Carbonite Features:
- Runs in the background and automatically backs up your files
- Sends backup files to a remote server using secure encryption
- File recovery is fast and easy
- Low annual price, with free trial available (see below)
Current Carbonite Coupons:
Get a 15-day FREE TRIAL of Carbonite
Why Use An Online Backup Service?
At first glance, an online backup service may seem superfluous. After all, can’t you just back up files on your own using an external hard drive? This is the traditional way most of us have backed up files, and if it has worked for you in the past, you may be tempted to keep using the same method.
Bear in mind, however, that online backup services offer certain distinct advantages, some of which are listed below:
- Since backup programs run automatically, you do not have to spend time backing up your files manually.
- They are stored in a remote, secure location, protecting you from environmental mishaps that may occur at your location (floods, fires, etc).
- You can access your backup files from anywhere in the world.
- Whenever you lose data, restoring files is very easy to do.
As you can see, there are many benefits to using an online backup service, which would be difficult for you to replicate on your own. The most important advantage is that ultimately, backup services end up saving you time by not requiring you to make backups on your own, and facilitating data recovery whenever something goes wrong and you lose files.
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Before we list coupons for a certain service on our site, we have a habit of first testing it out to see how well it works. We downloaded Carbonite, installed it on a 1-year old Dell laptop, and used the backup service for a period of time. Overall, we were impressed with program’s performance. Below, you will find more details of our test:
- Software Performance: Excellent
The software downloads in seconds and can be installed in about a minute or so. It is automatically set up to backup documents, photos, music, and email. You can customize these settings if you like, but the automatic settings will most likely suffice for the majority of users. Backups can be performed continuously or during specified times during the day. We recommend continuous backup, as we did not notice any downgrade to our laptop’s performance while running Carbonite in the background. - File Access: Excellent
You have the ability to search for specific files, browse backup folders, or restore all files in your backup. Even though the folders are stored at a remote location, they opened up very quickly. Since the backup files are organized under the same folder names and hierarchy as they are on your computer, it should be easy for you to know where certain files are located. - File Restoration: Good, but Takes Time
You can restore individual files or folders almost instantly, but if you want to restore all your files, this can take anywhere from several hours to more than a day. It all depends on the number of files you have to restore.
Other Things About Carbonite You Might Want to Know:
Carbonite stores your backed up files at a remote data center. Before being transmitted through the Internet, all backup files are encrypted using the same encryption technology employed by the online banking industry. The encrypted data is then sent over secure socket layers (SSL), and remains encrypted even as they are stored on Carbonite’s Enterprise-grade servers. In short, there is really no conceivable way for anyone to steal your data.
In addition to backing up your files, you have the option to use Carbonite as a file access system. Because your backup files can be accessed remotely, users can conveniently retrieve files they need from anywhere in the world, without having to rely on flash drives, CDs, or other conventional ways to transfer or share files between computers.
The service is currently priced at $59 a year, which works out to just $1.94 a day. Considering that the cost of data recovery can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you hire a specialist, signing up for Carbonite is definitely a good investment. Use the coupons on this page to get a 15-day free trial of Carbonite.
Recommended Resources:
- Data Recovery Software:
If you are one of those people reading this page after you have already lost some data, you might be able to recover some files using data recovery software. While most software is somewhat limited in what it can recover, the best ones can sometimes recover data from USB drives, damaged sectors, and deleted files that were not previously overwritten. To explore data recovery software options, we recommend checking out this list of Data Recovery Software. - Data Doctors:
If software isn’t enough to do the trick, the next option is to hire a professional. Be aware, this can be costly, but if the data you lost is critical, you may have no other choice. Data Doctors is one nationwide company that specializes in data recovery services. There are also many local specialists you may want to contact and get quotes from. It’s best to get a few different quotes before making a final decision on who you hire.