Internet Marketing & Social Media Connections

Online Backup for Your Computer Part II

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Earlier this summer I wrote about a computer disaster story most of us are familiar with - crashed computer and NO backed up files and the backup service I started using, Mozy.

Many of you who are connected to me on Twitter and Facebook have probably heard my moaning and groaning over my recent computer failure - computer started acting funny, running sluggish, crashing, etc. and I thought maybe it could be cured with a good clean-up and maybe a repair install of Windows.  Took it to my trusty computer guys and got the dreaded call, “Sorry K but your hard drive failed, we’re going to have to put a new one in.” Ugh.

He asked me if I had all of my files backed up….YES, I DO! Woo hoo, at least I can say that much this time! Learned my lesson on that one!  So he replaced the hard drive, it’s 2 1/2 times the size of my last one so I have more than double the space (it’s own little blessing in disguise…or so I convince myself at least!) and it’s all cleaned up like a brand new computer when I get home & running like lightning.

So, on to the true test…using Mozy to actually restore my files. It was actually pretty easy, all you do is go on to the site and download Mozy to your new comp/refreshed comp; it’ll ask you if you want to replace your old comp, yes you do. Then you request, with the click of a button, your backup files. It takes several hours for the request to be fulfilled, but as I remember it was less than 6 hrs, or around that time, which gave me time to start reinstalling all of my other programs anyways.

Once your request is complete, you get an email telling you that your files are ready. They will come in the form of compressed files, the number depends on how much info you had backed up. You click the download links and DL the compressed files to your computer and then extract them. Once they’re extracted, you’ll need to go in and put them all back in their respective places (which I’m still working on but at least I have access to the files while I work on putting them all back in their places…and this gives me a chance to re-organize everything because it had all gotten to be a bit of a mess after a while and needed cleaning up anyways). I also plan to make a backup disk of the restored files just to have on hand as an in-case measure because your backup files from the old comp are only available from Mozy for 30 days and after you initially DL them, you will need to request the list from support if for some reason you need them again…but you still only have 30 days to my knowledge. I will probably never need the backup CD but I prefer to be safe than sorry. You can alternatively request a copy of your backup files on disk via FedEx but it costs and using the web DL is free.

So the $5/mo was totally worth it and at least I had peace of mind that everything was backed up. I’m still sorting through the files so I don’t know if anything’s missing or whatever just yet but it ‘looks’ to be in place…and I know my client files which are of THE MOST importance (even though I have a lot of other important stuff too) are there and it looks like all my pics made it so I think we’re all good…and if I find something gone, trust me the entire world will be the first to hear! So far it has been pretty painless.

The one thing I DIDN’T like was that they have no type of virus/adware/spyware scanner on their end to scan and clean infected files before they save them. So if you have some infected files, once you get your new/cleaned up computer, you’ll be putting the infected files right back on your computer and that’s exactly what happened to me. After DLing the files, I ran a virus scan and had a bunch of infestations (my comp was running bad for a while and would crash when running a virus scan there at the end before I finally took it in so I’m sure it was vulnerable toward the end when I was refusing to let it go because I have issues with stalking my own computer LOL) and all of the viruses were located in the DL files so I know that’s where they came from.

I emailed Mozy about this and here’s the convo:

(initial inquiry from me)

I have a question – do you guys not have a system in place to scan files for viruses as they are backed up? It looks like some of the files may have had viruses/adware and when they DLed to my comp, they brought the viruses/adware with them? This is the type of service that should protect your data and if they are infected, you’re just putting infected data back on your comp after cleaning it up. Is this something that you guys don’t have in place?

Thanks.

Karen J.

(first response from Mozy Support)

Hi,

Please be informed that what ever you backup on the Mozy server you exactly get the same thing .In case if you have uploaded a file on the Mozy server which consists of virus while restoring you will exactly get the same thing and we donot have any thing which scans your document .

