IDrive is an automated online backup application. Hence, critical folders like Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music are pre-selected for backup with the scheduled time set to 'off-peak hours'.

If these settings are not altered, the application commences the backup of the default Backup set once the scheduled backup time is reached.

You can modify the settings as desired.

To change the day, time, and frequency for the scheduled backup job, click the 'Edit schedule parameters' button.

To edit your Backup set, click the 'Edit my Backup set' button. This takes you to the main screen of the Classic interface. On the 'Backup' tab under 'My Selection', you can modify your Backup set using the check boxes.

Also, you can find out the upload / download speed and the time that it will take to backup / restore 1 GB of data at this rate by clicking the 'Bandwidth Test' button.

Click the 'Close' button at the top right corner to go to the main application screen.

What is the Automatic Selection feature?

The 'Automatic Selection' feature lists your most commonly used application data such as 'Microsoft Outlook', 'Microsoft Outlook Express', 'My Documents' and 'My Favorites' folders among others. You can select the application types based on your backup need.

To use this option, from the menu bar, go to File > Automatic Selection.

I see some files / folders marked in red color on the top pane of the main application screen. Why?

The files / folders marked in red under 'My Selection' are excluded from backup. To include them in the Backup set, from the application menu bar, go to Tools > Preferences > Exclude files and folders tab. Clear the check boxes for the files / folders that you want to backup.

How do I take an immediate (interactive) backup of my data?

Select the desired files / folders / drives (under 'My Selection') that you want to backup immediately and click the 'Backup Now' button.

How do I schedule a backup?

On the 'Backup' tab, under 'My Selection', use the check boxes to select files / folders / drives that you want to backup to your account and click the 'Schedule Backup' button.

The 'Scheduler' screen has the following options

Day, Time and Frequency of backup

The options available to set day, time and frequency of backup are:

Week-Day: Schedule backup on any day(s) of the week.
Month: Schedule the backup on any day of the month on a particular day and time.
Start the backup immediately: Take an immediate backup of your files / folders.
No Backup schedule: Delete the scheduled backup job.

Email Notification

This option allows you to receive email notifications on the status of the scheduled backup jobs. For this, select the 'Notify always' or 'Notify on failure' option and enter the email address in the 'Mail To' field.

You can set multiple email addresses using the button and receive log details of the scheduled backup job along with the email notification by selecting the 'Send log extract' check box.

You may opt to not receive any notification by selecting the 'Do not notify' option.

Minor Tweaks

Auto-Pause: On selecting this option, the application makes intelligent guesses on when to pause and when to resume the backup.

Show desktop notification on scheduled backup: This option sends notifications on your desktop regarding the status of a scheduled backup job.

Start the missed scheduled backup when the computer is turned on: This option allows the application to resume the scheduled backup automatically when your computer is switched on.

Cut off time : This option stops the scheduled backup at the specific time set by you. The backup is resumed at the next scheduled time from the point that it stopped. This ensures that the scheduled backups are not executed when the normal computer operations are underway.

Is there a way to receive an alert in case my scheduled backup fails?

Yes. From the application menu bar, go to Preferences > General tab > Advanced scheduling options. Select the 'Alert me if the scheduled backup fails' check box to receive a desktop alert in case your backup has not taken place. By default, it is set to seven days.

How do I manage my scheduled backup jobs?

You can edit the frequency and the scheduler settings for your scheduled backup job by clicking the 'Manage all the Scheduled jobs' option from the IDrive tray menu.

The frequency and the options pertaining to the desired scheduled backup job can be changed using the 'Scheduled Jobs' screen.

What is the Bandwidth Throttle feature?

The Bandwidth Throttle feature lets you set the Internet bandwidth to be used by the IDrive application for backups.

Bandwidth Throttle (when system is not in use): This option lets you set the bandwidth to be used by your system for backups, when it is not in use. By default, it is set to 100%.

Note: The percentage set for Bandwidth Throttle is applicable for both scheduled and interactive backups.

Bandwidth Throttle (when system is in use): Select the 'Auto-Pause' check box to use this option.

Auto-Pause option makes intelligent guesses on when to pause and resume backup, to enable optimum desktop appearances during user activity.

This option lets you set the bandwidth to be used by your system for backups when it is in use. This allows other applications to run without hindrance. By default, it is set to 25%.

What is Bandwidth Test feature?

On clicking the 'Bandwidth Test' feature, you can find out the upload / download speed and the time that it will take to backup / restore 1 GB of data to your IDrive account at this rate.

Can I backup Mapped / USB / External drives?

Yes, you can backup Mapped / USB / External Drives. The contents to be backed up must be a part of the Backup set and available at the time of backup.

How do I backup my mapped drives?

Backing up data from the Mapped drive(s) is no different from backing up data from the local disk(s).

For those who wish to backup Mapped drive contents in the system Log-Off mode, follow the steps below:

1. Select the files / folders to be backed up from the mapped drive, available under the 'Backup' pane view of the application’s main screen.
   
2. From the application menu bar, go to Tools > Mapped Drive Setup. The following 'Mapped Drive Setup' screen is displayed.
   
   
   
3. Enter the Username / Password for the selected mapped drive and click the 'Save Settings' button.

Will IDrive backup my data even if the computer is logged off?

Yes. IDrive will perform scheduled backup of your data even if your computer is logged off (also applicable for mapped drives).

Can I backup my open / locked files?

IDrive application is capable of backing up open files for supported platforms including Windows XP, Windows 2003 servers, Windows Vista and Windows 7 is enabled by default.

