KERRY DAWSON  I've used Data Backup without trouble for at least two years without incident until Snow Leopard came out. The introduced 3.1 for Snow Leopard compatibility. It still isn't compatible. In fact, I finally realized the backups were doing strange things like running at odd times, more than it should on the schedule and thus I had no confidence in the backups it was creating.

Support has been responsive but they have been telling me this is going to be fixed soon and Snow Leopard came out 3 months ago. The 3.1 still has not been updated with a fix. The last I heard from support is that its going to be fixed soon but I had this odd feeling the developer has gone a missing.

This is not cheap software. I decided to get Get Backup 2 which complements Time Machine nicely and works fine with Time Machine. In fact, everything I have worked with Time Machine shortly after it came out. SuperDuper, another excellent backup and cloning software was Snow Leopard compatible almost from the get go.

I used to be a Retrospect user before Data Backup and switched to Data Backup as I liked its rotational capability. I tried Retrospect v8 which is Snow Leopard compatible but it really is overkill for my needs. If Data Backup worked like it used to, it would be great. However, it doesn't and I am left with little confidence in their ability to deal with this issue of making their software SL compatible. This is backup software and its used for safety. This is appalling that this program is being marketed on here as Snow Leopard compatible. If you buy it, check your logs if you have it doing scheduled backups or even just manually backup. You'll find the time stamps in he logs make no sense. So how can you trust anything that is backed up if it has to be restored.

I'd stay away from this program even if they paid you to take it let alone you paying them.

My ratings are based solely on this does not work with Snow Leopard after 3 months and I had to invest in another Backup program which should never have been the case.  
(Version 3.1)

ERICSACKETT  Data Backup 3 is very good as a backup and archiving program. It fills in that spot that SuperDuper and Time Machine miss. It suffers a bit in its interface and ease of use, but I've never had a problem with it.  
(Version 3.1)

TVALLEAU  I've been using DataBackup for several years now. Contrary to other reviews, I've not had any trouble with it at all. No "internal errors" - nothing. For me (currently on 10.5.8) DataBackup "just works" and I'm delighted with it. I use it in conjunction with Super Duper. I'm a semi-retired Mac programmer, and so I've used it "in both directions" (meaning backup and restore both) and it's been there for m 100% of the time.

Neither have I had trouble with the company; they have been quite responsive the few times I've dealt with them.  
(Version 3.1)

SHERMAN WILCOX  This application is not compatible with Snow Leopard, won't even launch. Prosoft's website has claimed an upgrade will be released "in the next few days" since the release of Snow Leopard, but there is still no compatible version. This is simply unacceptable for a critical utility such as this.   
(Version 3.0.5)

SJG70  This backup software does all that I want (backing up my harddrive, cloning, maintaining a copy of my PDF library on a Flashdrive). I think their support deserves some praise: they recently very efficiently resolved a problem I was having, quickly providing me with very clear, comprehensive information. In fact it is probably the most professional support experience I've had. They obviously want the software to work for you.  
(Version 3.0.5)

JEFF NAILEN  I've had major problems with Data Backup over two versions: version 2 and the new version 3. I've really wanted to like this app as a highly recommended alternative to Retrospect. But I've had a series of problems over the years including executor problems and 'internal errors' once I finally got past the executor problems. What's worse, when I contacted tech support they just wanted to sell me the upgrade to version 3 rather than help with my problem. I had to be persistent and send more emails before they would actually provide tech support. Bad sign.

Like a fool, I went ahead and upgraded to version 3 anyway (hoping it had been improved with the upgrade) after the executor problem had finally been solved by tech support only to encounter 'internal errors' when making routine, albeit extremely slow performing backups with version 3.0.5 (on a system I keep clean and running smoothly by performing routine weekly and monthly maintenance with the best utilities and no hacks).

When this happens the backup stops. When you resume the backup after having to quit Data Backup and restarting, it doesn't pick up the backup where it left off, but starts over making it extremely slow. But it never finished a single complete backup due to 'internal errors' that are never explained so there's no way to solve the problem.

