- How do I back up particular files and folders?
- How do I set up real time backup?
- How long does it take to make an initial backup?
- What happens if backup is interrupted?
- I’ve completed my selection of files and folders I’d like to back up. How do I know they’ve been backed up?
- How do I access my backed up files online?
- How do I retreive my files?
- How do I recover a deleted file?
- Will Virgin Media’s Traffic Management Policy apply to V Stuff Backup?
How do I back up particular files and folders?
Go to the File Selection tab in the V Stuff Backup software, and you will find a “Select files and folders” option – from here you can expand folders and select specific files or indeed you’re whole computer!
How do I set up real time backup?
The brilliant think with V Stuff Backup is that it works in real time. This means that you can add or change files in your selected folders and they are automatically backed up, so you don’t need to do a thing.
To set up, you first need to make your initial backup. This is when a large number of files are uploaded to your secure backup area. Depending on how much you've got to back up this could take a few hours or a few days, but don't worry - as long as you keep your PC on the backup will tick away in the background.
When making your initial backup:
- you need to select a start time. We recommend that you schedule it to run overnight when the internet is less busy
- leave your computer and broadband connection on
- you can choose to pause and restart your backups when it suits you
- if you do switch off your PC or internet connection don't worry; backup will just pick up from where it left off.
How long does it take to make an initial backup?
It depends on number of things; the upstream speed of your broadband connection, the amount of data you want to back up, and your PC specification. Generally every GB of data you have takes approximately 12 hours.
This example is for illustrative purposes only, and is based on broadband Size: L package with up to 512Kb upstream speed. Actual backup times may vary depending on the time of day and network conditions.
It’s best to start the first backup overnight when the internet is less busy. Remember you can pause the initial backup at any time, when you restart it will pick up where it left off.
What happens if backup is interrupted?
No problem - whether you pause the backup, or mistakenly switch off your PC or internet connection, it’ll pick up where it left off when you get back online.
I’ve completed my selection of files and folders I’d like to back up. How do I know they’ve been backed up?
After you select the files and folders for initial backup and specify the start time, you will be advised when the backup is likely to complete. You can visit V Stuff Online to access backed up files under the Backup tab or take a look in the V Stuff Backup software on your computer to see what you've backed up. You will see list of backed up files and folders in the same folder structure as on your computer.
How do I retreive my files?
To retreive files, go to the retreive tab in the V Stuff Backup software on your computer, and click the retreive Now button.
You have a few options on how you want to retreive files.
You can select all your folders and files, or just specific ones.
In the case of files where several versions are stored, you can view all versions of the same file, just the latest version, or just the oldest version of the file. For more options on versions go to the Advanced tab in the V Stuff Backup program.
Note that you can only retreive one version of each file at a time.
You can retreive your files to their original location, or to specify a different location, select “other” in the location option. Simply select the location you want by clicking on the Browse button.
Please note that you can either select an existing folder or create a new one.
You also have the option of restoring only the files that do not exist on your computer, or to replace all the files on your computer with the backed up version.
When restoring email, you have the option of choosing to which e-mail program you want to retreive your e-mails, since V Stuff Backup supports Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Outlook 2003/2007 and Windows Mail. You can even retreive the e-mails backed up from one application into a different one.
To retreive particular files and folders:
- click on the “retreive Files” button in the retreive tab
- select the files or folders that you wish to retreive onto your computer by browsing the files in your storage area, and ticking the selected files and folders
- select the location to where the files will be retreived; this can be the original location or another folder of your choice
- choose the type of retreive; retreive only the files that do not exist on your computer or replace all files
- finally, click the retreive now button.
If you choose to replace the existing files, a pop-up will ask you to confirm this option.
As with backing up files, two small progress bars progress bars at the bottom left of the application will keep you informed of progress. They show the number of files retreived and the % of data transferred.
A message will appear at the end of the retreive to tell you that you have successfully retreived your files, or tell you if there were any errors in restoring the files. The retreived files can be seen in the History area. If there were any errors, these will also be seen here.
How do I recover a deleted file?
Deleted files are not instantly removed, but are placed in the Trash folder for 30 days. The Trash folder is located at the top level of your V Stuff Btorage folder tree. To recover deleted files, go to the Trash folder in the retreive tab, select the files you want to recover, and hit retreive Now.
You can only recover a deleted file using the V Stuff Backup backup software - you cannot retrieve it from V Stuff Online.
Will Virgin Media’s Traffic Management Policy apply to V Stuff Backup?
No. There is no traffic management policy for uploading data on Virgin Media's National services. However, your initial backup will normally involve a large amount of data being transferred. For this reason, we recommend that you schedule your initial backup overnight. Setting your initial backup overnight will mean a faster upload, while our network is less busy. If you schedule your initial backup during peak hours (currently peak hours are from 15:00 to 20:00, 7 days a week), V Stuff Backup will notify you and recommend that you schedule your backup for a later time. After the initial backup is complete, V Stuff Backup software will automatically back up only the new or changed files in your selected folders. This ensures only small amount of data is being backed up during the average day.
