I have an IDrive account which allows me to login to the IDrive for Windows application. However I am unable to login to my account using IDrive for Mac application. Why?

IDrive for Mac OS X accounts are not inter-operable with IDrive for Windows accounts as they are based on different technology. Your login may fail in case you are trying to use the IDrive (for Windows) username and password to login to your account using the IDrive for Mac application. You will need to sign up for a separate account that is specific for Mac to use the IDrive for Mac application.

If you do not have an account, sign up here.

When I login to my machine for the first time, I notice that some data has already been scheduled for backup. Why?

IDrive for Mac is an automated online backup application. To safeguard your critical data, the Desktop, Downloads, Documents, Music, Movies and Pictures folders are selected for backup by default, 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. However, you can change the settings.

On first login, a screen is displayed as below, from where you can edit the Backup set and schedule parameters.

IDrive for Mac deploys an intelligent incremental backup system where changes to contents of the backup set are sent to the IDrive for Mac servers. Thus, if data has been removed/deleted/reduced, the space used in the account reduces. You would always see the most recent copy of the data backed up to your account. This, in turn, determines the quota used. Also, note that the daily Snapshots related storage (that stores your account status as of previous days) is not accounted for when computing your Quota Used.

Does IDrive for Mac support files larger than 2 GB?

Yes. IDrive for Mac has been tested to transfer files both ways (backup and restore) for sizes up to 6 GB.

I have received a quota overuse message. What should I do?

Login to your IDrive for Mac account with your username/password via the browser (at http://www. idrive.com). Next, click the Upgrade Account link to upgrade your account.

I have deleted some unwanted files/folders from my IDrive for Mac account, yet the 'Quota Used' remains unchanged. Why?

The Quota Used information is not displayed in real time. It is computed on a periodical basis. If you want to know the latest used quota information, click the Recalculate button. It computes and displays the most recent Quota Used information. For accounts with large number of files, the process of real-time Quota Used recalculation may take a while.

How do I view my log files using IDrive for Mac?

To view logs, from the system menu, go to Log > Session Log. On clicking it, a screen is displayed that lists your backup and restore sessions. Click on an entry to view the details of the job. Alternately, click the Session Log icon on the toolbar.

To see logs of your entire interactive backup and restore operations, from the menu bar, go to Log > Interactive Log.

Does IDrive work on Intel Mac?

Yes. IDrive for Mac is a universal binary and works on Power PC (PPC) and Intel Mac.

Follow the steps listed below to install the application:

1. After downloading the application, double-click the IDriveforMac.dmg and then the IDriveforMac.pkg. A Welcome to the IDrive for Mac Installer is displayed.

2. Click Continue to proceed with the installation. A Software License Agreement screen appears. Click Agree to proceed.

3. Select the location where you want to install the application, using Change Installation Location and click Install.

4. A screen is displayed for verification. Enter the valid system password (administrator password) and click OK.

On successful installation, an Installation Succeeded message is displayed.

How do I uninstall the IDrive for Mac application?

Follow the steps given below to uninstall the application:

1. Go to File > New Finder Screen > Application > IDrive for Mac and double-click the IDriveUninstaller.app. A Welcome to IDrive for Mac Uninstaller screen is displayed.

2. Click Continue to proceed and Yes in the subsequent window.

3. A screen is displayed for verification. Enter the valid system password (administrator password) and click OK. On successful uninstallation, a Successfully uninstalled IDrive for Mac message appears.

Does IDrive for Mac offer encryption on data transmission?

Yes. IDrive for Mac uses 128-bit SSL encryption during data transmission.

What is meant by Incremental backup?

The IDrive for Mac application transfers only the modified portions of the backed up files, thus conserving bandwidth and ensuring quick backups. It is a default feature.

How can I regulate my Internet bandwidth usage for IDrive for Mac?

