Entered CNET Catalog: 01/08/2003
SKU: 430003
Manufacturer: NewTech Infosystem, Inc.
Manufacturer description
Backup NOW! delivers a total data backup software solution for all your data backup needs. NTI Backup NOW! Deluxe is the first and only software title to provide full image backup and specific file backup exclusively for your CD-R/RW drive. Backup selected files and folders from local and mapped drives. Backup your entire drive or hard drive partition, allowing you to save all your data and Windows settings! NTI Backup NOW! Deluxe is the ideal backup software for large backup jobs! Backup Now! automatically spans your backup across multiple CDs. Increase backup speed and store 1 GB of data or more on a single 650 MB CD! Create a bootable disk to ensure recovery in case of a system crash. Use the Automatic Backup Scheduler - you can start your backup jobs anytime you like - when you're at work or while your sleeping, if you're in the shower or even walking the dog - anytime! Just set the scheduler and leave your computer on! For added security, you can protect your information from prying eyes. Just don't forget the password! With NTI Backup NOW!, you make your first backup of your entire system, then the next time you can choose to only backup new or changed files. Backup in-use system files, hidden files, and even the Windows Registry - when you make a Full-Image backup you capture everything - you can make an exact duplicate of your system and restore it to its prior state!CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/14/2003
The main screen of Backup Now Deluxe shows the Explorer-like interface in the main body and the step-by-step interface to the left.
The key strength of the program is its built-in step-by-step guide to making backups. In step one, you select the folders and/or files you wish to include in the backup, using an Explorer-like two-pane display. In step two, you select the backup destination (hard disk, mapped network disk, CD- or DVD-rewritable drives) or across multiple CD or DVD burners, if you have more than one installed in your system. This so-called drive spanning essentially lets you back up more data at once, thus saving time. For example, you could conceivably back up several gigabytes of data across two DVDs in two DVD writers without having to swap discs. We tested the process with two CD-R/RWs, and it worked just fine.
In addition to its media-spanning capabilities, Backup Now Deluxe supports various backup platforms, including Zip, Jaz, and the new USB keychain drives. It also lets you schedule your backups to run when you're not around, say, late at night. For secure backups, there's an option for encrypted password protection.
You get a detailed summary of the drive properties while determining the location on which to save your backup file.
When restoring a backup, Backup Now offers the standard options of not replacing identically named files, replacing them, or replacing only older with newer. You also have the option of restoring the files to the original location or an alternative one--a welcome choice. If there ever is an interruption while backing up, the Intra Backup Restart feature automatically restarts the backup process.
Depending on your needs and resources, however, Backup Now Deluxe has a couple of potential deficiencies. First, you can't send your backups to an FTP site, which may affect only users who maintain a Web site. Handy Backup, on the other hand, will back up to an FTP site. Second, Backup Now's backups to a LAN aren't as straightforward as they should be. Instead of simply selecting a destination in My Network Places, you'll first have to map a network drive (thereby giving it a local drive letter), then send the backup files to the new "local" drive.
We tested Backup Now Deluxe on a Compaq with a 1.1GHz Athlon, 512MB of RAM, a 48X/24X/48X CD-R/RW drive, and three hard disks totaling 240GB of disk space and on a home-built Pentium III-550 system with 256MB of RAM, two 60GB drives, a 16X/10X/40X CD-R/RW, and an 8X/4X/24X CD-R/RW drive. On the Pentium III system, the ability to span multiple drives proved extremely handy, with the second drive taking over from the first whenever the first CD-R was full. Obviously, it would have been even more effective had the drives been more equivalent in speed, but as it was, the two drives made unattended backups possible. Backing up to an internal hard disk was, as expected, the fastest of all the methods.
You'll increase the time significantly by selecting the option to compare the backup file and the originals, but you'll also increase the backup's accuracy.
In testing, we experienced no difficulties on either system. Backups executed smoothly, and subsequent incremental and differential backups were also incident free. Restoring also operated without flaw.
The scheduler allows you to select the days of the week or (not shown) the day of the month on which the backup is to automatically take place.
