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Seagate Backup Exec 98 Means Peace of Mind

Seagate's versatile package now handles both Windows 95 and 98, along with CD-R and CD-RW.

By Rex Farrance, PCWorld   

You try to start Windows, and all you get is a black screen with a little point of light blinking at the upper left corner of your screen. After several attempts at a reboot, you realize what you're in for--at the very least, a time-consuming reinstallation of Windows, assuming your hard disk is still okay and only the operating system has been corrupted. Follow that up with a likely reinstallation of all your applications. Then, if you've been smart enough to back up your data, you'll have to restore your work. If you didn't back up the data--and it's critical to your livelihood--maybe it's time to start a new career.

Seagate's $99 Backup Exec Desktop 98 (a $29 upgrade) removes all that angst. An improved version of its rock-solid Windows 95 predecessor, this utility works with Windows 98 as well as Windows 95. And it goes far beyond the basic Seagate Backup applet that's integrated with Windows 98. In addition to the tape drives the Windows 98 applet supports, Backup Exec Desktop 98 will work with a wide range of other removable media drives, including CD-R and CD-RW. In the crisis described above, you'll really appreciate Emergency Restore. Like most full-featured backup programs, Backup Exec Desktop 98 also gives you scheduling and cataloging features to ensure that backups are made and tracked.

Emergency Restore to the Rescue
The first thing I tested after an uneventful installation of Backup Exec Desktop 98 was Emergency Restore. In the middle of a crisis, the last thing you want is to have to reinstall Windows and your backup package before you can start restoring apps and data. So I did a full backup, using my Iomega parallel port tape drive. Then I let Backup Exec Desktop 98 guide me through the preparation of an emergency floppy disk. Finally, I swallowed hard and reformatted my hard drive--wiping out 1.2GB of operating system, apps, and data in the process. The emergency floppy is bootable, which is a good thing because, of course, my hard drive would no longer boot. Following Emergency Restore's clear instructions, I launched the restoration. The whole process was remarkably simple. It took three full hours for the applet stored on my emergency floppy to complete the restoration--but I didn't have to reinstall a thing. Just like that, my PC was back to normal. You can't do this with Windows 98's backup applet!

Straightforward and Easy to Use
The program automatically detects the devices available for backing up: If you have, say, a CD-RW drive and a tape drive it will note the presence of both and allow you to pick the one you want to use. And Backup Exec Desktop 98 has the same easy-to-use interface featured on its predecessor, with Backup and Restore wizards that take you step by step through selecting what you want to back up or restore. For example, it asks first if you want to back up your whole PC or individual files and folders. You'll choose the former for your first backup--that's the key to letting you restore without reinstalling Windows. The program will even back up the files Windows has open when it's running. At the next step, the wizard asks if you want to back up all files or just those that have changed. Again, your first move will be to back up everything. The program was so clear and easy, I never needed the CD-based manuals (which are quite good).

This program--in its many versions--has been the desktop market leader for years, and it's bundled with many backup devices. With its improved device support and affinity for Windows 98, Seagate Backup Exec 98 is simply the best backup program I've ever used.