Online User’s Guide
- Where to find account information
- About my backup
- What You Can and Cannot Backup
- Selecting Files in Backup View
- About Backup Data Retention
- Retrieve view options
- Retrieving data via the Internet - MyRoam
- Order CD/DVD copies of my backups
- How to use 'Find' to locate backed up files
- Recover an existing account
- Software version upgrades
Where to find account information
The Account Management Site Summary page provides account information such as account number, backup plan limit and account start date. You can also find this information in your backup Agent. The account number appears on the Home screen and under Help | About and the backup limit is shown on the Backup View tab.
About my backup
The backup agent will search your system for common image types like Microsoft Office files DOC, XLS, TXT, PPT; image files like JPEG, PSD, GIF; and music files like .MPG and .WMV. Prior to running your first back up it is suggested that you take time to review the files selected for backup to ensure that you are backing up the images most important to you.
Depending on your Internet connection speed and the level of service that you sign up for, the length of time of your first backup will vary. It is recommended that you run your first backup overnight, however each successive backup thereafter will take considerably less time and can be run at any time, even while you are working on your PC.
What You Can and Cannot Backup
What you can Backup.
You may select any data file that you wish to backup that resides locally on your PC.
What you cannot Backup.
- We do not support the backup of Servers
- We do not support the backup of Network or Shared Drives. These drives will not be recognized by the Backup agent.
- We do not support the backup of External or Flash drives.
Selecting files in Backup View
If you want to select or deselect files or folders from your backup click the "Explore to Pick Files" button in the left column of the Backup View tab of the backup software. To view files selected for backup click the “View Files Needing Backup” button, also in the left column of the Backup View tab.
About backup data retention
Following are the data retention settings for the online backup service.
Files older than 10 versions or 90 days are deleted but your most recent version is always kept. Files that have been deleted from your system will be deleted from the data centers 90 days later. Files that you backed up then deselected from your backup will be deleted after 7 days. Files of accounts that have been cancelled are deleted 30 days after cancellation.
Retrieve View options
Retrieve View defaults to displaying the most recent version of your files. In order to see older versions, click Retrieve Options (bottom of the screen) and select the view that you want. A description of each of the options can be found by clicking the Help button.
If you still don't see the file, set the display to 'Show all versions of all files' and then use the Find feature. For more information on Find refer to How to use 'Find' to locate backed up files.
Retrieving data via the Internet: MyRoam
You can retrieve any backed up data from any computer that runs a Windows OS and Internet Explorer and has an Internet connection. To do so login to the Account Management Site and click Retrieve Data. This opens a new site called MyRoam. Enter your login credentials and, to select files, click the box in front of the file(s) that you want to retrieve. When you have completed your selections, click 'Prepare Selected Files for Download.' After the file preparation process is finished, you may add more selections or go directly to the Download Files tab. On the Download Files tab, right-click the “Here” link and choose 'Save Target As'.
Order CD/DVD copies of my backups
When you order a CD/DVD of your backups, you will receive a copy of all files associated with your account number. We are not able to offer selected files or folders or specific date ranges. Also on the CD/DVD is a copy of the Unlimited Backup PC software. You can run the DataProtector software from the CD/DVD or reinstall the software on your computer. Written instructions are included with every CD/DVD order. Login to the Account Management site and click on Order CD/DVD to obtain a copy of your backed up data.
To find out how much your individual account will cost for CD/DVD media ordering, please log in to the account management site. In general, the cost is $24.95 for the first 3 CDs and $20.00 for each additional CD.
How to use 'Find' to locate backed up files
Using the Find feature is a fast and easy way to locate a specific file. You can use find in the Backup View tab and in Retrieve View tab or under Operations | Find (Ctrl+F).
Simply click the magnifying glass icon at the upper right of the window, next to the question mark (the Help icon).
HINT: When entering a long file name, or one that you aren’t sure of, use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard symbol. An asterisk can be inserted at any point in a file name in place of characters that you aren’t sure of. Do not user more than one asterik in succession; use one at a time as a placeholder.
Example 1: For a file named My Resume.doc, type *resume.doc This tells Find to look for all files that end in resume.doc.
Example 2: For a file named Peaches and Cream.jpg, you could type P*and*.* or P*and*.jpg or Peach*.jpg
If you don’t see the file that you want with your first try, click Find Next until you do find it. You can click Find Next as often as needed; it will cycle through the list no matter where your starting point is.
If you are looking for an older file and are unable to locate it, then click the Retrieve Options button (bottom of window) and select ‘Show all versions of all files.’
Recover an existing account
Login to the Account Management site and click Reinstall Account in the left navigation column. Follow the instructions to download the software installation program. Run the install program, making sure to check the appropriate box on the registration screen, and follow the prompts. You will need your account number, encryption key and password to complete the process. Your account number is displayed when you login to the Account Management site and the encryption key is returned when you click the Reinstall Account link. If you do not know your password, follow the Forget Password prompts on the Account Management login page.
Software version upgrades
Periodically, changes to the software that will improve performance or add new features are made. After thorough testing, the new version is released to our customers. Your version is then upgraded the next time you back up. There is no action required on your part and you will always have the latest version.
