Backup Sync and Encryption Software

Our "pub" where you can post about things completely Off Topic or about non-silent PC issues.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
hozer2k
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:51 pm

Backup Sync and Encryption Software

Post by hozer2k » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:57 am

Anyone know anything about the type of software that goes with this?

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/produc ... riveID=262

This particular unit has bad reviews at newegg, but I have a small external that doesnt have any software like this. What is the best software out there to sync and encrypt to make a backup?

AZBrandon
Friend of SPCR
Posts: 867
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 5:47 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Post by AZBrandon » Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:50 pm

Right now I'm using 3 different products for those tasks, depending on how I want to use it. I'll list them first, with links to their websites:

Microsoft SyncToy (free)
FineCrypt ($50)
Acronis True Image 10 Home ($50)

The names pretty much explain what they do. SyncToy I use to syncronize my local hard drive copy of all my digital photos to a network share on my linux computer. Acronis True Image I use both for full disk backups as well as backing up Outlook. For other small, more specific stuff I just zip up the directory and then I use FineCrypt with a 256-bit encryption key stored on separate media (a CF card kept physically separated from the PC at all times other than creating encrypted archives) to encrypt those files and then I copy them to alternate media such as the linux computer or a DVD-RW.

hozer2k
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:51 pm

Post by hozer2k » Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:21 pm

I do have a program called drive snapshot for the total backup and that works well.

What I am really looking for is something that will encrypt the entire drive. You can create 2 partitions, one encrypted and one that is not. You run the software form the nonencrptyed partition to lock and unlock it. Something like that would be nice.

AZBrandon
Friend of SPCR
Posts: 867
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 5:47 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Post by AZBrandon » Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:08 pm

Well I know the "ultra" version of Windows Vista will have per-drive and per-folder encryption built in, but other than that and various high-dollar commercial software packages I don't know of anything that does it. Like you said, it's curious that HP seems to offer it, but they don't say who makes the software package that they're using, just that 1-page PDF where they basically list it as being their own developed softare and talk about 56-bit DES versus 128-bit AES encryption. It looks pretty slick based on the PDF, so it's too bad they don't sell the software standalone for use with anyone's hardware.

NyteOwl
Posts: 536
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Post by NyteOwl » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:10 pm

Check out TrueCrypt. You'll need administrator access in WinXP to isntall though.

kike_1974
Posts: 171
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:34 am
Location: Spain

Post by kike_1974 » Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:18 am

I like Cobian backup. It can run as a service, unicode file names, incremental, differential and full backup, compression, encryption, scheduling...
And best of all, it is free.

Post Reply