IDrive
Get 5 GB of full featured Online Backup for free. Features include Automatic Backup, True Archiving, Versioning, Continuous Backup, Mapped Drive Backup and Web-based Bac...
What is IDrive?
Get 5 GB of full featured Online Backup for free. Features include Automatic Backup, True Archiving, Versioning, Continuous Backup, Mapped Drive Backup and Web-based Backup Management. IDriveSync syncs files online across multiple PCs and Macs. On installing and logging into the application, it opens up a 'Sync' area where you can add the files you wish to sync. With iDrive Sync you can Sync up to 5 computers: Once you have new data into your Sync area, your Sync data starts getting transferred online, or 'Syncs-Up'. This essentially serves as an online backup of your data. Now, if you simply install and login on multiple PCs / Macs using same authentication, the synced data is 'Synced-Down' onto those multiple computers. Anytime you make a change to synced data anywhere on those multiple computers, all the computers will shortly reflect the modified data.
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Comments and Reviews
Tags
- Privacy Protection
- Backup and Restore
- Online Backup
- Backup
You can use Google/Apple to send/sync/backup your emails, contacts, links, geolocation and browsing info, but beware that these are scanned and analyzed and that your privacy is therefore a means by which they make a profit. Moreover, the US government is entitled by legal means to get that data from them without telling you (see National Security Letter).
Unfortunately, there are few options for phone backup that offer strong, "zero-knowledge" (meaning that the company you're using can't see the data - only an encrypted version - and do not have the key to decrypt it; your privacy is respected). iDrive's app is one of them, and it's free to use if you don't exceed 5GB of data. iDrive's app is also one of very few that offer a feature-rich option set to backup your phone's data, including contacts. Other services, like SpiderOak and Tresorit are excellent, but their phone apps do not offer this.
I bought iDrive to serve as cloud backup, not for its sync capabilities. The one absolutely "gotta have" feature of backup software is the ability to restore an image of the backed-up disk at a particular point in time. Amazingly, iDrive cannot do this. If you attempt to restore your files you will restore duplicates, moved, and deleted files. I checked with their Tech Support and was advised to use the "Archive Cleanup" option, which partially addresses this problem. But when I look at the files to be restored I still find deleted and moved files because it turns out "Archive Cleanup" has date and percentage thresholds that screw up a true cleanup. Buyer be advised.
Hi,
Totally agree.
I use IDrive backup for years and I'm quite happy with it (but never had needed to restore).
But last days, I explored the restoration options, in case I had to restore a lot of data (for instance restore a big folder with subfolders and files, or at worst a died HDD) and I had a really bad surprise: From IDrive web: I can't do anything but restore one file at a time. Simple :( (It is even impossible to download a single folder). From IDrive Windows app: I can restore one or several folders, great ;),
BUT!!! : it contains all my deleted data, even when displaying the "latest contents"!
I thought to find the solution with the "Snapshots" feature but it is the same issue: all my deleted data is listed, as the message said: "List file/folder that is backed up on or before"...
For me, it is nonsense! I often delete files and folders to clean my data. For instance, last month, I deleted thousands of files and hundreds of folders; it took me several hours. And if I have data loss and if I use IDrive to restore it, all my clean work will be lost ?!
I contacted IDrive support and they say me I should run an "Archive cleanup" before restoring my data, and so, all my deleted data (not present on my source PC) will be deleted on the cloud.
Ok, but as I said to them: "It will delete data I choose to delete AND maybe data deleted by mistake, and I don't want that. It is the reason why I use IDrive: not be worried about deleted stuff by mistake.
I think it is really a big con to not be able to restore data like it was on my computer on a chosen date, without deleted stuff, and without the need to run the archive cleanup. With solutions like image disk backup (Reflect for instance), when I choose a date to restore, I have exactly the content of how it was at a chosen date, and If I want to retrieve deleted data, I choose an older date...
This point makes me think if I should stay on IDrive or leave it."
So this discovery is a big disappointment for me.
Is there anyone aware of this?
Do you know if there is the same "issue" with other backup solutions? (Backblaze for instance) ?
Thanks
Reply written ago
Great price for an almost great product. One problem is that syncing is really bad. Syncing between multiple computers often results in files disappearing. If it weren't for that I'd rate 4 or 5 stars.
This was my first experience with cloud storage. I paid for the 1TB fee-based version. The initial upload of my 133GB SSD took over 48 hours. Vendor replied to emails, but would not address specific questions. Upload speed was nowhere near my available bandwidth. Interface is confusing and data reporting appears to be inaccurate. In less than a week, our storage in the cloud had reached twice the data level on the SSD being backed-up. I have no confidence in this company or their software. I canceled my account and asked for a full refund.
Like many people, I was duped into buying this software and service due to all the positive reviews online. Well, take the time to read the many negative user comments. This company sucks you in with a discounted price, then appears to suck data into the cloud until your account has an overage. Then they hit you with big charges, which they can do because they have your credit card number.
I used iDrive for several months but it was slow and unreliable (and did not do "continuous" backups, only scheduled backups which are less effective for a laptop. In the end, I switched to Backblaze and haven't looked back.
I started by trying the free storage option and for 2-3 consecutive days I had trouble loging in. I contacted support, we exchanged a couple of mails but nothing of what they proposed worked. The problem went away by itself afterwards. So I decided to try the 150GB for 5$/mo. plan. It took me ages to upload my data (I know its not their fault, all dsl connections are asymmetric). Then I was happy for about a couple of weeks, with automated backups keeping everything updated, until I changed the names of the folders of my photo collection. The program uploaded the folders again without deleting the older versions, and when I try to sync it gets stuck and it doesn't delete the older versions in the cloud. As a result my quota of 150GB is full and I cannot backup anything new. This has been going on for a while now, and the help desk is eager but unable to help. I am seriously thinking about switching (that's how I got to this forum) because I cannot afford to spend so much time and energy on the issue. Any suggestions? I am considering Crashplan, SpiderOak and Backblaze in that order.
IDrive recently started offering an unlimited backup plan in addition to their free and pro plans. There are a few limites like the mapped drive support is not available for the unlimited plan, Windows only and only one computer but it is an attractive plan for those people interesting in an unlimited backup plan.
Some details can be found here: http://www.onlinebackupdeals.com/idrive/idrive-unlimited-plan-details/