Second Copy review: Backup and sync from a friendly interface

Value When Reviewed

$29.95 for 1 to 4 licenses

Finest Costs At present: Second Copy 9.5 backup software program

Second Copy is a $30 file backup/folder sync program that sits in your system tray, performing operations robotically with out consumer intervention. If Home windows personal File Historical past or different free choices resembling FBackup aren’t reducing it for you, Second Copy simply would possibly.

Additional studying: See our roundup of one of the best Home windows backup software program to study competing merchandise.

What are Second Copy’s options?

Second Copy will copy information from a supply folder to a vacation spot folder (referred to as Easy Copy); copy new information, then delete information within the vacation spot that don’t exist within the supply (referred to as Actual Copy, aka mirroring); and one carry out those self same jobs whereas compressing them to a normal Zip file. Community areas are supported as each a supply and vacation spot.

This system additionally helps true synchronization, i.e. deleting and including information from/to each directories to match modifications in both. That is analogous to what occurs with on-line companies resembling OneDrive. A Transfer operate is supplied which deletes the information from the supply after copying them to the vacation spot.

The Second Copy interface is easy and simple, if a bit dated in look. However every thing is the place you count on to be. If you understand something concerning the course of, you’ll haven’t any downside acclimating to Second Copy. Even should you don’t, the best way it steps you thru creating jobs will educate you the fundamentals in a rush.

There’s an archiving possibility that saves older variations of information in a separate listing plus an choice to overwrite information within the vacation spot, even when they’re newer. In my expertise, you ought to be very cautious with the latter as there is perhaps a very good cause to maintain the newer file.

Second Copy defaults to the system tray, operating its personal VSS service and scheduler within the background. To see the principle interface the place you may create new jobs, you merely click on on the system tray icon, and voila!

Whereas Second Copy sits within the background, it doesn’t do real-time backup as information change. Nonetheless, it may be scheduled to again up/sync as regularly as as soon as each minute. That’s pretty much as good as actual time for many customers.

I’ve information scattered about a number of on-line storage companies, and have been searching for a inexpensive possibility that helps S3-compatible distributors along with Dropbox and the like. Alas, Second Copy will not be that program (many aren’t) because it doesn’t help even the extra frequent companies.

How does Second Copy carry out?

So long as I used to be copying plain information folders, Second Copy labored like a attraction — quick and correct. I attempted all of the job variations utilizing inner drives, in addition to NAS-to-NAS and exterior media.

However when making an attempt to repeat the Customers folder, one symbolic hyperlink (a junction) left behind by one other program pointing to a deleted shadow copy halted Second Copy in its tracks.

It appeared this system was looking for the precise shadow copy to drag information from, somewhat than merely copy the symbolic hyperlink to the vacation spot folder. Both method, it shouldn’t halt the backup.

There’s a repair for this habits, nevertheless it includes coming into a “SkipLinkFiles=1” line right into a config file. Not each consumer is comfy altering configurations by way of a textual content editor, so it’d behoove Centered Programs to make this the default and add it to the listing of superior choices.

In fact, no plain file backup/sync program can copy all the Customers listing as Home windows locations unique locks on many information. These can’t be bypassed even for copying, so it’s how a backup/sync program handles these locks that issues.

Most applications merely skip the solely locked information and observe the error. Nonetheless, with Second Copy you have to deselect the “Present message field and retry as soon as extra” possibility from the Edit > Choices > Copy tab or this system will hit you with 20-second length error popups and grind away with retries. You may as well inform Second Copy to skip system information to keep away from this example.

Notice that copying sub-directories resembling Paperwork and Photos from contained in the Customers folder posed no points for Second Copy. I also needs to say that copying your system information and information of their entirety falls underneath the purview of imaging applications resembling our favourite — R-Drive Picture.

Do you have to purchase Second Copy?

Whereas I want Second Copy defaulted to avoiding the problems I skilled, they had been fixable, and most customers solely must again up information folders. For that job, it’s nigh on excellent — simple and quick with community help. Now provided that it supported on-line storage companies….