Does anybody have the Carbonite online backup program?

[PlanetBev]

I need something that is very user friendly. My free trial period is running out on Friday, and it seems pretty easy to use.

Any comments or opinions?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm using it; no complaints.

Usually, I forget I have it, lol!

I'm not completely sold on it; I've never had a computer crash. Just lucky I guess.

[PlanetBev]

2. Thanks, Peggy

Guess I'll go ahead with it.

[Richard D]

3. Let's just say . . .

. . . it's saved my rear end a few times. Not for crashes yet, but for files I accidentally deleted. It's also good as you can access your files from any computer and there's not limit on size, though they do throttle upload speed. I like it particularly because it's in the background and totally effortless.

[Jankan90]

4. I had carbonite before

I have Carbonite on my old DELL.

Is my DELL locked up and frozen? Did streamed radio stop? It did? Call up the Task Manager (Ctrl + alt + del on my keyboard) and check the "processes".

Sure enough, there's Carbonite leading the way: 99% CPU strength.

This is what they mean about it "working in the background"?

It routinely overwhelms my computer, and another favorite trick? If I try to kill it with the task manager, it will go MAX / min / MAX / min on the "Usage" graph: repeated failed attempts to restart itself, at which time it sucks out your CPU's will to live, or at least function.

Clicking on Carbonites "desktop icon" is worthless, as is TRYING to click on the icon at the bottom of the screen: whatever defective process is going on is killing your CPU.

Oh, Carbonite has acknowledged its CPU-killing penchant by now adding a "Pause" feature.

Now WHY, o why, would I want to, or even NEED to, "pause" something that's "Working quietly in the background?"

ANSWER: Because it may be "quiet" and it may be "in the background", but what's in the foreground is frozen / choking / puking / gagging.

Most of the time, when you DO want to pause it, it's too late: it's already got your computer locked up or gagging, and all you'll do is get hour-glassed, or the icon in the tray likes o disappear.

I do home-office and I had to download an online backup solution to protect. Just make sure you choose the right one, just because you have paid for the service and gotten confirmation of that payment don't assume your files are being backed up.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

5. I know this is unpopular.

I have had 2 or 3 web storage services both free and paid. Eventually the were bought out, bankrupt or otherwise useless. Once your PC has gone to lunch, or at very least the HDD, your backup becomes the center of your attention and, probably, one of your more valued assets.

My advice is to pick up an online service but plan to buy your own cloud. I just don't like the idea of paying for a service that, when needed will be an internet away from me. I paid ~ $350 for a Network Attached Storage device and another $350 for about 4TB of HDDs to populate the device. If you're also willing to pay for Win7 Pro, you have the option of backing up to a network share. A cheaper option would be to back up to an external HDD (USB or eSATA). Either way you would own the back up and the media it is on.

I would view any internet based solution as a temporary fix until you can buy something that you can own. I say that because my experience has been that those internet services are just that, temporary. Maybe Carbonite will be an exception, I hope so. The real question is, "Do you want to bet?" Because without owning your own backup solution, you are betting.

Just my opinion. Best of luck.