Overview

Second Copy is automatic backup software designed for all versions of Windows. It makes a backup of your data files to another directory, disk or computer across the network. It then monitors the source files and keeps the backup updated with new or changed files. It runs in the background with no user interaction. So, once it’s set up you always have a backup of your data somewhere else.

Installation

There is nothing special to not about the installation, it is straightforward and easy following the install wizard.

Features

You can backup your files to CD, DVD, Flash Drive, Network Location and over FTP to another server.

There is the ability to backup files to an FTP server or from the server to your local machine.

It is very light on system resources and has a light simple to use interface.

Schedule the frequency, days, and times when the backups run. You can also select to have them run during start up and shutdown which is a nice feature.

There is the ability to zip and compress the backed up folders.

It runs quietly in the background with little user action after the backups are initially set.

It creates a detailed log every time a backup is completed that is easy to search through, save, and print out.

Additional Features Include:

• 256-bit AES Encryption
• Email Notifications
• Run as a Service
• Disk Spanning
• Two-Way Synchronization
• Automatic Detection/Deletion during synchronization
• Password Protect Profiles
• Archive up to 25 Old Versions

Ease of Use

The user interface is simple and easy to use, but it provides a lot of power to backup your files.

The Second Copy icon sits in the system tray and you can access a menu of various options.

At any time you can open the application and manually copy a backup profile.

Creating a new backup profile is simple through the wizard driven interface.

When creating a profile you can select Express or Custom setup. An Express backup should be fine for most users and a Custom setup allows more options for advanced users.

The trial version is fully functional and each time it starts up you will see the amount of days left. It will automatically launch after 10 seconds and you can click the Continue button to start it up right away.

Performance

Second Copy is very light on system resources and backups are simple and run in the background. We tested this on a Windows 7 machine with a dual core processor and 3GB or RAM and while backups were taking place there was no noticeable decline in performance while multi-tasking.

Backups will take place in the background based on how you schedule them and the time it takes varies between systems depending on the size of the files and where you’re backing them up. If you’re working on a complex document and making many changes you may want to set it to back up more frequently.

Conclusion

This is one of the easiest, quick and light backup utilities I have used. Once you have your profiles set to backup, everything happens automatic and quietly in the background. Being able to back up data to network locations and over FTP is a definite plus. Second Copy works on all versions of Windows from 98 on up including Windows 7. They offer a fully functional 30 day trial which allows you evaluate the entire app, and is $29.95 after that for a license. If you are looking for an extremely easy method to automatically backup your crucial files, Second Copy is certainly worth a look.

Download Second Copy

Rating

• Installation: 8
• Ease of Use: 8
• Features: 8
• Performance: 8
• Product Support: 8