BackUp Maker is a free backup tool from German software company ASCOMP.  It works on Windows, and it can backup your files and folders to external hard drives, network locations, and more.

Pros

• Free for non-commercial use
• Backup/restore files and folders
• ZIP archives
• Compression and encryption support
• Powerful; loaded with features

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Won’t backup locked/open files (requires $20 add-on)

The Bottom Line

Although not as newbie-friendly as other backup software, BackUp Maker is powerful enough to tackle any backup job.

Backup Performance

BackUp Maker uses a wizard to help you setup your first backup job.  Click the Backup button, and you’ll be guided through the steps to:

1. Select data to backup
2. Schedule the backup
3. Choose the type of backup: full, incremental, or differential
4. Select a destination (local drive, CD, FTP, etc.)
5. Name the job

Those are the easy steps, but there’s also an “Expert Mode” that displays even more options.  Using Expert Mode you can configure encryption, backup splitting, conditional execution (e.g. only start the backup if a file exists), and what to do if a backup is missed.  It’s fairly advanced.

The Backup Maker main screen.

As far as actually backing up my data, BackUp Maker performed remarkably well.  My backups were fast, and I didn’t have any errors.  Backups are automatically verified after they’re complete, and a report will be created to show which files were backed up.

BackUp Maker supports backing up locked/open files, but only with a $20 add-on.  It does not use Windows Shadow Copy (VSS) for this.  It also can’t be run as a service unless you purchase an add-on.

Restore Performance

I was a little disappointed with the restore process in BackUp Maker.  The restore wizard is nothing more than a browser for ZIP files (which contain the backed up files).  There’s no way to select a date in time to restore – you have to manually select the backup archive to restore.

Fortunately, BackUp Maker lets you tag your archives with the date, so you can narrow down which files to restore fairly easily.

Selecting files to restore in Backup Maker.

The software lets you keep the directory structure, which restores files to their original location.  You can also restore new files only, which ensures newer files on your hard drive aren’t overwritten.

BackUp Maker restored my files quickly and easily.

Features

BackUp Maker comes with a long list of features.  Here are explanations of a few of them:

PkZip Compression

Supports archives larger than 4GB.  You can also secure your backups with 256-bit AES encryption.

Spanned Backups

Split backups into several files.

Pre/post Commands

Run commands before and after the backup runs.

Backup Report

BackUp Maker displays a report of all the files backed up, after each backup is run.  This can be disabled in the settings, if you want the software to run silently.

Who Should Use BackUp Maker?

If you’re looking for powerful, free backup software, BackUp Maker is a good choice.  I was impressed with the wide variety of advanced features.  The use of ZIP files for backup archives (rather than a proprietary format) is a definite plus.

However, if you’re looking for a one-click backup solution, this software isn’t for you.  Even though BackUp Maker hides its advanced options, creating a backup job will take more than clicking a button or two.  It’s not as easy as some other solutions I’ve seen.

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Geoff Akerlund

Geoff Akerlund is the founder and editor-in-chief of BackupReview.com. He enjoys attending music festivals, whitewater kayaking on the American River, and board game nights in his free time.

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