Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
Restoring Your Data
Mobile Apps
BobDrive
What is BackupBob?
BackupBob is a provider of premium backup solutions for home and businesses alike. We offer 3 powerful yet simple to use products that quite frankly blows away the competition:
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BobDrive
The simple to use and reliable solution for storing your precious files online. We securely store your files in state of the art data centers . If you lose your files or they become damaged you can retrieve them quickly and easily even if you're on the go.
We keep up to 30 versions of every file you ever backup so if you accidently overwrite that document or went a little too far while editing that photo of uncle Joe you can go back to a previous version.
You get unlimited storage space and unlimited bandwidth.
You will never run out of space and you will never have to cope with sluggish download speeds.
That's pretty awesome, ain't it?
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BobDrive Sync
Automatically synchronize files between all your computers. Sync works like a USB stick with giant capacity, except you don't have to worry about where you left it. Your BobDrive Sync is mounted as a seperate drive on your computer and everything you put on it will automatically be copied to both your online storage space and any other computer on which you installed the BackupBob software.
Changes made on one device is replicated across all of your other computers.
We're sure you won't miss that "Uh-oh...I forgot to copy the presentation from my pc at home to the laptop...."-moment.
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BobDrive Pro
This is the perfect solution for those who wants the combined features of BobDrive and BobDrive Sync in one easy to use product at a great discount!
You’ll be able to safely backup up all computers as well as sync your files across every computer you own.
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Why do I need BackupBob?
Your files are not just data. Its precious memories, crucial business documents, important emails. It's blood, sweat and tears.
Every computer user has experienced data loss to some degree.
Often it's just minor incidents costing you a few minutes of extra work or maybe a somewhat embarrassing call to the tech savy friend or family member.
No big deal, right?
But losing those precious wedding pictures, holiday memories or mission critical business data could result in a full blown crisis.
But this only happens to the next guy it's not gonna happen to you, is it?
While we certainly don't like to look on the dark side we simply cannot ignore the facts:
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25% of computer users experience various degrees of data loss every year (according to a Gartner Group survey)
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70% of small companies suffering major data loss is going out of business within one year. (according to a PWC study, 2004)
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The average cost of a single data loss incident due to lost production, cost of technical assistance and the value of the data itself is estimated to be $3.957.- (source:http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/the-cost-of-lost-data/).
The list goes on but you get the picture; An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The files you store on your computer - photos, music, videos, emails and documents - are increasingly precious, but they're so easy to lose.
Hard drive failure, fire, theft or even just accidental user errors can wipe out highly important content in seconds.
Before BackupBob you could only back up your data to CDs, DVDs, external drives or even backup tape, but all of this takes effort, you need to remember to do it, and they're about as susceptible to failure, loss and damage as the computer itself.
BobDrive gets rid of this problem completely by providing a simple, secure and robust online backup solution.
Just install it, select which folders you want to backup and forget about it. There's no need to schedule your backups or leave your PC turned on overnight - it backs up your files as you work.
There's no limit on how much you back up either, so it's completely hassle free.
BobDrive Sync takes this one step further by setting your files free and letting you access them wherever you are.
See the same files on every computer you use - you can use them just like any other file on your computer, but if you change them, they will automatically change on all of your other PCs.
View and even edit your documents online from any web browser anywhere. Even access your files on the go from your mobile.
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I have an external hard drive. Why should I care about BackupBob?
While keeping a secondary device around for backup is definately better than nothing you might want to consider a few things that makes our professionally operated data centers superior to anything you could have at home:
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We use multiple physical locations connected by a redundant network infrastructure
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All our servers use industry grade RAIDs (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
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Our data centers are under 24/7/365 surveillance and protected by state-of-the-art access control
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Our server environment has automatic climate control measures. Including fire prevention, temparature control and humidity monitoring
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We never bring our disks to the office or a family gathering. They won't be lost in the subway, left in the backseat of a hot car or dropped in a puddle of mud.
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We are professionals. We do this for a living. Likewise we want you to spend your time doing what you enjoy the most and leave the tech stuff to us
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You are much cheaper than your competition. What's the catch?
