Nero BackItUp Review

Full review

Setup

Nero’s installation process is quite slower than most similar products. First, simply download the setup file from the product website and launch it on your system. The process requires a system reboot, and then goes on to take many more minutes to complete its installation. It also tries to trick you into downloading toolbars into your web browser. Overall this was the slowest installation process of any other product on our data backup list.

Backup

Backing up files is made simple with Nero BackItUp. The easy-to-learn interface makes it a simple task for even the newest user to start a backup with ease. The main focus of the interface is on the program’s Nero LIVEBackup feature. This feature simplifies the backup process for beginners by automatically backing up the very most important data periodically. A simple flip of the on/off switch will put the scheduling in the program’s hands. This is a handy feature for those who don’t know what is important to keep backed up.

There is also basic File Backup, where users can select the indivual files and back them up to wherever they please, or there is a full Drive Backup. Nero BackItup also has an optional online backup feature where users can pay a subscription and store important files over a cloud. Users can also manually choose the scheduling for their backups, which becomes an option after choosing which drives or files you want backed up.

System performance

Nero BackItUp won’t eat too much into your system resources, but if you’re running on a low end computer, give the trial version a try to see if it drastically lowers your PC performance during a backup. Any modern computer should run the program both during backup and when idle with no problem.

Restore

Restoring files and drives with Nero BackItUp is very simple. The program will give a simple list of all of the backups it can find by searching through any type of storage attached to your computer. Simply click on the backup you want to restore and choose whether you want the files to be restored into one folder or in their original places on your PC.

Features

Synchronize folders - Always have the same version of two folders on your PC and external storage simultaneously. By synchronizing two folders, you are will automatically have your files updated in both folders when a change is made to a file within.

Create boot disc - Users can create backups of hard drives or partitions to a bootable CD or DVD.

Online storage - Nero BackItUp has an optional online storage feature which lets users who want storage online to pay a subscription monthly.

Ease of use

Nero BackItUp is clearly geared toward beginner users. The programs tries to give the least amount of options possible and it shows with its simple and clean interface. The program also has some advanced options once you dive deeper, but there isn’t much. Those who need a program that does all the work for them will definitely enjoy this Nero BackItUp.

Help & support

Nero doesn’t offer the very best support in the business, but it should offer enough to keep customers happy. There is hotline telephone support, email support, mail support and live-chat support. The phone support does not run 24 hours and the live-chat support isn’t always available. Nero’s support is still better than some of the competition, so we won’t grade this as a negative.

Overall

Nero BackItUp is a good program overall, but the competition on the market makes this product very hard to recommend over others. Competitors are offering much more value in terms of features and reliability. The LIVEBackup feature is the only draw to this product because it makes the job easier for beginner users. The average computer user will want to look elsewhere, but don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this one.