Vista - Backup to special "Remote Location" folder

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

In Vista, it is super easy to create a special virtual folder in My Computer that links to a remote FTP. Thereafter, you just open this folder, and can drag/drop files between your local puter and remote server. Mine is called "Remote Backup" and I use it (naturally) to move backup copies of stuff to my remote server.

Vista also has a decent backup utility, and MS makes a reasonably decent security/recovery suite (Live Onecare). Not to get into a discussion of the relative merits of those programs, but just stating that they are made by MS and/or native to Vista.

It is my understanding that in neither of these programs (native backup or L1C) can you select an FTP virtual folder as a backup location. It is not visible in the local drives listing, and is not visible in Network locations. Neither will accept a path beginning with ftp:// (or the path directly to the special folder by using "select as text" from its explorer location).

Am I missing something? Seems to me that if MS went through all the trouble of creating an easy ftp interface/virtual folder, AND the trouble of creating a backup program native to Vista, AND went through the trouble of creating a security/recovery suite designed for use in Vista, they would marry the two in order to create an easy way to provide the real benefit of offsite backups.

It is just...so...CLOSE that I think I am missing something. Is there any way to get the native backup in Vista to recognize the native "remote location" folder as a drive or backup location?

I realize that there are several commercial programs out there that handle stuff like this, but I would like to keep it native if I can this time after getting BURNED by "Norton Ghost" and an issue thay had with going across a particular chipset (forget which one now). It would allow you to create images all day long, but could not successfully restore one if your MB had this chipset. Totally frustrating and meant buying a new computer when all was needed was a new HD.

So, any thoughts on this or advice/information would be highly appreciated.

THANKS!!!