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SyncToy 2.0 is a free software download from Microsoft.  It is a Backup Tool and very very simple to use.  Click to Download SyncToy 2.0.  The download itself is fairly small so doesn’t take long to download on the typical Internet connection.  The installation process is again straightforward and isn’t very time consuming.  The software is extremely user friendly and couldn’t be any simpler to use.  In fact, it’s so simple my Nan who learnt to change a battery 4 years ago would be able to use it!

The key element to the software is pairing folders, e.g., folder A and folder B.  With the folder pairings you can choose one of three processes:

• Sync – Where any changes made in folder A are copied to folder B.  And any changes made in folder B are copied to folder A.
• Echo – Where changes made in folder A are copied in folder B, but any changes made in folder B won’t be copied to folder A.
• Contribute – Very similar to Echo.  Where changes made in folder A are copied in folder B, but any changes made in folder B won’t be copied to folder A.  However, you cannot delete in either folder.

SyncToy is a great little application which I am very impressed with.  Have you used it before?  What do you think of it?  Any questions?

See Also:
SyncBackSE
Backup Tools – Two Worth Looking At
Cobain Backup 9

SyncBackSE is a backup tool from a company called 2BrightSparks.  The program has free for a 30 day trial and then costs £21.68 if you decide you like it and want to buy.  The download for the 30 day free trial is well worthwhile in my opinion because you get a real feel of what the product is like and a better idea of whether you think its worth purchasing the product or not.

The program is easy and quick to install, however it does become a little confusing when it comes to initially configuring profiles and getting to grips with the tools.  The tutorials, on the product website, are for version 4, which isn’t really much help if you’re using version 5 which is the latest edition.  Despite the tutorials being for version 4, they do give you a rough idea of how to perform basic tasks using the program.

The program allows you to backup, synchronize, mirror and group.  Backup means to copy your files to another area (e.g. an external hard drive, FTP server).  Synchronizing allows you to keep files in one folder the same as the files in another specified folder.  Synchronizing is ideal for transferring files from one machine to another or between a computer and a server.  Mirroring means that files from one area are copied directly to specified another area.  Finally, grouping means that you can perform various backup, synchronizing and mirroring tasks at one time.

Once you’ve got used to it, SyncBackSE is a very good program and well worth considering if you’re looking for a backup tool.  For more information visit their website.