Once you register your copy of Backup Now, you'll get free tech support--via toll call, e-mail, fax, or the Web--for the life of the product. Such support generosity is a welcome feature, considering the importance of your backups. In testing, our two calls were each answered in less than two minutes, and the attendants were courteous and knowledgeable.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
3/10
NTI Backup V4 is unstable
Pros: When it works, it works well.
Cons: The GUI locks up. Messes up the icons on my desktop.
Review:
Version 3 worked fine on my system. V4 has never worked although V4 works fine on an HP laptop. Contacted tech support. They claimed they did not know of this issue. Sent them a screen shot. They believe it is a video driver issue. Said they have never heard of one with the GeForce 5700 LE video card. Also it is very difficult to get tech support. They do not respond to emails.
User Rating: 
1/10
do they call this backup???
Pros: it will backup all your data
Cons: impossible to retrieve
Review:
I backed up my data, not only one time, I did it 3 TIMES!!!!, when I tryed to retrieve, none of them worked, so my recommendation is don't buy it!!! look for something that works, i gues they don't really offer customer service because I never got an answer, so STAY AWAY FROM THIS PROGRAM!!!!
User Rating: 
2/10
Steer Clear!!!
Pros: That people get a second chance
Cons: Simply put, it doesn't work
Review:
This review is best told by my personal experience. I have a home office. I had been backing up my data using NTI every night. It was being backed up to two seperate drives. One day, my laptop (main system) was fried by a coffee spill. During that week I tried to get to the NTI backups through the restore features and when I tried to restore the files to my backup laptop, I kept getting an "access is denied" error message every time I tried to open a file. I could see all of them, but nothing would open. I emailed support and in the meantime I researched Microsoft's knowledge base as well as generally online. Microsoft tried to get me to take back ownership of the files and after an hour of trying different things, even Microsoft could not provide a solution. Still waiting on NTI to respond. I tried several other steps I uncovered online and not one of them worked. What I did find is that I am hardly the only one with this problem. I found several people posting to message boards that NTI keeps telling them access is denied after a restore. I am not the only one this happens to. I was fearing the worst - that my data was gone, until suddenly four days later my laptop booted, but it would not stay on for long. It did stay on long enough for me to put my data on DVDs and salvage it. Day 5, NTI finally emails me with... try taking ownership. The steps are in Windows help... They wait five days to email me and then this is all they send back? This solution didn't do the very core thing that it was supposed to - backup my data. That's like Word not letting you type text, Outlook not letting you send emails, your browser not letting you online. Horrible. As valuable as data is, this product should not be sold to the worst of your enemies. And forget getting their help if you have problems. It's best to use the Backup software inherent in Windows or rely on an online backup provider. Data is much too valuable for a product like this not to work and then support responding in such a manner. Steer very clear of this horrible product.
User Rating: 1/10
Product Acts Like a Version .90
Pros: None - I will not install properly.
Cons: Will not install properly and customer suppor is the worst that I have experience
Review:
Though, I only found version 3.0, I couldn't wait to comment on version 4.0 .
I don?t know if this product is good or whatever; it will not install properly; and tech support is unwilling to help. I?ll sum up my opinion about this software by advising everyone to stay away from the product.
I did a clean install of ?NTI Drive Backup 4? and ?NTI Backup Now4 from the NTI CD without any error notices for either of the two bundled software programs. However, when I try to use it, portions of the graphics do not appear. When some of the graphics relating to backup projects or tool buttons finally do appear; I waited as long as an hour before clicking on any of the options (though, all of the graphics never appear.). The NTI Backup Now 4 software crashes every ?@#$&*!? time. The drive backup does not. When I called NTI tech support, I finally got a hold of someone after spending the entire day with a recording saying that I was ?first-in-line?.
Their analysis was instant; it was Microsoft?s Windows Installer program?s fault. The gentleman was rude and abrupt with me. Instead of working with me to identify a possible software glitch, they informed me that I must be the only one in the whole world with this kind of installation problem, because they weren?t aware of it and that I should ask for a refund.