The Bandwidth throttle option that allows you to set the Internet bandwidth to be used by the IDrive for Mac application. This provision is useful if you are using multiple Internet-based applications, as it divides the bandwidth between them.

By default, the 'Bandwidth throttle' is set to 100%.

To set the Internet bandwidth, go to Preferences > In the General tab of Preferences window > select the 'Enable Bandwidth Throttle' option from the check box and adjust the 'slider'.

Can I access my backed up data from my account by logging in from the web?

Yes. Login to your IDrive for Mac account from www.idrive.com. You can view your backed up data and restore files to the local machine.

The IDrive for Mac application has not backed up some files inside the bundle/file package. Why?

This could be because the files are Mac OS X files or hidden or the file names contain special characters. We recommend that you compress (zip) the entire bundle/file package and try backup.

How do I delete data from my IDrive for Mac account?

Select the files/folders that you wish to delete from your IDrive for Mac account under 'My IDrive' and click the 'Delete' icon on the toolbar.

How do I schedule backups using IDrive for Mac?

To schedule backups using IDrive for Mac, follow the steps listed below:

1. Select the files/folders from the left-hand pane of the application.
2. Click the Schedule Backup button.
3. A screen is displayed from where you can set the frequency, date and time for backup.
4. You can also opt to receive email and/or desktop notifications on completion of the backup operation.
5. Click the Update button to commit your selection.

Is it possible to receive email notifications on the status of my backup jobs?

Yes. If you select the email notification option, you would receive emails on the status of your scheduled backup.

Is there a single button backup option?

Yes. Click the IDrive for Mac status item on the menu bar and select the Backup Now option.

Note: This feature works only if you have defined the backup set and logged into the application at least once.

How do I perform an Interactive backup?

You can perform interactive data backup by selecting the files/folders (from My Files view) and clicking the Backup Now button.

How do I view the status of my scheduled backups?

The status of your scheduled backups can be viewed using the IDrive for Mac Monitor status item on the system menu bar.

Click View Log to see the log files of the recent sessions.

Does IDrive for Mac support backup of files/folders from the mapped/network/external drives?

Yes, you can backup files/folders from the mapped/network/external drives. The contents to be backed up must be a part of the Backup set and available at the time of backup.

How far back in time can I go if I need to retrieve a file that is missing or damaged?

IDrive for Mac retains earlier copies via Snapshots technology. Snapshots are point-in-time images of the file at a particular time, every day. The current limit for Snapshots is set for 10 days and this may change without notice. This implies that in case you had a prior version that was backed up in the last 10 days, you should be able recover via Snapshots technology.

For details, see Snapshots related FAQs.

Can I backup data from multiple computers to my IDrive for Mac account?

Yes. However, ensure that there is no intermingling of data and the files/folders from different computers have unique names.

What does IDrive for Mac do if the Internet connection is interrupted during a backup session?

IDrive for Mac tries to resume backups from the file at which there was an interruption. If partial transfers have taken place prior to the interruption, the backups resume from that point.

How do I schedule backups on weekdays?

Set the Frequency to Weekdays (Mon-Fri) from the drop-down list in the scheduler, for the scheduled job that is being set up.

Can I use IDrive for Mac to schedule full and incremental backup on specific days? How do I see previous versions of my data?

IDrive for Mac does not have the conventional concept of full and incremental backups. Every backup is basically a full backup with an incremental effect. Unlike the conventional concept of 'incremental backup' where modified data is stored separately from full backup.

IDrive for Mac overwrites the full backup with the modifications made to it during backup. In other words, you have 'full backup' results each time. This helps in fast restores when needed.

IDrive for Mac uses advanced patching technology to determine the changed data at source and apply only the modified blocks on to the data at IDrive for Mac. Hence, no efficiency is lost due to IDrive for Mac's methodology of updating full backups directly every time.

When will IDrive for Mac resume the session if it has missed one (e.g. The computer has been abruptly turned off) or interrupted?