Needless to say, I no longer use it because it simply doesn't work and tech support is slow and unresponsive. After doing much research including reading Joe Kissell's excellent Take Control eBooks, I now use dedicated apps for dedicated backups: Time Machine + an Apple Time Capsule for automatic hourly archive backups; the excellent SuperDuper for automatic bootable duplicates to an external drive; and CrashPlan Pro and BackJack for automatic offsite backups over the Internet. Once it's all set up as explained in Joe's eBooks it works consistently like a charm with no hassles. That's the way it should be.

Don't buy this product; there are better ones out there with better tech support.  
(Version 3.0.5)

DCH1951  If you ever have any problems or issues with this excellent program, simply delete it in it's entirety;

I recommend either the included Uninstaller, but AppZapper or AppCleaner work fine as well. Reinstall it, run Disk Utility/Repair Permissions, then restart your Mac. Launch it, enter your registration info and everything will work as it should. This fix was provided by ProSoft, the author of the utility.  
(Version 3.0.5)

PROWL  Data Backup completely saved my computer.

I had recently acquired Data Backup and was still in the trial mode in version 3.0. It was time to upgrade from OSX 10.4 to 10.5. For the first time ever, I made a clone of my entire hard drive prior to the system "upgrade and archive". I had never done this before, because Apple stuff "just works".

Well, this time it didn't work. The 10.5 installer crashed, and left behind enough garbage on the disk that I did not have enough space to do another upgrade. My only option was to "erase and install" on a currently un-bootable computer. I did the erase and install, and used the Migration Assistant (Mac) to migrate all the files from the clone back to my computer.

Everything was back to working - no data lost.

The free trial (by fire, as it turned out) clearly demonstrated the value of the program, and I bought 3.0.4.  
(Version 3.0.4)

JOHN LOACH  I own three products now from ProSoft Engineering - Drive Genius, Data Rescue, and Data Backup. All three work exactly as described, with a very professional appearance and great attention to getting the job done.

Data Backup is fast. Once you've created the initial backup, the subsequent version backups are fast and accurate. Restoring files from version dates is very easy and quick.

Support is excellent, too. Good customer forum, and updates are always worth the investment.   
(Version 3.0.4)

ESPIRIDION  As a comment to the previous reviewer, Time Machine is NOT a replacement for this type of software.

Regarding Data Backup 3.0.3, when it works it is great. It’s not complicated and does what it’s supposed to do. In the past I cloned one drive and synchronized another.

Unfortunately, there are many bugs while creating and saving -or trying to save- new sets. For example, sometimes after I select the source and destination drives, the summary at the top indicates “”.

Other times, after I select a destination drive, a different drive is selected by Data Backup. This is absurd.

Finally, when everything seems to work out fine and I decide to save the set, Data Backup quits. It’s unusable.

I have recommended Drive Genius and Data Rescue II, but this one is pretty bad. Unfortunately the last time I contacted Prosoft I just received the following two messages:

“Your comments have been forwarded to a Sales Agent...”

“Your question has been forwarded to a Customer Support Specialist...“

I never got a response addressing my actual problem. I may email them regarding this issue, but meanwhile I’m giving Synk another try.  
(Version 3.0.3)

MAC-KIWI  It's obsolete with OSX 10.5. "TimeMachine" is the Future.   
(Version 3.0.3)

SHOTGUNWEDDINGS  Excellent back up tool!

Simple and straight forward. With this tool and SuperDuper (for it's scripting power), I'll be one happy Mac user!

Thanks for a great product ProSoft, yet again!  
(Version 3.0.3)

INGUTJE  I've experienced with LaCie silverkeeper and apple backup, but Data Backup 3.0.1 is the first product to create a bootable clone of my harddisk and it did it in a simple way. Thanks a lot!  
(Version 3.0.1)

ZEWS  I just got Data Backup 3.0 with my brand new OWC external fire wire hard drive.

