Rant: "DataBackup3" is a steaming pile of bovine dung!

[Paul F.]

I've had a copy of DataBackup3 for almost 3 months now.

Here's what I can report;
It's one of the worst pieces of crap I've used when it comes to utility software!

I have been evaluating it for work (their dime... fortunately!). I have installed it on a total of 7 machines. Ranging from 10.3.9 with lots of third parts "gunk" to two BRAND NEW fresh clean system installs with NOTHING AT ALL added to them.

DataBackup has given trouble on EVERY SINGLE MACHINE.

What sort of "trouble"?
(deep breath....)

It fails to install.
It will fail to launch requiring an UNinstall and REinstall.
It will "hang" on launch... requiring a force quit.
After a force quit, it requires an UNinstall and REinstall.
SOMETIMES I can even get it to run an actual backup...
Once I do, it will sometimes unexpectedlly quit. Requiring an UNinstall and REinstall.
God help you if you want to view the LOG to see if it actually MADE a backup... that will cause it to quit... UNinstall and REinstall.
I just asked it to SAVE a backup set... Guess what? I'm up to TEN UNinstall and REinstall cycles on my home machine now...

It has sucessfully created precisely TWO complete, proper, functional, backups.

On a total of 7 machines, in two months.


My experience with their "tech support" has been less than stellar too.
It's like they don't even bother to fscking READ my email where I detail what I was doing, what happened, and the log entries, before telling me to "Uninstall and Reinstall".
I"VE &$#@( DONE THAT ALREADY YOU (expeletives deleted before the forum software does it for me...)....

I will NEVER, EVER, allow that peice of feces on any school campus I work for...
Any "backup" utility that I have to uninstall and reinstall every #@*% time it runs to keep it &^#@ functioning is NOT what I'd call a "finished product". It has a nice understandable interface... but it's useless if a brand new, uncustomized, system install crashes the damn program!

The next product I try will be SuperDuper, which I have used (in demo mode) for drive cloning very sucessfully, and have had excellent support (even though I had not yet paid for it when I asked ShirtPocket a question).



Rant over... You may return to your entertainments...

[Jack D.]

So Paul, just tell us how you really feel....get it off your chest...

[anonymouse1]

SuperDuper--never a problem for me.

[Paul F.]

Jack D;

If I REALLY said what I think of the folks that wrote "DataBackup3", I'd probably be arrested for threatening them with "serious bodily injury or death"....



anonyouse1;

Yeah... I let the fact that DataBackup is supposed to run 100% without a GUI interface running during a backup...
This would be good for some of my more technophobic users who get scared of things they don't understand and sometimes do precipitous things like yank the power cord from the wall...

I'll buy SuperDuper, and hold some hands at work if that's what it takes.....

[rz]

I've never used DataBackup, but I do have to say that their DataRescue product has been a life saver for me twice.

I used to use CCC for backups, but am in the process of switching to SuperDuper because of the ease of setting up scheduled backups. We'll see if it's worth the price.

[Linda2]

I have all of the products by Prosoft Engineering and I have to say that all have performed flawlessly EXCEPT DataBackup. Fortunately, Drive Genius will also perform a backup and it works well.

[ka jowct]

I'm not crazy about DataBackup, but I have NOT had the issues you describe. However, I am using version 2. It works with Tiger and Panther.

[Zoidberg]

SuperDuper is what you want to use. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Loved CCC in its day as well, switched to SuperDuper when there was a long lapse in development a few years ago after CCC's programmer went to Apple.

[volcs0]

I'm sorry you've had problems. I've got it running on our G5 server at work and on all my machines at home (G4's, G5 and an intel). Over the past 18 months, I've not had a single problem, and it does its job quietly and reliably. In fact, I've recommended it many times to friends and colleagues. Based on your experiences, I will make sure that I recommend it with a "grain of salt" in the future. Thanks for letting us know.

[GGD]

> Over the past 18 months

Has version 3 really been out for 18 months, I thought it was fairly recent. I have version 2 but have never really used it.