I then spent the second day with Microsoft uninstalling any remnants of NTI?s software because NTI would not uninstall using the ?Add-Remove? in the Control Panel?, which was clearly designed to do for NTI?s software. This was then followed by making certain that I had the most recent version of the MS Windows Installer program. I then made certain that everything checked out ok by installing, uninstalling, and re-installing various software programs. After re-installing the NTI Backup and Drive software programs, I experienced the same install hassles that I experience from the beginning.
I went to their web site @, http://www.ntius.com/default.asp?p=corporate/contact I copied the tech support number.
Among the various options, a recording tells me that if I want tech support that I should hang up and call the same number that I called in the first place. It finally tells me to select #3, (though sometimes it has been #2) to wait for tech support. Again I am told that I am number on hold, (though once I was told that I was way as f-a-r back as number 2).
Eventually, they get tired of my waiting and present me with a repeat of all the options. However, this time the wait-option for tech support is not included. I am then invited to select the option for the, ?Attendant?. I elect not to select the attendant; instead I?m transferred to the attendant, who?s never in anyway. Because the ?Attendant? is not in, I am invited to select ?0? for the operator. When the recording tells me that the operator is not available, I am then transferred back to the attendant, who of course is not in. Once again I am invited to go back to the operator, so on, and so forth, again and again. Eventually, I?m told; ?goodbye? and abruptly disconnected.
I get the impression that I have been attempting to get in touch with a one-man company operating out of his garage.
I don?t know if this product is good or whatever; it will not install properly; and tech support is unwilling to help. I?ll sum up my opinion about this software by advising everyone to stay away from the product.
I did a clean install of ?NTI Drive Backup 4? and ?NTI Backup Now4 from the NTI CD without any error notices for either of the two bundled software programs. However, when I try to use it, portions of the graphics do not appear. When some of the graphics relating to backup projects or tool buttons finally do appear; I waited as long as an hour before clicking on any of the options (though, all of the graphics never appear.). The NTI Backup Now 4 software crashes every ?@#$&*!? time. The drive backup does not. When I called NTI tech support, I finally got a hold of someone after spending the entire day with a recording saying that I was ?first-in-line?.
Their analysis was instant; it was Microsoft?s Windows Installer program?s fault. The gentleman was rude and abrupt with me. Instead of working with me to identify a possible software glitch, they informed me that I must be the only one in the whole world with this kind of installation problem, because they weren?t aware of it and that I should ask for a refund.
I then spent the second day with Microsoft uninstalling any remnants of NTI?s software because NTI would not uninstall using the ?Add-Remove? in the Control Panel?, which was clearly designed to do for NTI?s software. This was then followed by making certain that I had the most recent version of the MS Windows Installer program. I then made certain that everything checked out ok by installing, uninstalling, and re-installing various software programs. After re-installing the NTI Backup and Drive software programs, I experienced the same install hassles that I experience from the beginning.
I went to their web site @, http://www.ntius.com/default.asp?p=corporate/contact I copied the tech support number.
Among the various options, a recording tells me that if I want tech support that I should hang up and call the same number that I called in the first place. It finally tells me to select #3, (though sometimes it has been #2) to wait for tech support. Again I am told that I am number on hold, (though once I was told that I was way as f-a-r back as number 2).
Eventually, they get tired of my waiting and present me with a repeat of all the options. However, this time the wait-option for tech support is not included. I am then invited to select the option for the, ?Attendant?. I elect not to select the attendant; instead I?m transferred to the attendant, who?s never in anyway. Because the ?Attendant? is not in, I am invited to select ?0? for the operator. When the recording tells me that the operator is not available, I am then transferred back to the attendant, who of course is not in. Once again I am invited to go back to the operator, so on, and so forth, again and again. Eventually, I?m told; ?goodbye? and abruptly disconnected.
I get the impression that I have been attempting to get in touch with a one-man company operating out of his garage.
User Rating: 1/10
Doen't do the job
Pros: It came with an uninstaller.
Cons: It didn't do a backup for me across a network. It failed to backup an Outlook 2000 data file (Outlook.pst) across a network. It complained of a compression failure. If didn't verify the logs, and my disk crashed, I would not have been able to recover it.