We have partnered with time proven and industri leading companies.
Thus we are able to offer cutting edge backup solutions and we are confident that our services are at least as good as the competition.
Frankly we think a lot of other companies also offers great backup services but....
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We don't limit you to one computer.
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We don't limit your storage space or your bandwidth.
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We don't offer you a low price for a basic product only to rip you off when you find out about the cool features.
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With us you get fullblown backup solutions at much better prices.
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How secure is BackupBob?
Backup is very secure. Our data partners use military-grade technology to keep your files encrypted and safe.
In technical terms that is your files are encrypted using the AES algorithm with a 256bit key. If you want an even deeper understanding of just how secure the algorithm is you can find it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard.
We support SSL transfers between your PC and our servers too, so there's no risk of people intercepting your data while it is uploaded or downloaded.
All of the data that you backup is put on redundant systems across multiple locations, so it is fully protected against hardware failure or other damage.
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What are the minimum system requirements?
The BackupBob software requires the following minimums of your system:
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1 GHz Intel or equivalent CPU
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512 MB of RAM
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Windows XP/Vista/7/Server 2003 or later or Mac OS X 10.6 or later
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Broadband Internet Connection
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Internet Explorer 7 or higher/Firefox 2.0 or higher/Google Chrome/Safari
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The latest versions of Java and Flash.
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What payment methods do you accept?
BackupBob.com accepts a wide range of credit cards.
The most common types of credit cards used by our customers are:
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Mastercard
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Visa
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Visa/Electron
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Maestro
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JCB
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Dankort.
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Where are you located?
BackupBob.com is a division of Next Media Content Aps.
Our business address is:
BackupBob.com
c/o Unica Net ApS
Karlslunde Strandvej 76
DK-2690 Karlslunde
CVR. 35248021
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Where are my files stored?
Your files are usually stored both on your own computer and in BackupBob's state-of-the-art data centres. By storing your files in both places you can be sure that you have access to your files and can use them as normal even when you're not online.
Our data centres use cutting edge, military grade technology to make sure that your data is both safe and highly accessible. Our main data centre is in London, UK.
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What does unlimited storage space mean?
Our BobDrive accounts come with unlimited online storage. Unlimited storage space means that you can put as much as you want on your BobDrive without worrying about it - and can therefore backup your entire computer, no matter how much stuff you have on it. We don't limit the amount you backup, nor do we limit the amount you upload or download to the BackupBob servers (the bandwidth). You really can use BackupBob as much as you want.
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What is the difference between BobDrive and BobDrive Sync?
BobDrive is a very simple (yet powerful) online backup solution. You choose which folders you want to backup, and BobDrive will work in the background to protect the contents of those folders while you work. You can set it up and forget about it.
BobDrive Sync is our flexible and innovative access-anywhere product, that lets you access your files wherever you go, and see the same files on all of your computers. BobDrive Sync will change the way that you view files - no longer are they static objects on one computer, but they go with you wherever you go and you never need be without them again.
See the two packages compared side by side.
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How Do I Restore from my PC?
Restoring your backup right from your PC is very easy thanks to our Restore Software.
Simply start the Restore Software from the "BobDrive Restore" folder in your Windows start menu and follow the instructions on screen
You can download our Restore Software from the BackupBob web portal and clicking "Account Settings" and then click "Software Download".
You can acces the web portal by right-clicking the BackupBob logo next to your Windows clock and choose "Web Portal".
Alternatively you can go to "yourName.bobdrive.com" using your web browser.
(replace yourName with the web address from your welcome email)
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How Do I Restore Online?
To restore your files online you simply log into your webportal and click the BobDrive tab.
From there you can choose which computer to restore from. Then choose the folders and files you want to download.
Your web portal address is yourName.bobdrive.com. Please see your welcome email for details.
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What are the BobDrive mobile apps?
The BobDrive mobile app, we call it Open Access, is a great way to access your files from your iPhone or iPad.
