Mozy Review
Tested: February/3/2012 |
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Review
The online backup service Mozy has lost some fans lately because of a higher pricing and limited backup space. However, Mozy is still a great choice for everyone who wants to store his or her data online. The PC Magazine Editors Choice Award or the CNET Webware 100 Award, that honors the people's choice* in the best services available today speak for themselves.
Mozy offers an unlimited free trial with 2GB of storage space completely free. And for $5.99 a month (you don't have to subscribe for a year plan) you get 50 GB of online backup space for one computer. There is no setup fee, no expiration and no credit card request. If you need more space, Mozy has also a plan with 125 GB space for $9.99/month for up to 3 computers. You can add additional computers for $2 per month per computer and additional 20 GB of space for $2 per month.
Mozy attaches great importance to security: a 128-bit encryption during data transfers, a 448-bit Blowfish encryption on the servers and your own private symmetric encryption key secure your private files.
The setup is surprisingly easy: you download the software client and the setup wizard takes you through the installation. After the configuration, you decide between automatic or scheduled backups. From there Mozy runs in the background and backups the smallest changes - with no noticeable performance loss.
You can access your backup files from any computer, but unfortunately there is a limited number of restores per month (~ 5). Unlike Carbonite, Mozy doesn't offer the right-click menu option to choose a specific file for immediate backup.
Bottom line: Mozy is still a great service that you can't go wrong with. It gives you 2 GB long term storage for free and some great features. The software worked in our test without any problem. With $5,99 a month it's still affordable, but the limit of 50 GB is a big disadvantage. In this respect Carbonite does a better job with its unlimited storage for only $4,58 a month.
P.S. Mozy also offers Mac Support.
P.P.S. Business owners can use the Pro-Version (MozyPro). You need one desktop license for each computer = $3.95 + $0.50/GB per month and one server license for each server you are backing up = $6.95 + $0.50/GB per month.
*: For user comments please scroll down to the bottom of the page.
 | To Mozy |
Pros and Cons:
The Pros:
- Free Trial for an Unlimited Period of Time
- 2 GB Storage Absolutely Free (No setup fee, No credit card, No expiration)
- Easy to Set Up
- Automatic Backup
- Tracks Changes in Background
- Pro-Version for Business Users (MozyPro)
- Mac Support
- Positive User Comments
- PC Magazine Editors Choice Award
- CNET Webware 100 Winner
The Cons:
- Storage Limit (50 GB)
- Competition offers better prices and unlimited storage
- Limited number of restores per month
- Limited file versioning
| To Mozy |
How Mozy Works:
1. Sign up for an account.
Create a MozyHome user account which will allow you to download MozyHome software. Its quick, easy and our step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process.
2. Download and install software.
MozyHome downloads in just seconds, and the installation is simple and fast.
3. Select files to be backed up.
Simply check the boxes next to the backup sets, or types of files you want to back up, and MozyHome does the rest. In addition to selecting files by backup sets, you also have the option of selecting specific files and directories.
Open/locked file support: Mozy will back up your documents whether they're open or closed.
128-bit SSL encryption: The same technology used by banks secures your data during the backup process.
448-bit Blowfish encryption: Secures your files while in storage, providing peace of mind that your private data is safe from hackers.
Automatic: Schedule the times to back up and MozyHome does the rest.
New and changed file detection: MozyHome finds and saves the smallest changes.
Backs up Outlook files: Disaster-proof email protection.
Block-level incremental backup: After the initial backup, MozyHome only backs up files that have been added or changed, making subsequent backups lightning fast.
Mozy News:
CNET named Mozy the 2009 CNET Webware 100 winner in the Infrastructure & Storage category. The Webware 100 Award honors the people? choice in the best sites and services available today.
"Without reservation, Mozy is my pick as the best online backup service."
Tim Fisher, About.com
"I've actually been using Mozy for several years with great success. I recommend it highly and often."
Jon L. Jacobi, PC World
"I use the online-backup service Mozy to archive my critical documents and Outlook PST files."
Rick Broida and Robert Vamosi, PC World
"Mozy offers reasonably priced unlimited online backup that's highly configurable..."
PC Magazine Editors Choice Award
| To Mozy |
For more info on online backup, go to
User Comments:
by Spencer - Rating: 
I just lost a disk in my PC and was able to restore over 56GB of data which included 8 years of pictures and all our music, personal and other data. Thanks, Mozy. You guys provide an incredible service.
