WinBackup™ is Microsoft Windows® utility for corporate and home users which solves the problem of backing up email, contacts, files, and system data in case of accidental erasure, virus infections, or software/hardware failure. It even provides for encryption for confidential files. Its simplicity and its price makes it useful for corporate and home users.

         Now more than ever we need to be vigilant in backing up our data. From hackers breaking into your computer from across the Internet, to viruses that infect your system while browsing a web page, to your favorite program accidentally corrupting you 100 page document, backups are an essential part of any computer system. Without them, the computer user is left without protection from these common occurrences. Personally, backups have saved me from hours of work and embarrassment from friends and co-workers. The first time it happened, I heard the inevitable "You didn't have a backup!" After hours trying to recover the document ending in failure, I had to start from scratch. After that experience, I ALWAYS made backups.

         WinBackup™ is designed to work on Microsoft Windows® operating systems. You don't have to be a "techie" to install the program. The installation wizard automatically guides you through the installation process.

         The developers commitment to maintaining a intuitive and easy to use program is seen throughout the program. When you first start WinBackup™, a backup wizard takes you step by step through the process of creating a backup job. The wizard walks you through the specific files and locations that you are interested in backing up.

         The process of adding files and folders is as easy as navigating Windows Explorer™ by simply placing a check next to the files you wish to backup. WinBackup™ even allows you to easily backup your User Data, such as your Outlook Express™ email and address book, your favorites and desktop items and all information contained in "My Documents". The "System Settings" allows for backup of your registry - the "brains" of the Windows® operating system.

         For those using Outlook for their email, WinBackups™ search feature allows you to locate the file containing all of your email, named "Outlook.pst", and place a check next to the file for backup. WinBackup™ is "system aware" which means that it has an awareness of the Microsoft system files and is even able to find hidden files in your directories.

         An intuitive scheduling window allows you to schedule a daily or weekly backup of your critical files while you are away from your computer. Once you create a back up job and set the schedule, you can be confident that your critical data will be backed up on a regular basis.

        Restoration is easy. Simply open the restoration window, navigate to your latest backup file, and select the files and folders you would like restored.

        Developers of the WinBackup™ application didn't stop at creating a simplistic backup tool. They included many features which helped the program win many awards. For example, not only is the data backed up, but compressed to save space. Backups can be password protected and encrypted for security purposes. And you can use the automated CD burning function to burn to a single CD or if you have too much data to fit on a single CD, you can span several CDs!

        The LIUtilities team did an excellent job at developing WinBackup™. Designed for the home or corporate user, this versatile and easy to use tool can provide peace of mind that documents, email and contacts are being regularly backed up. And with features like password protection and 256 bit encryption, you can rest assured that your sensitive information is hidden from prying eyes. I give a thumbs up to WinBackup™ software and recommend anyone seeking a backup solution to sit behind the wheel of this powerful piece of software and give it a test drive.

Michael Nedbal, editor
February 2nd, 2003