losing business will not stay for long time. VOSI.biz (http://www.vosi.biz) is a different company, we focus on offering true high-end services to business customers, save a lot of money for businesses. We offer a lot more and better services than other companies. Our services include remote file server, automatic remote backup, FTP server hosting, web / email hosting and email backup services. All for one low price. Better, you can use our services on any number of computers from anywhere. There is no extra charge at all!

Jenny
Customer Support Department
http://www.vosi.biz/