Email Saver Xe v2.0

Reviewed by: Howard Carson, May 2004 (updated August 2007)
Published by: WinGuides Software
Requires: Windows 95, 98, 98SE, Me, NT, 2000 or XP; compatible with Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape Messenger and Opera
MSRP: $39.95

If there's anything more pathetic than someone crying over their keyboard after having deleted some crucial e-mail, I don't know what it is. We've all been there, tears welling up, beseeching whatever gods are listening to please, please, please make the deleted file come back, magically, somehow.

It never happens. The e-mail is gone forever. You didn't do your backups. You already closed and re-opened Outlook (Eudora or Netscape Messenger or Opera) so the Deleted Items folder is also empty. Bye-bye e-mail. Bye-bye file attachment. Or maybe you just had Outlook set to keep deleted items for a certain period of time but the program still conspired against you by crashing and at the same time corrupted all its files. It happens.

 

Dummy! Do your backups! If fiddling through Windows' built-in backup utility buried in the System Tools folder in Accessories in Programs in the Start Menu is too much hassle, or even if you don't mind using Windows Backup but simply aren't sure exactly which file(s) to save, it seems to us that the simplest way to wipe away the prospect of future tears is through the kind and efficient auspices of a dedicated e-mail backup utility. Let's have a round of applause for Email Saver Xe.

As utilities go, this one is simple and straightforward. During installation, Email Saver Xe roots around in your system to find out exactly which mail programs are installed and where their important file and storage locations reside in the system. Launch the software, click the Backup icon, click the subsequent list to choose which identities (e-mail accounts) you want to back up along with signature files, address books, mail folders, message rules (very important for Outlook users!), choose a location to store the backup file(s) and away you go.

When the inevitable happens - when your computer crashes, when Outlook sneezes and destroys its own PST File, when a Eudora mail file is no longer accessible, when Netscape Messenger decides to randomly exit to the desktop, etc., etc. - launch Email Save Xe and click the Restore button. The utility presents you with a list of e-mail clients from which you can select the one you need. The most recent backup file can then be accessed from the location stored you set up in the Email Saver Xe options dialog.

That's it. But that, as they say, is all there's supposed to be. In fact, where backups are concerned, the simpler the better. Email Saver Xe is so simple it can be used to back up or restore by literally anyone capable of turning on a computer and launching a piece of software. As with WinGuides Registry Mechanic, Email Saver Xe is not big on flashy user interface, feature bells and function whistles. It just does its job precisely and swiftly. We've used Email Saver Xe for about 4 weeks during the review process and found ourselves doing e-mail backups regularly - twice a week or more - and in any event much more often than ever before. The reason? Simplicity! Launch the program, click a few times, backup starts, backup ends, e-mail is preserved and protected.


Cons: You can back up e-mail to floppy disk, ZIP disk (100MB, 250MB) and CDR/RW (650MB, 700MB) but not DVDR/RW.

Pros: Save backup e-mail archives anywhere: removable disks, hard drive, CD, ZIP disk, etc. Fast and furious - the utility gets the job done almost before you notice it's started. Obviously, large amounts of e-mail (especially when they contain lots of file attachments) take longer, but the utility is still very quick. Nice little set of encryption settings in case you want to further protect your backed up e-mail files. Because the utility creates easy-to-find backup files, it also makes moving your e-mail from one computer to another much easier (when you get a new machine for instance). Simple but useful Scheduler for automated backups. Considering the amount of information most computer users exchange via e-mail these days, we think Email Saver Xe is about the cheapest and most reliable e-mail loss insurance you can get. Recommended.

(Ed. Note: As of August 2007 we noticed that all of the WinGuides products, including Email Saver Xe, seem to have been acquired by PC Tools. Contact PC Tools directly to obtain registration information for Email Save Xe).

 



 

 




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