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Remote backup reviews: xdrive, Box.Net fail to provide reliable remote storage solutions Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

In reality, xdrive often failed to mount at all when I used it. Even when it did mount, the behind-the-scenes file upload engine would often leap to 98% CPU usage, hogging nearly all system resources, and refuse to go away until I hit CTRL-ALT-DEL and chose "End Process" to shut down the XdrSmb.exe application. In terms of software applications, xdrive is what I call a "misbehaved system hog." And I know what I'm talking about with software, as I own a software company that's been in business for thirteen years.

I could not find any apparent way to restart a failed upload with xdrive. On its website, xdrive claims to offer "24/7 support." But it isn't support, it's just a user guide and a forum. That's not 24/7 support. To get actual support, you have to call their offices during business hours. You also have to call to cancel your account, apparently, because I could find no way in the account management area to actually cancel your account. The only option available is to upgrade your account or pay for a full year.

The bottom line on xdrive? Steer clear of this one. In my opinion, it's a system crash waiting to happen. And besides, it rarely worked right, at least on my PC. It's no surprise this service is owned by AOL (which is also famous for making it difficult for people to cancel their accounts). Box.net I also tried Box.net, a competing service that appears to have a much nicer user interface. Box.net was also quick about cancelling my service after I decided it didn't work. The problem with Box.net? You have to choose files one at a time to upload them for remote backup.

Thus, both xdrive and Box.net failed to work for me. Neither seems ready for prime time. Perhaps a new remote backup solution will appear in time, and I'll be glad to give it a whirl, but so far, I haven't found a remote backup solution that really works. For now, your best bet is probably to buy an external hard drive, copy your files to it, and mail it to a friend who can keep it in a safe place. It's reliable, easy to figure out, and there's no monthly fee involved.

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ABOUT THE CREATOR OF NATURALPEDIA: Mike Adams, the creator of this NaturalNews Naturalpedia, is the editor of NaturalNews.com, the internet's top natural health news site, creator of the Honest Food Guide (www.HonestFoodGuide.org), a free downloadable consumer food guide based on natural health principles, author of Grocery Warning, The 7 Laws of Nutrition, Natural Health Solutions, and many other books available at www.TruthPublishing.com, creator of the earth-friendly EcoLEDs company (www.EcoLEDs.com) that manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting products, founder of Arial Software (www.ArialSoftware.com), a permission e-mail technology company, creator of the CounterThink Cartoon series (www.NaturalNews.com/index-cartoons.html) and author of over 1,500 articles, interviews, special reports and reference guides available at www.NaturalNews.com. Adams' personal philosophy and health statistics are available at www.HealthRanger.org.