Online Backup Guide

Do You Need Backups?

Taking back ups has always been a tedious task and all computer users need to take a back up periodically to save themselves from any sudden mishap. It is a big headache too and this is the reason that most of us refrain from taking a back up. But if just in case our hard drive crashes, we thank all our stars and be proud of ourselves that we have a backup stacked somewhere safely. Thus, it is imperative that taking proper back ups is very important.

What is Mozy?

Mozy is wonderful software to take backups for Windows or Macs. It is one of the Top 5 backup Software that makes your task very simple. You can easily schedule Mozy to take backups of whatever data you have selected and it automatically performs incremental backups of your data. This means that you do not have keep track of changes in your system, but Mozy takes care of it easily. It takes backups of only updated changes which mean that your taking backup is easier and faster each time. Also, you can roll back to previous back up anytime.

Each back up file is encrypted on your PC with a strong 448-bit Blowfish encryption. You can also supply a private key which is then sent to servers from Mozy via 128-bit encrypted SSL connection. The only problem is that if you provide your own key and if you lose it, no one can help you recover your data. If you use Blowfish encryption, at least Mozy may be able to help you recover your data to some extent. However, you can be sure that data sent via 128-bit encryption layer is fully secure and you need not worry about security breach of your data.

Setup Interface

Mozy offers an easy to use configuration interface which is equally powerful. You can configure it to backup certain folders or certain file types. There are pre-built interfaces available so that if you have to only copy financial data, you can do so by clicking the option for “Financial Data”. You can similarly opt for “Music, Photos, Doc files, XLS files, etc. You can also schedule backups to run in background to save your CPU usage while you are working. This means that you shall always have an up-to-date back up ready all the time and you do not have to do it manually either. Mozy also lets you throttle your bandwidth so that you do not have to compromise on your normal surfing.

How to Use Mozy?

Mozy offers simple and easy to use service for creating backups. You need to create an account with Mozy and give them your personal details such as email address, name, zip code, etc. in exchange for 2GB of online storage space. You shall need to download the software to create back up of your PC which is quite nicely facilitated by a “wizard’ that lets you take your first back up. You can opt to take a backup from pre-defined series offered by Mozy. These comprise of your Favorites folder, bookmarks, Outlook emails, Address books, photos, music files, images, etc. You have the flexibility to choose these sets or create your own sets or use both. You can create your own set easily by selecting the files and folders and click ok to save it with your own file name.

When To Take Back Ups?

Scheduler is one of the key features with Mozy that offers you flexibility to schedule your backups. You can schedule your backup a specified time and date or tune it to perform backups when computer is not in use. Time taken to create a backup varies depending upon your connection speed, size of the files and total number of files. For a simple 2GB backup and restoration, it takes only a couple of hours.

How Can You Access Your Backups?

To access your backup, you need to login to the website and you can access any of your previous back ups including the latest one. Select the files that you wish to download and Mozy shall prepare a zip file for the file requested for download.

You can also use the restore feature available with Windows Explorer. This way you can choose to open Mozy drive directly from My Computer or select the files by right-clicking the files you need to restore. This features works only with computers that have Mozy installed on them. If you have tons of data and would like to create a DVD for it and shipped to your address, you can always pay a small fee and the DVD shall be directly shipped to your specified address.