Thanks,
**name removed**
Mozy Support

(my response)

Well yeah I figured that out since finding viruses in the files that I replaced on my computer with backup files. Is there some reason that you don’t implement safeguards to prevent this type of thing? No one wants to put infected files back on their computer and I had no idea that’s what I would end up with. Obviously most people are going to back up their entire computer and potentially unknowingly end up with infested files in the backup files, but if you guys had a scanning system in place that cleaned out files as they are backed up, everyone would end up with clean files and not replace infested files on their computer.

Please forward this to management if you are not sure why there is no system in place for this and I would like to know if there are any plans to implement such.

(their reply)

Hi Karen,

I will certainly forward this suggestion to our management team.I am sure they would think of a workaround for this and you shall be updated about the same if there are any such update launched by Mozy Team.

Please let us know if we can be of any other help at the moment or we shall close the ticket ?

Thanks
**name removed**
Mozy Support

(my response)

I appreciate it and I’d actually like them to respond to my inquiries about this personally because I would like to hear their thoughts on this.  I.e., I don’t only want it forwarded to them but I’d also like them to email me about it within the next couple of days for further discussion…it’s a pretty important topic and I don’t want the suggestion just passed along and then forgotten about.

Thanks **name removed** =)

Karen J.

(response from management)

Hi Karen

I appreciate your concern. I would like to inform you that the Mozy development team is continuously working day on day to make the Mozy product more efficient and more user friendly.
There are plans in the pipeline and I am sure that will be implemented in the future. However, at this time this is all we can say.

Thanks
**name removed**
Mozy Support

(my reply)

I would hope the development team might consider pushing this to the front of the priority list since it’s a rather urgent and important issue. People often have to take their computer to be repaired from viruses and when they get back home they don’t want to download infected files right back to their computer from your, and especially a paid, service.

Karen J.

I haven’t gotten another reply as of yet, that last reply from me was about 12 hours ago. To me, it’s a common sense move but we’ll see what happens.

I was chatting with a buddy from Twitter and he suggested scanning the archive online before DLing but the way it’s set up I’ll have to figure out if you can do that…and how. Because they are zipped files, I’m not sure if you have to extract them first to actually remove the viruses, etc. but def something to think about; however, I think the ideal solution, and the sensible thing for them to do, is install this process on their backend so that any threat is cleaned out as they back it up. –especially since they specifically reference viruses attacking your computer on their site so giving the virus right back to us is pretty retroactive to the whole point of backing up and protecting your files.

Nevertheless Mozy did secure my files so that I didn’t lose everything so that much I’m thankful for. And aside from securing my files:

• I like that it auto backs up everything at the time interval I set it at so I don’t have to worry about remembering to backup (currently set at every 12 hours because I’m always working on my computer).
• It’s off-site so if my house burns down (goodness forbid) my data is still safe.
• The pricing is good.
• You need zero tech knowledge, everything happens with the click of a button or two (except for the auto-backups which require NO clicks or actions from you whatsoever).
• Customer service was fast at responding to my inquiries and helpful (I had to re-request the links of my files after the original download).

The only improvements I suggest at this time:

• Virus scanning as the files are backed up to their system - I think this is the VERY NEXT thing they should be working on RIGHT NOW (i.e., do not pass go, do not collect $200, implement a system immediately). We don’t want to immediately re-infest our computer with viruses after getting it all cleaned up so Mozy, let’s do better than “I’m sure it will be implemented in the future, that’s all we can say right now.”  This is a BIG DEAL.
• Monitor their social networks (Twitter) a little more closely. This is a big player for all businesses these days.

Other than that, I like Mozy.  I noticed that a competitor is offering remote access to your backed up files anytime, anyplace - without having to DL all of the backup files, you can just pull up a doc that you need, etc. This is cool and something Mozy should also consider.

Thoughts? Do you use an off-site backup system or onsite? Experiences, tips?

Karen J,
@areaK

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1. Online Backup for Your Computer
2. Your Desk on Your Computer…Literally