Thus, even if your Microsoft Outlook application is open, the IDrive application does a reliable backup of associated data. Similarly, your Quickbooks / Quicken and other possible open files are backed up as well.

To disable the feature, go to the application menu bar, Tools > Preferences and clear the option 'Enable Open file Backup (available with Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2008) from the check box.

Note: The Open file Backup feature does not support backup of open files in the mapped / network drives.

How can I disable the Open file Backup feature?

To disable the Open file Backup feature, from the menu bar, go to Tools > Preferences and clear the 'Enable Open file Backup (available with Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2008) check box.

I am unable to open my Outlook email client during the backup of my Outlook pst files. I get an error that indicates that the file may be in use. Why?

For Windows XP, Windows 2003 server, Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines, the above issue should not arise.

However, for other Windows OS, the IDrive agent might lock your Outlook email client to perform a successful backup. To resolve the issue, close your MS Outlook email client before initiating the operation.

Will my scheduled backup continue in case of sudden system reboot?

Yes. The scheduled backup that was in progress would automatically continue once you restart the computer.

Will a missed scheduled backup take place when the computer is restarted after the scheduled time?

Yes. The scheduled backup will commence as soon as you restart the computer even if it is after the scheduled time. However, this is applicable only if you have selected the 'Start the missed scheduled backup when the computer is turned on' option from the 'Advanced scheduling options in the Scheduler' screen.

In case you have not selected the option, then the scheduled backup will commence only if you restart the computer within 30 minutes of the scheduled time.

If you restart the computer after 30 minutes of the scheduled time, the scheduled backup will commence at the next frequency (as per the date and time that was set earlier).

How do I delete data from my Backup set?

You can delete data from the Backup set in the following ways:

• Right-click the file / folder / drive under the 'Contents of my Backup set' list and choose the 'Remove' option from the menu.
  
• Select the file / folder / drive under the 'Contents of my Backup set' list and press the 'Delete' key on your computer keyboard.

How do I add items to the IDrive Backup set from Windows Explorer?

To add a file / folder to your Backup set from Windows Explorer, browse to the required folder, right-click the file / folder and choose IDrive > Add to Backup Set, from the menu.

The selected files / folders are backed up when you perform an interactive backup or during the scheduled backup.

How do I perform interactive backups from Windows Explorer?

From Windows Explorer, browse to the required file / folder, right-click it and from the menu select IDrive> 'Backup this file now' / Backup this folder now'.

IDrive will immediately start a back up of the selected files / folders to your IDrive account.

How do I open IDrive Explorer from the IDrive Classic interface?

On the IDrive Classic interface, from the menu bar, go to Tools > Open IDrive Explorer. This will open the IDrive Explorer interface using which you can restore your data.

Do I need to restart my computer after installing IDrive?

There is no need to restart your computer after IDrive has been installed. However, to use IDrive Explorer, restart the computer after installation when prompted.

How many prior versions of a file are stored in my account?

IDrive application maintains the history of changes made to all the backed up files. The recent 30 versions of a file are available for restore.

How do I view the versions of a file stored in my account?

You can view the versions of a file stored in your account in the following ways:

• Click the Restore tab, right-click the required file and select the 'View History' option from the list.
• On the 'Restore' tab view, double-click the required file.

How do I restore the latest version of a file?

To restore the latest version of any file, click the 'Restore' tab. A list of files along with their latest versions is displayed. Select the required files and click the 'Restore' button.

After selecting the files, choose the restore destination on your local computer.

How do I restore my backed up data in case my system crashes (or to a new computer)?

To restore data backed up to your IDrive account to the local machine, follow the steps below:

1) Download and install the IDrive application.

2) Login to the Classic interface with your Username and Password. If you had set a private encryption key while logging into the application for the first time, then provide the same.

3) Go to the 'Restore' tab, select the files / folders to be restored. Select the desired location when prompted.

Alternately, you can restore the files / folders using drag-n-drop or copy-n-paste options available with the IDrive Explorer interface. To use the Explorer interface, first install the IDrive Explorer Plug-in.

Can I restore my data till a particular date and time?

Yes. Using the 'Timeline Restore' option on the application tool bar, you can restore your Backup set(s) till a particular date and time. Data backed up till the chosen date and time is displayed on the 'Restore' tab under 'My IDrive'. You can select the files and folders that you wish to restore to your local computer.

How do I delete data from my account?

To delete a particular file / folder from your IDrive account, go to the 'Restore' tab. Select the file / folder to be deleted and click the 'Delete' icon on the toolbar.

What is the Sync feature and how does it work?

This feature lets you sync data between your PC and online account. This is a useful option if you have removed files and folders from your computer and wish to do the same automatically from your account.

To sync data, select the folder(s) / drive(s) in your online account that you wish to bring in line with your computer and click the 'Sync' icon. Files deleted from your local computer but available in your IDrive account, are listed. Click 'Sync' to remove them.

What is the Automatic Sync feature?

This feature syncs files between your desktop and your IDrive account with a lag of 30-days (applicable only for scheduled backups). In other words, if data is deleted from your desktop that has already been backed up previously, the corresponding data in your IDrive account is deleted after 30-days. This helps in keeping your account size optimal. As a precautionary measure, in case the files to be deleted are greater than 5% of the total account content, you would have to run a manual sync.*

To enable this option, from the application menu bar, go to Tools > Preferences > General Tab > Advanced scheduling options and select 'Automatic Sync' check box.

Note: This may result in automatic deletion of data from your IDrive account. Set this option carefully.

* The percentage mention refers to files considered for deletion in your account as a percentage of total number of files. The purpose of this percentage based control is to avoid large deletion of files in your account due to some unforeseen event on your PC.