We store a lot of precious memories and important documents on our computers, so the last thing that you want to see happen is to have all of these crucial files go to toast. It happens. For some reason or another, it’s possible that you could lose some files stored on your computer’s hard drive, so you want to make use of a reliable backup solution. You know. Just in case.
While you could do a manual backup, dragging and dropping those folders onto a portable hard drive, USB flash drive, or rewriteable optical disc of some kind, it’s a lot more convenient to take an automated solution using a good piece of software. That’s the idea behind the simple and affordable Corsair Flash Voyagerport.
Backing Up Your Data in a Flash?
Unlike some of the other solutions that you’ll find in the marketplace, the Flash Voyagerport doesn’t actually come with any storage of its own. There is no mention of megabytes and gigabytes here, because there is no memory in this seemingly flash memory-based device.
Instead, it acts like a docking station for your USB drive. The idea is that you can slot in your flash drive, hit the one-touch button on the Voyagerport, and everything that you’d like to see backup is, well, backed up.
Works with Any USB Drive
The guys at Corsair would prefer if you used their Flash Voyager drives, but this will work with any drive. Naturally, if you’ve got a lot of data to back up, it would be in your best interest to invest in a larger drive. These days, you can get your hands on something with 32GB or 64GB for a fairly reasonable price.
Retailing for about $40, I would have liked to see a backup solution like this come with some sort of storage, but I guess this adds to its versatility. Aside from the hockey puck-like Flash Voyagerport itself, the packaging also includes a single USB cable, a single sheet of instructions, and a mini installation CD.
Small, Simple, and Straightforward
At least that’s the idea. You plug the Corsair Flash Voyagerport into the provided mini-USB cable, connecting the other end into an available port on your computer. You let your Windows PC go through the usual device detection process.
Without any software installed, you can pretty much expect this device to work like a USB extension cable. It’s a nice looking USB extension cable and I like the rubberized texture of the Flash VoyagerPort, but that’s about all it’ll do without the software.
You’ll notice that the Corsair logo is actually a button. That’s because with the provided software, you can connect your flash drive, hit the button, and it’ll run through your selected backup configuration settings. Simple, right? Let’s dive in the software.
NovaBackup 10 Software
They say that the NovaBackup 10 software is award-winning, powerful, and easy-to-use. The software really is the meat and potatoes of this offering and, on its own, it would retail for about $50. The Flash Voyagerport, by comparison, is $40. In this way, you’re already ten bucks ahead of the game.
Using NovaBackup, you have the opportunity to set up several backup profiles. You can choose to backup everything in the “My Documents” folder, backup all your music, all your pictures, or whatever else. In fact, you can hand pick the folders that will be synchronized between your computer and the USB flash drive.
For each profile, you also get to pick the frequency of the backup process. As you can see from this screenshot, you can choose for a one-time backup, every hour, every day, every week, or every month.
After installing the software, I was immediately prompted to update it online. I let it run through this process and, for some reason or another, the one-touch backup option wasn’t there. I’m thinking that the software that came with the Flash Voyagerport was designed specifically for it; the update may have taken the one-touch backup option away.
Conclusion
I can see what Corsair was trying to accomplish with the Flash Voyagerport. Most of the conventional backup solutions on the market can be a little intimidating for novice users, but this was supposed to be simple and easy to understand.
That’s in theory. When you plug your Flash Voyagerport (with your USB drive inserted) into your computer, it’s automatically detected as a flash drive, but the Nova Backup software does not automatically load. That would have made a big difference, because the software has to be running for this device to do any of its automated backup duties.
The NovaBackup 10 software already costs $10 more than the Flash Voyagerport, so if you were looking into backup software, this can be a pretty good value. Otherwise, the whole one-touch backup thing might not be quite as easy as we are led to believe.
The Good
- Well built with good materials
- Works with any USB flash drive
- Includes backup software valued at $50
The Bad
- NovaBackup software does not automatically load upon connection
- One-touch option disappears with software update
- No memory included