For the first total back up of my Mac, I created a clone of my HD, so I would have a bootable external HD in case of an internal HD failure.

The backup seemed to run just fine. I can open the drive and folders and run apps from there.

However, I cannot boot the external drive. And when I try to, the spinning wheel just spins. After about 15 minutes of this, I gave up. The only way, I was able to stop the process, was by cutting the power to the computer. Always a nice way to deal with a computer.

I thought I swithced to a Mac, because "Everything just works!" What a cruel joke, that turned out to be.

Does anyone have any suggestions for better software than this.  
(Version 3.0)

CLANCEY  Version 3, like version 2, has a tendency to crash when renaming backup sets. It only remembers the default backup sets. Half the time I try to run it manually, I have to re-install. Once the thing is setup, it seems to function properly.  
(Version 3.0)

SHERMAN  I waited for v.3 and I must say I'm disappointed. The interface (they claim it has been redesigned) is still the old, cramped interface. The areas where you see the source and destination paths cannot be expanded and often are so small that you can't see the entire path (sometimes scroll bars appear when needed, but not always). Functionally, it seems to burn CDs well. But I've had it crash *several* times when trying to select a source or destination, both when backing up and when restoring. Worse, when I tried to do a restore to my desktop, DataBackup changed the permissions on my desktop folder -- everything on the desktop disappeared, and I couldn't create a folder or file on the desktop. I finally figured out that the desktop folder permissions had been set to System; changing it back fixed the problem. But it certainly doesn't give much confidence in a backup program!  
(Version 3.0)

GETSOMESAUCE  This is some good stuff! Don't pay full price though...you can get it from Other World Computer for about $14 bucks less (I don't work for them, but people should know how to get good software at a better price). Just go to http://www.macsales.com/prosoft and toss it in your basket for a mere $45. I don't know if/when this price will expire. Powerful program! Thank you, Prosoft!  
(Version 2.1)

DB  I have been using version 2 since it came out. It works well and is simple to configure. I can set it up and let it run. Restoration of previous file versions were easy to recreate by locating the correct file based on date. Any questions I had were quickly answered by their responsive and knowledgable customer service people (thank you Val). In one instance I was able to communicate directly with the software writer. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this product (2.0.4). I look forward to using 2.0.5 in Tiger.  
(Version 2.0.5)

ANONYMOUS  Never liked this version, especially after 1.2 does the job well enough. This one just makes life more difficult all around.

What is worse, it would not accept my 2.0.2 registration.  
(Version 2.0.4)

JONATHAN DALE  I would definitely be wary about upgrading from 1.22 to 2.x since it is a major new release and as some one else has stated, a lot of the functionality and control over that functionality has been lost.

There are sever issues with managing saved backups (the only way to modify a saved backup is by creating a new one - duh!) and also it has problems backing up to network shares, such as Samba, since it insists on re-copying many files which have never changed on the source.

Version 1.22 was very easy to use and backed up data perfectly; this version has many more updates required before it is even close to being a version 2 upgrade.  
(Version 2.0.2)

IWILL  I bought a site license of version 1.2.2 of Data Backup for our company. This so called version 2.0 is anything but a version 2.0 of the product. It is in fact a brand new product and should have a different name and be version 1.0. When this product was based on Tri-Edre's Tri-Backup (version 1.22) it was good. The interface gave you lots of options. Few of the capabilities in version 1.22 were included in version 2.0. No longer can I control how many versions of a file are saved or for how long an old file will be kept or any of the other fine grained controls that I liked about version 1.22. Also, I don't have any settings for the application itself such as wether I want it to run in administrator mode or not. It can't even do all of the things it claims to do -- i.e. backup to network shares. It has stability problems (kernel panics on 2 machines) and the installer for some reason doesn't always work correctly. On the good side the interface is very simple so just about anyone should be able to use it with very little help.  
(Version 2.0)