Clickfree 160GB Portable Backup Drive review

Backing up irreplaceable data is one of those essential tasks that most of us rarely get around to. Storage Appliance’s ClickFree 160GB Portable Backup Drive greatly simplifies this chore.

Its backup software runs entirely from the disk itself. After you’ve chosen which folders or particular file types you want to back up, the drive will automatically copy these every time it’s plugged into your PC’s USB port. The software supports incremental backups, saving on both time and storage space. Windows Vista users will have to tweak their AutoPlay settings for the ClickFree to work, but the manual contains the necessary instructions. The drive can also back up sets of files from different computers.

Once the 160GB disk is full, older files must be removed manually. You have to use the ClickFree’s software to restore files, which could be a serious problem if it’s accidentally erased or corrupted. You should be able to load the software on to a PC, or browse the backups with Windows Explorer.

The ClickFree is ideal if you’re lazy, but it’s expensive; standard 160GB portable disks cost around £40. See our backing-up feature in Shopper 252 for better-value ways of safeguarding your files.