IDrive for Mac performs scheduled backup jobs at the next transfer time, as per the schedule.

I have lost a file, which was probably backed up four days back from my desktop. Is there a way to restore the file?

You can restore files that were backed up earlier using the Snapshots feature. If you recall the name of the folder in which the file was stored, then try and navigate to the file/folder starting from folder nightly.3. This could contain the data that you backed up four days ago. If not, try nightly.4. Once you locate the file, simply restore it. (IDrive for Mac does not have the concept of separate full and incremental backup files, as the latter are directly written on top of the full backup).

How do I restore files/folders from my IDrive for Mac account to the local machine?

Select the files/folders that you need to restore from your IDrive for Mac account to your local machine. Click the Restore button. A screen Where to Restore is displayed using which you can specify the path.

Note: Files/folders restored to their original location are overwritten (if they already exist).

One of the two IDrive for Mac accounts I hold has expired. I had scheduled backup job from both the accounts. I want to delete the same from the account that has expired, while retaining the jobs for the other account. Is this possible?

Yes, you can delete the scheduled backup/restore jobs using the 'Manage all the Scheduled Jobs' feature in IDrive for Mac.

Click the IDriveMonitor status item on the system menu bar and select Manage all the Scheduled Jobs. Select the scheduled backup jobs from the list shown in the Manage all the Scheduled jobs main screen and click Delete.

What are Snapshots?

IDrive for Mac allows historical view of data by way of its Snapshots technology. They are useful in case you accidentally delete files stored in your account and want them to be restored to your local machine.

The available daily Snapshots have been set to 10 (This may change without notice). The additional storage requirements for Snapshots have no impact on your account quota usage.

Once you click the 'Snapshot' icon, you can see files stored in your IDrive for Mac account during the previous days under newly created directories with appropriate names. The backup directories have meaningful names with date, nightly.* or weekly.* extensions.

nightly.0 extension refers to the most recent Snapshot.
nightly.1 extension refers to the Snapshot that is a day older vis-à-vis the most recent Snapshot.
nightly.2 extension refers to the Snapshot that is two days older vis-à-vis the most recent Snapshot. You can restore the files which you need from these directories just as you would, for any file or directory.

How do I configure Snapshots using the IDrive for Mac application?

To enable the Snapshots, click the Snapshots icon on the toolbar or from the application menu, go to IDrive for Mac > Preferences. From the screen that is displayed, select Show Snapshots.

I have lost a file, which was probably backed up four days ago from my desktop. How do I restore it?

You can restore files that were backed up earlier using Snapshots that are point-in-time images of your data. If you recall the folder where the file was kept, then try and navigate to the file/folder, starting from the folder nightly.3. This may contain the data that you backed up four days ago. If not, try nightly.4. Once you find the right file, simply restore it.

I am not receiving an email notification for my scheduled backup(s). Why?

Ensure that the After Backup send an email notification to option is selected.

Also, email notifications from IDrive for Mac might mistakenly be getting filtered out as Spam and reaching your Spam/the 'Bulk mail' folder of your mailbox. Ensure that your computer does not go into lock/logoff mode so that the scheduled backups take place without fail and email notifications are sent to you. For confirmation of the backup operation, view the logs for interactive as well as scheduled backups from the Log menu > Session Log /Interactive Log from the application.

How can I perform an immediate backup without signing into the application?

You can backup data by clicking the Backup Now option without signing into the application. Click the 'IDrive Monitor' status item on the system menu bar and click Backup Now. This will immediately execute backups for the backup set, provided you have created one and logged into the application at least once before.

My backup is not being executed on some days. Why?

It is possible that you have set the frequency of scheduled backups as Weekdays. Thus, data is not getting backed up on weekends.

Also, ensure that your computer does not go to lock/logoff mode so that the scheduled backups take place without fail. If the issue persists, contact IDrive for Mac Technical Support for assistance.