FBackup - free data backup solution

FBackup is a free backup utility which can be used for both personal and commercial purposes with no restriction. It protects your important data by backing it up automatically to any USB/Firewire device, local or network location. The backed up data can be either compressed (using standard zip compression) or an exact copy of the original files.

It is a simple, reliable data backup solution with fairly limited capabilities.  It has a basic scheduler to run individual jobs at hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly intervals and has just two choices for backup style, full and mirror with no opportunity to make incremental or differential options.  In a full mode, a complete backup is performed, as compressed into a zip archive with the encryption abilities, and mirror mode offers cloning files from source to destination without any form of compression.  

Software supports copying locked and open files and handles successfully long file names, and files with Unicode characters without a problem.  It also has the ability to run pre and post job tasks which can come in very handy at times.  At the completion of the backup job, it tests the integrity of the files through CRC32 algorithm.

One of the strongest advantages of the software is availability of the specific plugins in the Backup4all family, allowing performing specialized backup a variety for several popular programs.  For example there are plugins that will help you set up automatic backups of email clients like Outlook Express, Windows Mail, or Mozilla Thunderbird, or your media programs, like iTune or Musicmatch Jukebox.      

FBackup offers multi-language support which eases the daily use of the program and will help you to use it as efficiently as possible especially if English is not your native language.

FBackup is free data backup software, and it is not recommended for full system backup (disk image backups). So, if you need the complete Hard Drive backup check in the related category on the listing of the Site Content at the sidebar.

How to create a backup job using FBackup

Steps needed to create a backup job:

1. Open FBackup and select File->New Backup (Ctrl+N).
2. On the first page enter a name for your backup in the Name field and choose the backup destination. Press Next.
3. On the What do you want to backup page, add the files and folders you want to back up. Press Next.
4. On the How do you want to backup page, select a backup type: Make full or Make mirror.
5. Press Save.

Once this backup job was defined, you can start the actual backup by pressing the Backup button (or F6). Additionally you can schedule this backup job to be executed automatically at certain time intervals.

How run an existing backup job using FBackup

In the FBackup's main view, right click a job from the backup list and select Make Backup (F6).

Website: http://www.fbackup.com/

Backup4all free plugins page: http://www.backup4all.com/en/backup-plugins.html

Direct download (latest install release 4.5.229): http://www.ziddu.com/download/12448675/fbsetup.exe.html

Direct download (latest portable version release 4.5.229): http://www.ziddu.com/download/12448768/FBackup4.5.229Portable.zip.html

File size: 12.5 MB

Supported OS: Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2008/2003/2000 Server (32 and 64-bit)

HDTune - Hard Drive Benchmarking and Information

HD Tune is a hard disk utility that can burst speed test, temperature, reference and information. You can use it to measure the raw performance of your drive, including transfer rate, burst rate, access time and much more. In addition, it provides detailed information about the features supported disk, as well as the current temperature, SMART information (if available) and an error scanner.

HD Tune is a Hard Disk utility which has the following functions:

• Benchmark: measures the performance
• Info: shows detailed information
• Health: checks the health status by using SMART
• Error Scan: scans the surface for errors
• Temperature display

HD Tune may also work with other storage devices such as memory cards, USB sticks, iPods, etc.
Users reported that this software is able to find bad sectors on the HDD, when chkdsk fails to locate and report them.

You can make this utility portable to run it from your USB Drive, but software will right some registry settings. If you leave the default options/configurations intact (at the options, just DO NOT click OK), the only registry entries left will be the regular entries for recently used documents, recent files, MRU, etc. But these cannot be avoided because they are Microsoft generated, and their impact is insignificant.

Download the installer and extract to a folder of your choice. The application files are located in the {app} subfolder. Copy the folder content to the desired location and launch HDTune.exe. If needed, you can uninstall the utility from your HDD. Anyway, I have loaded both versions for your use. You can choose which one you want.

Operating Systems: Vista/ Win2k/ WinXP

Developers Website: http://www.hdtune.com/

Source: http://webfreebies4u.blogspot.com/2008/08/hard-drive-benchmarking-and-information.html

Password Cracker - Passwords recovery tool

Password Cracker is a simple lightweight portable freeware utility that was created to ensure, that you can easily recover all your misplacing or forgotten passwords to the programs installed on your computer. It works in any programs, when the password is encrypted under the shown asterisks, including Internet Explorer. So using this application, you will no longer have to panic when you lose any of your passwords.

Interface Languages

English, Russian, German, Nederland’s, Spanish, Portuguese Brazilian), and Ukrainian.

License: Freeware

Installation

Password Cracker runs with Windows NT4/95/98/ME/2000/XP/Vista and does not require any installation. Simply create a new folder and unpack all files from zip-archive.

Website: http://www.amlpages.com/dld_plus.shtml

Download: http://www.amlpages.com/Source/pwdcrack.zip