It is free to download from the Apple iTunes App or via the Apple App Store.
The app lets you browse your BobDrive and BobDrive Sync files on the move, wherever you are, and view your documents, play your music or watch your videos - all streamed over 3G or Wi-Fi.
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How can I access my files if I don't have an iPhone or iPad?
The mobile apps are currently only available for iPad and iPhone devices, but you can also access all of your files from our mobile web portal - just log in at http://m.bobdrive.com from any smartphone.
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How do I get the BobDrive mobile apps?
To get the BobDrive mobile apps, just search for "Open Access" in the iTunes App Store. The apps are free - all you need to use it is your BackupBob account. Once the app has downloaded just open it and it will ask you for your email address and password to get started.
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What features are available in the mobile apps?
The BobDrive mobile apps are packed with useful features. The top features include:
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Browse your backups, BobDrive Sync or files that others have shared with you.
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View Office, iWorks, RTF or PDF documents anywhere
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View photos and create slideshows
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Stream all of your music, and browse it by Album, Artist, Genre or Year - even if the music isn't in iTunes!
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Stream your videos - whatever format they're in. There's no need to convert them to an iTunes compatible format first.
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Upload photos and videos straight from your device to your BackupBob account.
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Will there be apps for other mobile operating systems?
Yes - they're on the development list! There are no definitive timescales yet, but we're hoping to support a wider range of mobile operating systems in near future. When they are released we will announce them on the BackupBob Blog and Twitter account.
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What is BobDrive?
BobDrive is a simple and secure online backup solution - it keeps a copy of your files safely online, so that if the files are ever lost or damaged you can restore them quickly and easily. BobDrive is very easy to set up, and once it's configured you can just forget about it. Sign up now.
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What makes BobDrive special?
There are many things about BobDrive that make it stand out from other backup solutions. Here are just a few of them:
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Extremely easy to set up - our simple step-by-step setup wizard helps you choose which files you want to backup. It literally takes a minute, and once you're done, you don't need to worry about it ever again.
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Backs up your files as you work - you don't need to worry about leaving your computer on overnight, or your backup suddenly starting up at a set time when you're trying to do something else. You certainly don't need to remember to do anything. BobDrive just silently backs up your files as you work, so as soon as you change a file it's instantly protected.
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Stored off-site for complete safety - unlike backing up to an external drive, CD or DVD, BobDrive copies your files to our secure servers in our carrier-grade data centres. This means that if the worst should happen- fire or theft - your data is still securely backed up in a completely different location to your PC.
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Completely unlimited storage space - you can back up as much as you want with BobDrive. You don't need to worry about your CD, DVD or backup tape being full - it will just keep backing up no matter how much you have on your PC.
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Restore previous versions of files - sometimes a file is not lost or damaged, it's just been changed in a way you don't want. Maybe someone made alterations to a file and you need to restore it to a previous version. With BobDrive you can - it stores the last 30 versions of any file, and you can download the older editions with one click.
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View your backup files online from anywhere - your backups are not compressed into some obscure format or hidden in a dusty filing cabinet - they're live online. Simply log in to your secure web portal and view them from anywhere. You can even play your music, view your Office documents, watch your movies and display your photos right from within your web browser!
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How do I download and install the Backup software?
To download the BobDrive Desktop software simply login to your web portal, click on the Account Settings tab and select Software Download. This page will show you how to download and install the latest version - it's very easy and literally takes minutes.
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How do I choose which files to backup?
When you first install the BobDrive Desktop software the welcome wizard will guide you through selecting the folders you want to backup.
Once BobDrive is installed and running, you can add any folder to the backup list just by right clicking on it and selecting Backup with BobDrive Backup:
Or on a Mac, select the folders in Finder, and then select "Selected Files" > "Backup this folder" from the BackupBob menu next to your clock at the top right of your screen. BobDrive will then upload the contents of that folder in the background. In future BobDrive will monitor the folder and any files you add or change will be uploaded instantly in the background as you work.
