Frequently Asked Questions

How would 'IDrive Express' via physical storage shipment help me?

IDrive allows for quick backup and retrieval of your data via a temporary storage device.

This service comes FREE for Express Backup, once a year for Personal users and thrice yearly for Team and Business users. Subsequent backup requests will be subject to the $59.95 charge. Express Restores will be charged $99.50 per request. This service includes free return shipping for customers within the USA. Express orders shipped outside the United States may have additional shipping costs. Upon placing the order, our team will provide a shipping quote that will be charged separately.

Benefits

• The temporary storage device is shipped to your location, thus the load on bandwidth at your end is greatly alleviated.
• This service enables you to quickly transfer data, often in just a week or under.
• Your data will be stored encrypted with an optional private key throughout the process.
  

Note: The service time does not include the time the drive remains in the customer's possession as it is beyond our control.

I have close to a TB of data. How can I quickly back up the data to my cloud account without clogging up my Internet bandwidth?

Backing up data of a TB can be done online, but may take several days, often weeks. Use the IDrive^® Express™ service to physically transfer large amounts of data.

Steps for Backup

1. Fill in the hard drive shipment form available at https://www.idrive.com/idrive/home/hardDrive.
2. Once, you receive the temporary storage device, connect it to your computer.
3. Sign in to the IDrive application with your username and password.
4. Select 'IDrive Express™ Backup' under 'Backup'.
   
5. Click and select the IDrive^® Express™ device as the backup location.
   
6. Click Backup Now.

Note: If files are already present in your online backup account and those same files are also sent via IDrive Express, the backup files in your account will be maintained to avoid any conflicts. We recommend you to delete or purge existing data from your online backup account to upload duplicate files from the IDrive^® Express™ device.

7. Ship the storage device back to IDrive. We will upload the data to your account.

Once the data is transferred from the device to your IDrive online account, you can continue incremental backups through the conventional online backup process.

Note: You will be responsible for arranging shipping, handling, tracking and insuring the storage device back to IDrive. IDrive assumes no liability for a lost or damaged drive or for loss or breach of data during the return shipment process. You acknowledge that if you don't use the current version of the IDrive application to locally backup your data to the drive, it is possible that the data is possibly stored unencrypted on the storage device and that no sensitive data is included.

I had placed an order for IDrive Express drive. How do I know the status of my order?

To know the status of your IDrive Express drive,

1. Sign in to your IDrive account.
2. From 'IDrive Express', you can get your order details under 'Watch your order'.

How soon can I expect to see my data online once I ship the drive?

Once we receive the storage device with your data, it typically takes 2 to 5 business days to transfer the data to your online account. Occasionally, it may take longer than 10 days due to high volume.

My computer has crashed. Can I get the data in my account shipped to me?

Yes, using IDrive Express service, you can get your backed up data shipped to you.

1. Fill in the hard drive shipment form available at https://www.idrive.com/idrive/home/hardDrive.
2. Email us at support@idrive.com with the subject line clearly indicating your IDrive Username. The body of the email must contain details of your request particulars to enable IDrive to assist you.
3. You will receive a confirmation from us stating that IDrive has received your request. Most recent version of your data will be retrieved from our servers onto a temporary storage device, and shipped to you. We will keep you updated on the progress of the query and its status.
4. After you receive the IDrive^® Express™ device, plug it into your computer via the USB cable and launch the IDrive application.
5. Under 'Backup' select 'IDrive Express™ Backup'.
   
6. Click and select the IDrive^® Express™ device as the backup location.
   
7. Go to 'Restore' and select the 'IDrive Express™ Restore' radio button.
8. Select the IDrive^® Express™ device from the dropdown.
   
9. Select the files and folders to restore to your system and click 'Restore Now'.
   

How soon can I expect my data to be shipped back to me?

Once your request has been received, it will take around 2 to 5 business days for data to be transferred to a temporary storage device and shipped to you. Delays may arise due to unforeseen issues with courier/shipping etc. IDrive takes no responsibility for such delays.

How does IDrive Express secure my data?

The local backup in IDrive uses industry standard 256-bit AES encryption with an optional private key. Your data is safe throughout the process as it is stored encrypted in the temporary storage device during transit.

WARNING: It is recommended that you archive your private encryption key safely to backup and restore your data. However, if you opt for the Default encryption key, you need not remember it.

Is it possible to backup from multiple computers?

Yes, you can backup data from multiple computers and ship it via IDrive Express™. IDrive creates a unique folder with the name of the computer on the hard drive while locally backing up the data. This prevents data overlap during multiple computers backup.

Can I backup my open files?

IDrive is capable of backing up open files for supported platforms including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 2008 server and Windows 2003 servers. It is enabled by default.

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

Can I backup or restore my servers and databases using IDrive Express™?

Yes, you can backup or restore MS SQL Server, On-premise MS Exchange Server, Oracle Server, System State data and servers running on Hyper-V and VMware environment, using the IDrive Express service.

On request, IDrive sends you a hard drive which you can use to perform Local Backup for your database and server files. Then ship it to your cloud account, or you can directly restore the files sent from your cloud account to your servers and databases.

I cannot see the files backed up to the Express device, under the Restore tab. What should I do?

For the files to appear under 'Restore', ensure that you have chosen the appropriate drive in 'Backup location' under 'Backup'. Next ensure that the same drive appears in 'Select files/folders for restore' under 'Restore' and click . All the files backed up to your Express device will appear.

In my Mac computer under 'Restore' I have selected my external drive under 'IDrive Express™ Restore'. Yet I am unable to view the data backed up to the device. What should I do?

Sometimes, locally backed up files may not appear due to intermittent issues, which can be easily resolved using re-indexing.

1. Go to 'Restore' and click 'IDrive Express™ Restore'.
   
2. Select your IDrive Express™ device external drive from the device drop-down menu.
3. Click anywhere within the Restore View section, click 'Re-index files / folders', and click 'Yes' in the confirmation popup.
   

After the re-indexing process is complete, the locally backed up files should be visible. In case you need further assistance, contact support.

How do I restore the data backed up on an Express device?

To restore data from an Express device,

1. Sign in to the IDrive application with your 'Username' and 'Password'.
2. Under 'Restore' select the 'IDrive Express™ Restore' radio button.
   
3. Select the required Express device. You will be able to see all the files/folders backed up to this device.
4. Select the file(s)/folder(s) to restore and choose the desired 'Restore location'.
   
5. Click 'Restore Now'.

How do I configure my account with encryption using Command Line Utility?

To configure account with 'Default Encryption'