Does anyone use idrive?

So supposing you wanted to download all your backed up idrive files onto a new computer - would they come out in the same organised fashion as they were originally? Ie would all the documents folders appear under Documents and all the photos folders appear under pictures etc, and any desktop files go back onto the desktop?

Hazel123 said:

So supposing you wanted to download all your backed up idrive files onto a new computer - would they come out in the same organised fashion as they were originally? Ie would all the documents folders appear under Documents and all the photos folders appear under pictures etc, and any desktop files go back onto the desktop?

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Yes, the hierarchy of folder / file location is maintained, if you want.
You can also just go download an individual file (or older saved version of a file) to a new location if you want.

Thanks

One more question. Does it slow up a computer much? I expect it would with the initial back up, but after that, presumably it's running in the background most of the time?

Hazel123 said:

One more question. Does it slow up a computer much? I expect it would with the initial back up, but after that, presumably it's running in the background most of the time?

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I don't notice it at all, but then I have it configured to do a backup once a day at 3am...
You can do on demand backup (launch the program and select backup right now) if you want or need to.

That being said, there is a throttle setting on your network bandwidth usage that you can set, from 0-100%, so it does not hog the network.
Same for cpu usage, throttle from 0-100% to prevent a cpu hog.
In my case I don't set the throttles for my once daily middle of the night backup.

You can also do 'real time' backup that backs up changed files 'immediately' (or very soon).
Or programmable limits, like within 10min, 20min, etc.
I don't use that feature.

When I did my initial backup it was about 120GB and it happened overnight (I started about midnight I think at it was done by 9am).
Now it runs at 3am once every day and backs up a few hundred megabytes per session at most.

Thanks.

I like the sound of it - I just don't want to pay for it lol! But neither do I want to have to keep paying for large external storage drives. I know I need some backups on external drives, but an image currently is about 800mb so that's only 2 per 2 tb external drive.

Hmmm... that math is pretty bad

800gb

Hazel123 said:

800gb

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IDrive has the option of them sending you a USB hard drive for you to copy all your files to be backed up to it for a first time
seeding of your backup offline to the network, rather than uploading thru the network. So it depends on what speed of
upload you have on your internet connection if that makes sense for you.

For me, the $10/month IDrive personal plan for 5TB of storage and multiple computers is well worth the cost. I lost a computer and
all its data in a flood once years ago and never want to go thru that hassle again. So one less Starbucks Latte per month is OK with me.

When you put it like that, $10 a month - it doesn't sound so bad. I just looked at the annual cost as another big bill each year.

Yes this is why I'm considering it. I have never lost everything, but come close to it a couple of times through fluke. I had backups. A computer died. All my files were backed up on an external drive. While I was looking for another computer I was temporarily using an old one with a small drive and just using the files directly off the external drive. Found another computer, went to install the files on it and the external drive was dead and files corrupted. I had other back ups but they weren't so up to date. Recovery software got most of them back. After that I had double backups on different external drives. But that was getting expensive in external drives - and time consuming.

Then last week - well you've probably read that on here already. Another "fluke" (but also bad management). Using the laptop with the main external drive plugged in during a storm - and the laptop was plugged in. Power cut. Computer is now kaput. External drive has some corruption, but managed to get all my files back by taking the drive out of the computer and putting it in an external casing.

As I had a new 5tb external drive I had done most of my backups on that. Bad idea - when it became unreliable.

Done. Backing up now. Estimated time 23 hours

I think it might take a few days for the first back up. Left it running overnight and it failed quite early on. Still 23 hours to go! I have fast internet speeds too.

Started again at 10 am this morning. 12 hours later, it's at 15% and still says 23 hours to go ...........

That's why they allow you to send them a "seed" drive (this could be painful for you before it's all over).

I couldn't find any information about that. It's not too bad (touch wood). It keeps running in the background and the laptop is still usable - haven't noticed anything slowing up. What could start to get painful is if it fails again overnight due to dropped internet or something. If it has to start all over again ...........

Hazel123 said:

I couldn't find any information about that. It's not too bad (touch wood). It keeps running in the background and the laptop is still usable - haven't noticed anything slowing up. What could start to get painful is if it fails again overnight due to dropped internet or something. If it has to start all over again ...........

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Look here: IDrive® features multiple device backup and more...
It's called the "IDrive Express" feature and you get to use it for the personal backup plan once a year for free.
So if you request it, they will send you a USB drive, you fill it with your backup seed files, and send it back to them.

Thanks. If this back up fails I might do that. Is it included or do you have to pay extra?

Hazel123 said:

Thanks. If this back up fails I might do that. Is it included or do you have to pay extra?

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No, on the Personal Plan you get to do one of these offline backups per year for free.

Thanks.