"IDRIVE"
ONLINE
The
"IDrive" Web site is located at
"IDrive"
is an Internet-enabled software application that you download and install onto
the hard drive of your computer. You then configure this software to tell it
which local files to back up and how often they are to be backed up to your
account at IDrive's secure Web site.
“IDrive”
works with both a dialup Internet connection or a broadband Internet
connection. "IDrive" offers both free and non-free accounts. Their
free account is called "IDrive Basic".
The
key features for a free account are:
Total
storage space = 2 Gigabytes
Maximum
single file size = 2 Gigabytes
Maximum
monthly bandwidth = not stated on "IDrive" Web site
The
maximum monthly bandwidth is the total amount of data that you (and others that
you designate) upload to, and download from, your free account.
"IDrive"
does not limit the types of files that you can store.
The
home page of the "IDrive" Web site looks like this:
The
state-of-the-art features of IDrive's free backup service are shown at
http://www.idrive.com/online-backup-features.htm
Some of
their most impressive features are:
They store
up to 30 versions of each file that you tell them to back up; you can go back
to a version of a file based on the time and date that it was backed up either
automatically by them or manually by you.
You can
access and download your backed up files either using their software or by
logging into your account at their Web site.
Their
optional "Continuous Data Backup" feature backs up any of your chosen
data files" that have been changed every 10 minutes.
Their
optional "IDrive Explorer" offers you a virtual drive in Windows
Explorer/My Computer that looks and acts like a drive on your computer.
They have
"IDrive" software for both Windows and Macintosh computers.
To sign up
for your free account, scroll down and click on the "Sign up Now"
button that is under "IDrive Basic".
After you complete
the signup process, click on the "Download" button to download and
install their free software:
*
When asked,
enter in your "Username or E-mail address" and your password:
Then click
on "Continue".
Select the
frequency and schedule that you want the IDrive software to back up your data
files.
*
Select the
folders of your local hard drive(s) that you wish to have IDrive back up.
Your
"Backup Set Size" is shown near the lower right hand corner of the
"IDrive Classic" window. Do not let the "Backup Set Size"
get above 2 Gigabytes, if you want to keep your IDrive account free of monthly
charges.
Click on
the "Backup Now" button to do a "manual backup" of your
data files.
The files
and folders that you selected will be backed up to IDrive's Website.
*
When your
backup is finished, you will get the following message box:
*
Click on
"Yes" to view the log file to make sure that all of your selected
files and folders were backed up successfully.
The
detailed user manual for "IDrive" is located at
http://www.idrive.com/ide_usermanual.pdf
It
is well-written and worth keeping around in paper format.
Use
this manual to learn about the various ways that you can restore backed up
files from IDrive's Web site to your computer's hard drive.