Backup Assist

Data backups are essential to preserving your files. Data loss events can occur in the most inopportune moments, so having a failsafe in place can safeguard your treasured files and save you from a world of frustration.

Backups can be handled manually, but software solutions can be used and are recommended for an easier process. As its name would suggest, Backup Assist is a tool that can help you create backups in a straightforward manner, preserving your important data with minimal effort on your part.

The interface is perhaps best described as user-friendly. It is simple, but effective in design, as it can be toggled between the Basic and Advanced modes. While Advanced mode may get you to think it’s only to be used by a more knowledgeable user, that isn’t really the case here.

What you get is a practical solution that seems primarily intended for a general audience. The Basic mode lets users toggle the data they wish to back up without requiring them to navigate to it: Documents, Pictures, and other similar folders can be chosen, but it’s also possible to back up your Outlook conversations, as well as your browser’s bookmarks and favorites.

Toggling the Advanced Mode will bring up some additional UI elements. This will allow you to specify the locations of the files and folders you want to back up, as well as let you create incremental, mirrored, or full backups. That’s pretty much the extent of the Advanced functionalities on offer.

Though the program is overall solid, more experienced users may not be fans of the lack of configurability. I found the software to work rather well, but the Advanced mode is anything but, and its Basic counterpart would also benefit from having more options. For instance, if you use any browser other than Chrome, Edge, or Internet Explorer (who still uses that?), there’s no option to back up your data. The same is true for email clients: Outlook, eM Client, and Live Mail are the only supported ones.

Despite the lack of configurability, Backup Assist should nevertheless work well for most users — at the end of the day, simplicity is not necessarily a downside for everyone.