Review:
User Rating: 2/10
Horrible Product, Terrible Support
Pros: It does backup files quickly, but that is it.
Cons: Microsoft backup IS better than this! 1) If you have a large backup file but no longer have the catalog, the backup will take FOREVER to build one in memory that cannot be saved (1.5 hours for a 5 GB backup file). 2) NTI changes the basic operation of t
Review:
User Rating: 2/10
Useless for Hard Drive Backups
Pros: nice interface
Cons: Will not perform unattended backups to a hard drive. Scheduled backups only to CDROMs and DVDROMs etc., An amazing omission not mentioned in reviews.
Review:
User Rating: 
8/10
Very reliable backup tool
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Cons:
Review:
Have been running NTI Backup Now Ver.3 for five months and am completely satisfied with the performance of this product. I backup many Gigabytes of data to a hard drive that is reserved for backup files (I can't understand why anybody would try to do this to a CD?? - hard drives are cheap and fast!). I run full system backups and nightly incrementals from scheduler which runs flawlessly. I have recovered from several system crashes without difficulty using a bare bones NTI DriveBackup 3 to recover the OS and NTI Backup Now for the rest of the system. I have mixed feelings regarding NTI's user support. After sending a note regarding a bug in their code, I didn't receive a response, however the bug was fixed in the next downloadable upgrade... would have been nice to be notified. I also think the price is a bit steep.
User Rating: 1/10
nothing about this program works
Pros:
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Review:
I purchased this product based on "reviews".Thought this would solve problems that were "yet to come".However.Nothing I tried to do with this software worked.I have WIN XP and have had no problems "yet".God forbid if I do because this software is useless and does not do ANYTHING that it claims it CAN do. Wasted a lot of money and many hours trying to make this Program work.Buyer,"BEWARE"!Don't even waste your time trying to get a response from their customer service. They don't care.Once their useless product is sold,they "disappear".Try something else and save your hard earned money for a real product.
User Rating: 1/10
Lock up my computer
Pros:
Cons:
Review:
The Disk image backup tool doesn't work. It won't span to 2nd CD-RW disk. Tried the tech support, but they couldn't help. I am looking into the Acronis True Image 6.0 now.
User Rating: 2/10
Very poor customer service
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Cons:
Review:
When I installed this on my new computer (XP Professional operating system), I had multiple problems writing to the CD-RW drive. I have requested technical support three times (they have a guaranteed 48 hour response time) and they have NEVER responded to my request for help. I think I finally figured the problem out on my own, however, some CDs I've written to with this program lock up the computer (I can't even eject the disk). I can only hope I have an adequate back up if I have a crisis
User Rating: 
6/10
OK Product - Lousy Customer Support
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Cons:
Review:
Customer Service Rating - 2! Purchased downloadable product directly from NTI. Deluxe version did not include Drive Image, as info on site would lead one to believe. Then immediately purchased Drive Image for additonal fee. When a $10 price adjustment was requested so I actually paid the bundled package price, request was refused. NTI would rather refund the entire purchase price and lose a customer than grant a reasonable request. Drive Image also consistently locked up when it attempted to erase a DVD+RW disc.
User Rating: 
10/10
Works great with DVD-RW!
Pros:
Cons:
Review:
Works great on my system: XP Pro, backing up to DVD-RW on my Sony Vaio. I looked a while for a good file-level backup program for DVD-RW. This is the only one that I've found that has worked without a single glitch! I'll admit I haven't tried to span disks, but who needs to with DVD-RW?
User Rating: 
9/10
One of the easiest backup programs to use
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Review:
I've used Drive Image for years, but ran into a problem when I switched to Windows XP on a new system. I purchased Backup Now Deluxe! and what a breeze! Very simple interface and you don't have to boot to DOS. Excellent backup program even for the novice.
User Rating: 2/10
Sucked Big Time!
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Review:
Locked my system up on the compare after the backup. Drive image never worked. Tested on a second computer and it wiped out the disk drive
