Duplicati

The biggest limitation of Duplicati, as I see it, is that the target of the backup is always a single archive file. Many of the other tools in this space (for example, GFI Backup) can either create a compressed and/or encrypted archive (like Duplicati) OR, a replica of the local file system. This has the merit that tools like GFI Backup can be used for backing up OR for creating and maintaining a mirror.

Oh, and the UI sucks. To run a single back up task once, I have to right click on the system tray icon, then click "wizard", then click "run a backup immediately", then select my backup, then click "next", then click "finish".

That said, the range of places that Duplicati is capable of backing up to is impressive.

- Dave

Soon improved: Duplicati is the only backup-app, with timestamp in backup filenames 1/more hour(s) wrong
Since you are in a country with UTC+1, the time is "off" by one hour.
I live in Austria: Example for a Backup-File-Name: duplicati-inc-content.20110207T161739Z.vol1.zip
Here 1617 is the wrong time of the backup, because the backup was done on 1717.
The wrong timestamp in the file name is confusing, and you should see at a glance, when the backup was done. Until version Jan-2011 the users in most countries (except with UTC 0) get a false information from the filename, it is necessary to create an option to use the local time in the filename, if the backup target is a local directory and not an online target (e.g. Amazon S3 or WebDAV, not MS Skydrive), which is also one of many very useful features of Duplicati.
Nearly all other backup apps use the correct time in the filename in each country.
Actually this is a unique disadvantage of duplicati. The develover of duplicati Kenneth Skovhede quickly picked up the feedback & promised to improve this little disadvantage of this excellent backup application (1):
I'll look into making an option for creating the files with local time format instead.
(1) http://code.google.com/p/duplicati/issues/detail?id=364

Help to translate this promising backup application so that it can be used easier all over the world
The developer of duplicati (Kenneth Skovhede) on 2011-02-09 has opened a new and very easy way to translate the text strings of duplicati by editing Google Docs spreadsheets (1) through everybody, who is able and wants to contribute to the translation from english to his mother language. I think it would make sense to prioritize the Top Ten Internet Languages, see (2).
I personally will do a german translation of the 1232 english strings in the next weeks, because I have a very good opinion of this excellent backup software. I hope that it will be available also as a portable app in the future, and that it will be possible to store also on the free 25GB Microsofts Skydrive.
On 2011-02-12 I have translated already 216 english strings or 18% to german, see the status page in (3).
(1) http://code.google.com/p/duplicati/wiki/HowToTranslate
(2) http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm
(3) http://fwd4.me/vdP

Concerning scheduling, VSS and cleaning up file/folder-backups Duplicati is the best free app
For a good backup functionality it is necessary to cleanup more/older than x backups (CLU) not only older backups than x months, and to configure the schedule of a backup also for each 2nd Monday 10:00 and to pause if the system is busy (Sch).
Comparison of file/folder backup applications:
Comparison ...... CLU . Sch . Language
SyncBack Free...... No ... Yes .. English only
Cobian Backup .. Yes .. No ... Many
Acronis True Im.. Yes .. Yes .. Many
Duplicati ...............Yes .. Yes .. Dan.En.Fr.Port.
Areca Backup ..... No .. Yes .. English only
Personal Backup No .. Yes .. Engl.+German
Saft Backup .........Yes .. No .. Engl.+German

Duplicati (1) is the best free backup application.
Acronis True Image (2) has all necessary functions, has multi-language UI and additionally can do harddisk images with best functions, but it is not free.
Both Duplicati and Saft Backup can do backups with Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), but Saft Backup cannot do a backup on each second Monday and has no flexible file filter. Cobian Backup is very good, but has the big disadvantage, not to be able to schedule a backup e.g. monthly on each 2nd Tuesday.
(1) http://alternativeto.net/software/duplicati/
(2) http://alternativeto.net/software/acronis-true-image/
(3) http://alternativeto.net/software/personal-backup
(4) http://alternativeto.net/software/saft-backup/

One good thing is that the installer- or more accurately the uninstaller, only left behind 3 pieces of trash.

This was a letdown because it's settings mentioned the use of hash checks, presumably to be sure its not corrupting stuff.
But it errored as soon as I ran it, like this:
See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

*** Exception Text ***
System.InvalidOperationException: DragDrop registration did not succeed. ---> System.Threading.ThreadStateException: Current thread must be set to single thread apartment (STA) mode before OLE calls can be made. Ensure that your Main function has STAThreadAttribute marked on it.
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.SetAcceptDrops(Boolean accept)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.SetAcceptDrops(Boolean accept)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnHandleCreated(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.OnHandleCreated(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmCreate(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

*** Loaded Assemblies ***
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.4927 (NetFXspW7.050727-4900)
CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework64/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
Duplicati
Assembly Ve