AceBackup is free Windows backup software made by the German company AceBIT. It’s clear that their German engineering has worked it’s way into this software, because it’s designed for power and precision. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about backing up their data, and doesn’t mind taking the time to get it setup just right.
Pros
- Powerful
- Can backup multiple versions of the same file
- Can specify multiple destination for backups
Cons
- Can’t backup open files
- Task scheduler doesn’t work
The Bottom Line
It might be too complex for novice computer users. But once you get it setup the way you want, you can forget about ever losing your data again.
Installation
The installation is easy and gave me no problems at all. All I had to do was select my language and click Next through the menus.
Backing Up
The interface is nice and clean, without any clutter.
To backup your files, you’ll need to create a new project. The wizard will guide you through the whole process. You’ll need to specify where you want to store your backups. I like the ability to choose multiple destinations.
You can backup to multiple destinations at once
The next screen will display other options such as compression and encryption.
You can also choose to store your files in a AceBackup’s proprietary file format or “as is”. However, by choosing “as is”, you won’t be able to store multiple versions of a file.
Finally, you’ll define versioning, scheduling, and email reports. With versioning, you define the default action on a file name collision. Either replace existing files, update older files, or create a new version. Create a new version would keep a backup of every file you’ve ever deleted or changed. This gives the user an enormous amount of power for free backup software.
One thing I didn’t like was that creating the backup job and adding files to the job are separate processes. You need to do them independently. I wish it was more linear in that sense.
Regardless, once you add files to the project they can be backed up immediately.
Restoring
The restore process is pretty straightforward. Simply click Restore, which will launch the Restore Wizard.
Pick and choose which files/folders you’d like to restore.
Choose your restore settings.
AceBackup restore settings
And your data is back! I like the option to only restore missing or changed files.
Features
Multiple versioning
Want to restore an older version of a file? This lets you do it.
All volumes are independent
Want to backup everything to an external drive, but only your Word documents to an FTP server (due to limited space)? No problem. You can do it all within the same project.
Up to 256 bit Encryption
You can password protect and encrypt your backups, with your choice of encryption standards.
ZIP Compression
AceBackup also lets you choose fastest, default, or best (slowest) compression.
Support
Due to the software being freeware, AceBit is very clear that they don’t offer support via email or phone. Users are encouraged to read the documentation and FAQ. Any questions or problems not answered there can be asked on the support forums.
| Specifications | |
| Product Name | AceBackup |
| Version | 3.0.2 |
| License | Freeware |
| Price | Free |
| Operating Systems | Window |
| Backup Types | |
| Files and Folders | |
| Full Disk Image | |
| Incremental | |
| Differential | |
| Backup Destinations | |
| Hard Drive | |
| Removable Media | |
| Network Shares | |
| Blu-ray | |
| CD/DVD | |
| FTP | |
| SFTP | |
| Online Storage | |
| Features | |
| Compression | |
| Encryption | |
| Email Notifications | |
| Error Handling | |
| File Versioning | |
| Priority Setting | |
| Scheduling | |
| Speed Limiting | |
| Synchronization | |
Geoff Akerlund
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