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Best file system back-up with excellent ROI
October 14, 2019

Best file system back-up with excellent ROI

Gail Dutchess | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Code42 (formerly CrashPlan)

Capriccio Elite, LLC currently uses Code42 to back up all files across all workstations in our agency. This includes sensitive information housed on local computers and our internal file server as well as QuickBooks files. As a stand-alone, the back-ups are reliable. We choose to use Code42 as part of a daisy chain of backups. Meaning, local computers backed up to a NAS and Code42 and NAS backed up to Code42. This more than adequately solves our need to have and access back-ups of files and documents. Furthermore, if a file is deleted locally, it is easy to find and restore from the Code42 console.
  • Code42 really does a very good job of backing up files. The integrity of the files remains good so long as the file was not corrupt to begin with.
  • The with proper setup, managers and users can be alerted based on a scheme set by the user when the work-station has not been backed up for a specified amount of time. We use the default of 3 days for warnings and 5 for critical back-ups.
  • Backups can be scheduled to run during times when internet traffic is high. Meaning, if the user has a low connection, running backups in the background can slow the processes. The ability to choose time to backup is very helpful in these situations.
  • The User Dashboard is user-friendly meaning that once the user logs in, the tabs and options are relatively self-explanatory.
  • Code42 allows the user to choose what files to back-up. This is quite useful as many of the files on a system (such as app data) take up room and speed given the changes within these files make through the day.
  • 2-factor authentication is available as well as users/admin archive key password or custom key.
  • When set up to initiate a backup every time a change is made, the likelihood of "losing" a file is minimized.
  • The login for Code42 still lets you get through to the backups however, one cannot make any adjustments. One must now use the login located at www.crashplanpro.com. I have been frustrated about why I could not see my bills, add licenses, etc by not having this information. It would be helpful to put a re-director for those accustomed to using the old login site.
  • History logs for devices have never worked. The workaround is to go into the device to review the logs. Logs are important when trying to figure out which file threw an error when backing up and why.
  • Not much has changed in online/offline indicators and moving files to a new computer. On the surface, it seems simple but it usually takes 2 or 3 reinstall attempts to get Code42 to recognize the new computer. For example, the backup shows current but is offline.
  • I have used Crash Plan as part of IT business management work where multiple companies backed up files. Restoration of the files is relatively straight forward. From this perspective, the return on the investment is at a minimum of 300%. IE - restoring an entire file or all files from a hard drive is worth every penny of the $10 per month.
  • From the perspective of using Code42 for my business, I have restored files from an entire drive. Because I use redundancy, I was able to restore a QuickBooks file from Code42 that backed up the NAS attached to the workstation. These two scenarios alone make the ROI for our company priceless.
  • The only negative is to be sure to pay attention when restoring files to a new computer or new OS install. It can be tricky and leave you with 2 computers "backing up" instead of one. If ignored, this can be a negative return of investment.
Both AppAssure and Acronis Disaster Recovery Service was used in the IT business management firm in which I worked. AppAssure required off sight storage. It was challenging in that the size of offsite storage was an additional cost and rolling up could take hours. Restoring files only was a challenge to navigate. Other backups used were Backup Assist, Windows server backup, etc. While each was designed to backup servers, it was also intended to restore files. Again, rotating NAS, VSS errors, and other issues made theses systems cumbersome and sometimes incomplete when attempting to do a file only restore. Acronis Disaster Recovery Services was by far superior for system imaging and file restoration. The dashboard is relatively easy to manage, but easier to IT than the simple on-site techie like me. If what you need is file restoration then Code42 is your answer.
I have not accessed Code42 support recently. In years past, the how-to materials seemed to focus more on-premises Crash Plan solutions. At that time (again when it was Crash Plan) phone or chat support was not particularly helpful, often pointing to documents found online. I am sure this is part and parcel of how they keep prices very reasonable but it can be frustrating if you are unable to find the how-to document that addresses your issue (such as history logs).

Do you think CrashPlan delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with CrashPlan's feature set?

Yes

Did CrashPlan live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of CrashPlan go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy CrashPlan again?

Yes

Code 42 is best suited to backup local files on computers including mission-critical files where encryption, access, and security. Redundancy is possible with layers of extra security if needed. Anyone who keeps their photos or other personal information on a computer will greatly appreciate this. Removable media is unfortunately not always reliable. It works well in the cloud environment. It will also backup One Drive files! Probably the best feature is the unlimited backup space for files. Code42 does not do system image backups. This can be a problem in a business environment where restoring operating systems of workstations, files servers, and on-premises servers is a need.