Advanced users can easily manage all of the folders you want to backup by opening the BackupBob Settings screen in your Windows Control Panel, clicking on the Services tab and selecting "Select folders and files to backup". From here you can manually add and remove folders to your backup.
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When does BobDrive run?
BobDrive doesn't run to a schedule - it just works in the background and constantly backs up your files as you work. Therefore you don't need to keep your PC on overnight or worry about whether the backup ran at a certain time - your files are protected all of the time.
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How do I schedule a backup?
BobDrive does not currently have a scheduled backup option - it constantly protects your files as you work. If you change a file or add a file to the folders that you are protecting, BobDrive will instantly upload it without interrupting you.
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Where can I see the files I've backed up?
The files that you've backed up are all available from your secure web portal. Login with your BackupBob account e-mail address and password, and click on the Backup tab - you'll be able to browse your files just like you can in Windows. You can download files or folders from here with one click, but you can also do so much more - you can watch your movies, view your Office documents, play your music and display your photos right from within your web browser!
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What happens if I delete a file from my PC?
If you delete a file on your PC then it is moved to the Recycle Bin in your web portal (even if it isn't in your Recycle Bin in Windows). It stays here for at least 30 days, so you can restore it quickly and easily. To access your Recycle Bin, login to your web portal, click on the Backup tab and see the Recycle Bin in the left hand navigation.
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How can I restore multiple files?
Whether you want to restore you files on a new computer or are recovering from an unfortunate incident, BobDrive Restore lets your browse your BackupBob account, select any file or folder and then restore it straight to your PC, either in its original location or any location you choose. To download and install the BobDrive Restore, click here. The installer will take you through everything you need to set up BobDrive Restore - it only takes a few minutes!
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Can I get access to previous versions of files?
Yes - BobDrive keeps up to the last 30 versions of any file. Login to your web portal, click on the Backup tab and navigate to the file. Double click on the file to view it's properties - you'll see a list of historical versions here and can download whichever one you want.
Alternatively, if you are using BobDrive Restore, simply right-click on a file and select View Older Versions or select Versions from the toolbar to see a list and restore any historical versions.
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Can I restore deleted items?
Yes - both the BackupBob Web Portal and BobDrive Restore let you access deleted items. Simply look for the entry in your toolbar called "Show Deleted Items".
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Can I edit or delete files online in BobDrive?
No - you can't make any changes to files from the web portal. BobDrive is designed to keep an exact copy of what you have on your computer online, so you can't edit it online.
If you want to the ability to edit, move, delete or rename files online, try BobDrive Sync - our powerful access-anywhere service. Find out about the difference between BobDrive and BobDrive Sync on our package comparison page.
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Can I upload files to BobDrive online?
No - you can't upload new files to BobDrive online. BobDrive is a direct copy of the files you have on your computer. If you want the ability to upload files from anywhere and have them appear on your PC, try our BobDrive Sync service. For a comparison between BobDrive and BobDrive Sync, see our package comparison page.
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Can I use BobDrive on multiple computers?
Yes - The BobDrive package is for use on multiple machines. Alternatively, a BobDrive Pro Suite package lets you backup up multiple computers and you get BobDrive Sync too!
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How do I remove a computer from BobDrive?
You can easily delete computers from BobDrive. Login to your BackupBob web portal, and click on the Backup tab. Select the computer you want to delete and click on Remove Computer in the File Management box on the right hand side. The computer will be removed from your BobDrive list, and all files contained within it will be deleted. Note that once you've deleted a computer from BobDrive it cannot be undone - you will not be able to access those files from your BackupBob account, unless they are re-uploaded.
When you delete a computer from your BackupBob account nothing will happen on your local PC - no local files will be deleted at all.
If you delete a computer from your BackupBob web portal but decide to keep using the BobDrive Desktop backup software on that PC then BackupBob recommend that you run an integrity check to make sure that BobDrive re-uploads any files that were removed. To do this, go to your BobDrive Control Panel, go to the Advanced Settings tab, select Maintenance and click on Run - BobDrive will rescan all of your backup folders and re-upload any deleted files.
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