For data backup, we recommend the "TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award Winner" Genie Backup Manager by Genie-Soft.  This software is a powerful, versatile backup tool capable of just about any backup task you can dream up.  This program has more custom backup options available than any other backup software package we reviewed.

The program does require some basic technical experience to maneuver quickly through its navigation and custom installs.


Feature Set:  
Genie Backup Manager offers several excellent features, including the ability to backup emails, the registry (your computer’s index), Internet Explorer settings, MSN, Windows settings, all of your Favorites settings and more. Genie Backup Manager backs up more types of data than any other consumer data backup software on the market. Also, you can schedule custom backups any time, attach a timestamp and add an encrypted password for security.

Genie Backup Manager can also backup data to a remote FTP location (so you can access your backup over the Internet), to DVD or CD, or to a set of media with (convenient for unmonitored backups). You have tremendous data storage versatility with Genie Backup, including the ability to pick a new location for any backup. (Some programs don’t allow you to alter the backup location without reinstalling.)

You can specify exactly what you want to backup with Genie Backup Manager but if you want to backup everything at once you must select the sections individually; this is time-consuming.

Other features that would add convenience include a one-click, system-wide backup button and system recovery tools. If Genie Backup Manager offered these we’d give their software top marks for features.


Ease of Use:  
Genie Backup Manager was simple to install and setup; we had no errors or long waits.

The Genie Backup Manager opening screen is clear, easy to understand. After you leave the startup page, however, the program becomes more complicated. You’ll have to sift through some technical choices to customize your backup. But the advantage—Genie Backup Manager has more customization choices than most backup software.


Backup/Restore  
Our backup ran smoothly and the restored data worked perfectly.

To restore data, we simply copied the backup file back to the hard drive after reinstalling the operating system, double clicked the backup icon, selected “Backup to Restore” then pressed the Restore button.


Help/Documentation  
When we used Genie Backup Manager to backup Outlook Express email, a popup help menu showed us exactly how to restore the old emails from backup and how to import backed up email into Outlook Express. We appreciated these timely tips.

Also, Genie Backup Manager offers a search tool to help you find topics fast. And Genie-Soft offers a complete tour of Genie Backup Manager’s features. (The tours were informative, but left you staring at a blank screen upon ending.)

Summary:
When it comes to backing up and restoring computer data, we found Genie Backup Manager to be the most flexible and secure to use.  The protection offered by Genie made us feel that our data was completely safe and should disaster strike, we could restore all of our data without complications.

The program is easy to use for those with some technical experience.  Novices experience a slight learning curve understand technical terms and may have better luck with a program like #2 rated NTI Backup Now!