Common Questions 

What is an Online Backup Service?
I have a slow Internet connection, does it make sense for me to use Online Backup?
What files should I select?
What happens if I exceed my quota?
How do I delete files from the Backup server?
Can I backup more than one computer to my account?
Should I also have a local backup in addition to my online backup?
What is the Restore/Recovery CD/DVD?
What is the Archive Storage?
How do you calculate my billing?
What do I do if I have trouble connecting to the server or performing a backup?
Can I backup open and locked files with the online backup software?
What is a FastBIT backup?

What is an Online Backup Service?

An Online Backup Service is an Internet-based service that allows computer users to routinely backup and recover their important data using a secure and trusted server on the Internet. If you use your computer to create and save valuable data for business or personal reasons, you should make some type of backup of your important data to prevent a total loss in the event of any kind of system failure or human error. Simple data backup can be done by saving your data to multiple locations, copying the data from its original location to removable media, another hard drive, or another computers hard drive on the network. To make this task easier, specialized programs have been developed to aid users in backing up and recovering their data. These specialized programs include a new breed of backup software commonly referred to as Online Backup Software. Online Backup software is designed to routinely encrypt and copy your important files to a private, secure location on the Internet by securely transmitting your data over your existing Internet connection. If you have a working Internet connection on your computer, you can use zConnect’s Secure Online Backup Service to keep your important files safe from disaster on a daily basis. Check the pricing of our Online Backup Service.  

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I have a slow Internet connection, does it make sense for me to use Online Backup?

Depending on the speed of your connection and the size of your backup, your initial backup over the Internet may take several hours or even longer. Many people work with us on their initial backup since we have some other tools that can speed up the process. Once the first backup is completed, each subsequent backup is usually a small amount of data that can be backed up in just minutes even over a slower dialup connection. Our software can also resume a canceled backup, so you can start the backup during your slow times and cancel it during your busy times. The next time you start the backup, it will pick up from where it was canceled until the entire backup is complete. 

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What files should I select?

This secure encrypted solution is ideal for your most critical, constantly changing information. Unsecured static backups are more appropriate for your program files, your operating systems (Windows) files and for your static data; things that do not change frequently or do not require high security. Generally you can also reload or reinstall most of these programs from their initial CD. Your online backup software comes with predefined filters, which allow you to automatically select categories of you most critical files without knowing exactly where all the files are located. A combination of backup technologies will provide you with the greatest security at the optimal price. 

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What happens if I exceed my quota?

You have the option to setup your system to prevent you from exceeding your paid storage quota on the backup server. However, if you do exceed your quota, a message should pop-up on your screen to notify you that you have exceeded your quota and you will incur an additional charge for the additional storage used. Check your pricing plan to determine the costs for additional storage.   

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How do I delete files from the Backup server?

In order to control how much data is stored on the online backup server, your online backup software allows you to view all of the data stored and to selectively remove files from the server. To view the data stored under your account, run your online backup software and click on the folder tab labeled "Restore". In the left windowpane, Right-Click on the Desktop icon and select "Get Volume List from Server". This will show you each computer that has been backed up to your account. Now you can navigate the folders to see what data is stored on the server. To delete files, click on the button with the Red "X" to enable the Delete Files mode. Mark any files you wish to delete by clicking your mouse in the empty box next to the file(s) you wish to delete. Click the "Delete Files Now" to issue the command to delete the selected files from the server. WARNING: Once a file is deleted from the server, it can no longer be restored. 

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Can I backup more than one computer to my account?

Yes. We can allow you to backup any number of computers to your account. You only pay for the storage space that you use. If you have any problems backing up more computers to your account, simply call or E-mail technical support to request additional computers be added to your account.  

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Should I also have a local backup in addition to my online backup?

It's up to you but when it comes to your important data, you can never be too safe.. Users that want an added level of protection may perform local backups in addition to their online backup. Local backups can allow you to backup ALL of your files, while the online backup is a great way to automatically store your critical files off-site. A combination of backup methods will provide you with the greatest security at the optimal price. 

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What is the Restore/Recovery CD/DVD?

The Recovery CD/DVD is a service that we offer which copies all of your backed up data from our servers onto CD(s) or DVD(s). This allows you to restore the archive of your data from a CD without requiring an Internet connection. This is great for keeping long-term archives of your data such as annual or month-end backups. When the Recovery CD/DVD is ordered, it includes all of your account data. Each CD holds approximately 650 MB and each DVD hold approximately 4 GB, so accounts with more than 650 MB/4 GB of storage will require multiple CDs or DVDs.  

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What is the Archive Storage?

The Archive Storage is a service that we offer which stores your archived data on another one of our servers instead of using the Recovery CD/DVD service. The data is backed up and stored encrypted on another physical server. A single file or the entire backup can be  restored on request. The restored data can be delivered via CD/DVDs, Secure FTP, or email. 

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How do you calculate my billing?

Monthly Billing Customers - On a monthly basis, we will compare your pricing plan to your actual storage usage and determine your costs for that month. If your storage usage is below that amount of storage provided in your base plan, no additional charges will be processed. If your storage usage is greater than your base plan amount, an additional charge is calculated based on the additional increments of storage space needed to accommodate for your storage usage for the month. A new calculation is performed every month to determine the billing total for that month.

Annual Billing Customers - When you purchase an annual plan, you purchase a certain amount of storage for an  entire year. For instance, a customer that purchases a 50GB annual plan can store up to 50 GB on the backup server for an entire year. Each month, your storage usage is compared to the storage allowed by the annual plan that was purchased. If any additional storage is being used, a   charge for the additional storage will be processed for that month. This additional charge only applies for months where the storage usage exceeds the amount allowed by the base plan that was purchased. 

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Can I backup open and locked files with the online backup software?

In the case of many backup software programs, files and databases that are in use during the backup may not get backed up successfully because they are locked to prevent any other program from altering the data. To solve this problem, our Secure Online Backup can be used with the optional Open File Manager program to make sure that these open and locked files get backed up successfully. 

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What is a FastBIT backup?

The FastBIT patching process is the core technology behind our speedy backup service. The patching process involves the comparison of two different versions of the same file and extracting the differences between the files. When the differences are extracted from the two files, they are saved into a new file and compressed into what is known as a Patch. The patch file is often 85% to 99.9% smaller than the file which the patch was extracted from originally.

In order to perform a FastBIT backup, the software has to backup the files 3 times: the first backup is full, the nextbackup will perform an incremental, and the third performs the first FatBIT backup.

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