PowerBackup is backup software from the folks at CyberLink. You may know them for their DVD and Blu-ray playback software, but this is their first venture into the backup and recovery field. This is a review of the newest version 2.5, which adds Windows 8 compatibility. It costs $39.95.
Pros
- Quickly backs up files and folders
- Automatically verifies backups
- Can backup email and other application data
Cons
- No full disk imaging
- Slow tech support
- No FTP, online storage, or email notifications
The Bottom Line
CyberLink’s PowerBackup succeeds as a fast, straightforward file and folder backup program. However, it lacks a few features found in competing backup software in this price range.
Backing Up
The interface is fairly straightforward. You can choose to backup and restore from the buttons at the top of the screen, as well as several other tasks.
The PowerBackup main screen.
PowerBackup can back up either files and folders or application data. However, when I chose application data it said my version of Internet Explorer was unsupported (running version 10 on Windows 8).
Files and folders will probably be the most common backup choice. Either way it’s a 4-step process:
- Select Source – in other words, which files and folders (or application data) you want to back up.
- Select Destination – such as Hard Disk, DVD, or Blu-ray.
- Select Method – options are Full, Differential, and Incremental (only backs up changes)
- Run the backup
PowerBackup supports full, differential, or incremental backups.
PowerBackup can also include a restore tool on wherever your backups are stored, which I thought was neat. That would make it possible to restore without actually having the software installed.
PowerBackup had no trouble backing up my files.
Restoring
Restoring your data is identical to the backup process. You select a source, destination, method (whether to overwrite files), and then run it.
Restoring my files.
In testing, PowerBackup was able to restore my files quickly and easily.
Features
Blu-ray Support
CyberLink is well known for their Blu-ray software, so it makes sense their backup software would have full support for this type of media. This lets you backup up to 50GB worth of data on a single Blu-ray disc.
Compare Files
This will compare your backup against your original files, to see if they contain the same data.
Support
If the user manual or FAQ doesn’t have the answer to your question, you can contact CyberLink technical support. I contacted them and was responded to in 4 days, which is well below average. CyberLink also has phone support, but it costs $30/month for two months (and it’s not available 24/7).
Summary
Overall I felt PowerBackup was easy and powerful enough for average users. However, power users might be disappointed by the lack of features commonly found in other backup software in this price range (full disk imaging, online backup, etc.) I did not like how the software includes advertisements for other CyberLink products in the options menu. That’s not cool, nor is asking to install Google Toolbar during the install. But the speed of the backups and straightforward interface was definitely a positive experience.
| Specifications | |
| Product Name | PowerBackup |
| Version | 2.5 |
| License | Shareware |
| Price | $39.95 |
| 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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