MinuteMan Data Backup Suite Reviewer's Comments

We were disappointed with MinuteMan Data Backup by Backtec Software; the program was frustrating to operate and lacked the tools needed to complete a proper system backup.

Feature Set:  

MinuteMan is missing several vital features. The program cannot perform full, differential, or registry backups. You cannot backup common files such as Internet favorites, address book, or email. The program doesn't backup to remote FTP locations, and we couldn't figure out how to restore the backup to a separate location.

MinuteMan doesn't create system boot disks and doesn't offer CD/DVD burning software. You also can't encrypt your backup, but you can encrypt the password to open your backup for security.

Ease of Use:  

Installation was smooth and error-free, but it was uphill from there.

This program is difficult to learn; the opening page—a blank screen—isn't welcoming or helpful. The backup and restore buttons don't stand out. The program is simply a spreadsheet you use to specify jobs to backup to a zip file. Take a minute to compare the screenshot for MinuteMan to the screenshot for PowerBackup—you'll see the difference.

Adding backup jobs isn't intuitive. In MinuteMan it's a complex process with multiple steps. Knowing what to do next is a challenge, especially for beginners.

Backup/Restore:  

Surprisingly, the backup and restoration ran smoothly once we figured out how to operate the program. But backup is limited to data files only, not your operating system.

Help/Documentation:  

The help documentation offers a topic index of and a search tool; both were useful. We found instructions that taught how to operate features in the program, step-by-step. However, the help file itself was hard to read because the contents are formatted poorly.

Summary:  

We don't recommend Backtec Software's MinuteMan. For your backup needs, consider a higher-ranked backup software product.