I just lost a disk in my PC and was able to restore over 56GB of data which included 8 years of pictures and all our music, personal and other data. Thanks, Mozy. You guys provide an incredible service.
by James E. Lee - Rating:
I submitted a support request yesterday (Friday) evening and got a really well-written response *that solved my problem* from Jayanth the same evening. Now *that's* good support! I wasn't expecting support over the weekend; nice surprise! I'm very glad to see that Mozy isn't skimping on customer support, as many companies seem to do. In this case, it was excellent; I couldn't have been happier with this experience! This makes me even happier and more confident to recommend the service to others.
I submitted a support request yesterday (Friday) evening and got a really well-written response *that solved my problem* from Jayanth the same evening. Now *that's* good support! I wasn't expecting support over the weekend; nice surprise! I'm very glad to see that Mozy isn't skimping on customer support, as many companies seem to do. In this case, it was excellent; I couldn't have been happier with this experience! This makes me even happier and more confident to recommend the service to others.
by Sachin Premkumar - Rating:
mozy rocksxx
mozy rocksxx
by Lee Osborne - Rating:
This truly is a good product. 5 Stars
Lee Osborne
This truly is a good product. 5 Stars
Lee Osborne
by puppydog56 - Rating:
So Far So Good
Pros: Runs fine and does what it is suppose to do.
Cons: None at the moment, have only had a one week so I have nothing to complain about yet.
Summary: It works well.
So Far So Good
Pros: Runs fine and does what it is suppose to do.
Cons: None at the moment, have only had a one week so I have nothing to complain about yet.
Summary: It works well.
by lanceb - Rating:
Back up has never been so easy
Pros: It don't get any easier to back up all your important files and its free.
Cons: None,this is just too easy.
Back up has never been so easy
Pros: It don't get any easier to back up all your important files and its free.
Cons: None,this is just too easy.
by Steven Andres - Rating:
Another vote for Mozy. I use Mozy at home on my Mac Mini and my MacBook and use MozyPro at the office on my XP machine and on my Vista machine. Never failed me once. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Another vote for Mozy. I use Mozy at home on my Mac Mini and my MacBook and use MozyPro at the office on my XP machine and on my Vista machine. Never failed me once. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
by Wes - Rating:
MozyPro the best. I've tested all the different online backup solutions and at the time Mozy was a new company and their client was in beta however I stuck with them and glad I did. I am now a reseller and have 10 businesses and all of them love it. Go and check them out. I get e-mail alerts every time a business doesn? upload so their service is great.
MozyPro the best. I've tested all the different online backup solutions and at the time Mozy was a new company and their client was in beta however I stuck with them and glad I did. I am now a reseller and have 10 businesses and all of them love it. Go and check them out. I get e-mail alerts every time a business doesn? upload so their service is great.
by Heather - Rating:
Just FYI - I use mozy and have never had a problem - I actually needed a restore once and I got it within 3 hours from when I requested it. It also backs up my external hard drives if they are connected at the time of back up.
Just FYI - I use mozy and have never had a problem - I actually needed a restore once and I got it within 3 hours from when I requested it. It also backs up my external hard drives if they are connected at the time of back up.
by Ted Jardine - Rating:
Haven't read through all of the posts above, but I have had absolutely no problems with Mozy and Vista (32-bit Ultimate) and I've been using it for five months now.
Great product.
Haven't read through all of the posts above, but I have had absolutely no problems with Mozy and Vista (32-bit Ultimate) and I've been using it for five months now.
Great product.
by Michael Johnston - Rating:
I recommend Mozy @ $5 a month. I'vee been running it for 6 months and I almost forget it's there, but it's cheap insurance.
by todd - Rating:
I've been using Mozy for a few years now and love it. Backups aside, it is so nice to be in an office, realize I needed the source code I worked on a while back, go up to mozy's site, and bring down the entire project folder.
I've been using Mozy for a few years now and love it. Backups aside, it is so nice to be in an office, realize I needed the source code I worked on a while back, go up to mozy's site, and bring down the entire project folder.
by Jleme - Rating:
I am a new Mozy customer and I am pretty happy with it.
I am a new Mozy customer and I am pretty happy with it.
by Tasty - Rating:
Outstanding free online backup service with enterprise-class features. Not an online storage service, but a complete backup solution?oth the application and service are very impressive.
