The Bottom Line
Pros
- Compact Outlook Express Backup backs up OE mail, contacts and settings
- Creating Compact Outlook Express Backup backups can be automated using the system scheduler
- Compact Outlook Express Backup is particularly easy to use
Cons
- Compact Outlook Express Backup supports OE only, cannot be used to migrate to a different program
- Rotating backup copies is not possible with Compact Outlook Express Backup alone
- Compact Outlook Express Backup uses a proprietary format and cannot create self-expanding backups
Description
- Compact Outlook Express Backup creates backups of Outlook Express data automatically or manually.
- Data supported by Compact OE Backup includes mail, contacts, settings, accounts, signatures and rules.
- Compact Outlook Express Backup can be scheduled using the system scheduler.
- Using macros, Compact Outlook Express Backup creates unique file names and comments.
- Backups created with Compact Outlook Express Backup are compressed and can be password-protected.
- Compact Outlook Express Backup can be used to migrate OE data from one computer to another.
- Compact Outlook Express Backup supports Windows 2000/3/XP and Outlook Express 5/6.
Guide Review - Compact Outlook Express Backup 2.0
Selecting which data you want to protect — Compact Outlook Express Backup can archive mail, contacts, settings, accounts, filters and signatures — and clicking "Backup" is all there is to being safe.
Scheduling automatic backups using the system scheduler is just as easy in Compact Outlook Express Backup — as is, of course, restoring data from a backup copy. This ease of operation can be used not only to protect against data loss but also to move all your data and settings to a new computer easily.
It's just a pity that Compact Outlook Express Backup does use a proprietary format and cannot create archives that automatically install the data or extract it to a more common format. Of course, it would be nice if the simplicity and ease of Compact Outlook Express Backup would be available for other email programs as well — possibly even to migrate data from one to another.
In automatic backup mode, Compact Outlook Express Backup's macros for creating file names come handy, though rotating backups is not an option. Compact Outlook Express Backup backups are compressed and can be protected with a simple password.