Outstanding free online backup service with enterprise-class features. Not an online storage service, but a complete backup solution?oth the application and service are very impressive.
by Julina1106 - Rating:
I've been using Mozy for about 10 days. I started with some experiments using the free 2GB version and within days upgraded to the fee-based 5GB version. The verdict? It just works. It does what it claims to do in the background with no fuss and no drama. I emailed Berkeley Data Systems support with one question and got a reply within 24 hours and that was on a weekend so I'm impressed with that. I've also signed my Dad up via the referral scheme and his experience is the same as mine ... it just works.
Oddly enough for something that should be boring (a backup solution that runs in the background), I'm pretty excited about this solution. I have it set up to initiate a backup pretty much as soon as I step away from the keyboard (I have it on 10 minute idle-time threshold) so, subject to it never running a backup within 2 hours of the last one, I only have a 2 hour window of vulnerability for any little change I make to files in My Documents. (I do run other full overnight backups so I think of Mozy as a safety net rather than my only backup.)
Finally, the initial backup can be lengthy (mine ran for about 36 hours with interuptions) but is very unobtrusive while running. I didn't notice it at all while web surfing, doing email and some OpenOffice stuff and I even held an hour long conference call via my VOIP phone while Mozy was doing the initial backup (I forgot Mozy was running when I scheduled the call) and the voice quality was unaffected, it was perfect throughout the call!
I've been using Mozy for about 10 days. I started with some experiments using the free 2GB version and within days upgraded to the fee-based 5GB version. The verdict? It just works. It does what it claims to do in the background with no fuss and no drama. I emailed Berkeley Data Systems support with one question and got a reply within 24 hours and that was on a weekend so I'm impressed with that. I've also signed my Dad up via the referral scheme and his experience is the same as mine ... it just works.
Oddly enough for something that should be boring (a backup solution that runs in the background), I'm pretty excited about this solution. I have it set up to initiate a backup pretty much as soon as I step away from the keyboard (I have it on 10 minute idle-time threshold) so, subject to it never running a backup within 2 hours of the last one, I only have a 2 hour window of vulnerability for any little change I make to files in My Documents. (I do run other full overnight backups so I think of Mozy as a safety net rather than my only backup.)
Finally, the initial backup can be lengthy (mine ran for about 36 hours with interuptions) but is very unobtrusive while running. I didn't notice it at all while web surfing, doing email and some OpenOffice stuff and I even held an hour long conference call via my VOIP phone while Mozy was doing the initial backup (I forgot Mozy was running when I scheduled the call) and the voice quality was unaffected, it was perfect throughout the call!
by Tazzman - Rating:
I am using this for my store. (NON ESS FILES ONLY) I have been now for 2 months, I have to tell you, I am VERY impressed. Backup/Restore is easy. Being BETA I expected a few problems, so far just will not run as schedualed. I have to do the manual backup. I would like to see a ?yncronise feature to show what needs to be backed up. If the BETA is what the final product will be, ie:2 gig free, then we FINALY have a NO EXCUSE system for data backup. After the BETA if final, I plan on buying more drive space. I like the idea of having an offsite data backup
I am using this for my store. (NON ESS FILES ONLY) I have been now for 2 months, I have to tell you, I am VERY impressed. Backup/Restore is easy. Being BETA I expected a few problems, so far just will not run as schedualed. I have to do the manual backup. I would like to see a ?yncronise feature to show what needs to be backed up. If the BETA is what the final product will be, ie:2 gig free, then we FINALY have a NO EXCUSE system for data backup. After the BETA if final, I plan on buying more drive space. I like the idea of having an offsite data backup
by Cbrumer - Rating:
I've used this Remote Backup one 3 computers for several months now and I love it! With 2G of free space and as much as 20G for a small annual fee, this is an awesome and effortless addition to my disaster and recovery solution. I installed the software, configured the interface to backup the files and directories of my choice and forgot about it. I recommend this to anyone looking for a remote backup solution.
I've used this Remote Backup one 3 computers for several months now and I love it! With 2G of free space and as much as 20G for a small annual fee, this is an awesome and effortless addition to my disaster and recovery solution. I installed the software, configured the interface to backup the files and directories of my choice and forgot about it. I recommend this to anyone looking for a remote backup solution.
| To Mozy |
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Staples charged me $80 to backup my files when they replaced my hard drive. They backed nothing up! I found it all and was able to replace it from my FREE Mozy backups. Income tax return, financial records, resumes. Thank you SOOO much Mozy!