Common Questions

Q: What do I need to use PC Backup Vault?

A: First, you will need to register for an account on PC Backup Vault. Once you have a PC Backup Vault account you can use any FTP or backup software that supports Internet backup procedures. For PC users we recommend Backup4All which you can download from our site. Backup4All licenses can be purchased directly from PC Backup Vault. For more information about this software please visit the Backup4All FAQ's page on our site.

Q: What is included in my account?

A: You get the storage amount that comes with the package and you purchase additional storage any time. Online access to your backup files, activity reports, instant account renewal, and user administration are all included.

Q: What if I need my stored backup files when I am using another computer?

A: No problem. Just log into your PC Backup Vault online account administrator and click on the "My Files" tab. You will see your files listed allowing you to download them directly to the computer you are using. Your online backup files are stored in convenient zip format so they can be opened with almost any zip program.

Q: Can I have more than one user on my account?

A: You can easily create additional users for your account via your online account manager. Each additional user will use a portion of your total storage allotment. Additional storage can be added any time.

Q: Is there a limit on the number of backup users I can create in my account?

A: There is no limit on the number of users that can be created in an account.

Q: How can I make sure outdated files are not taking up my storage space?

A: There are 2 methods. Log into your online account manager and either delete old files via the "My Files" tab, or schedule automatic file deletions.

Q: Can I prevent certain files from being automatically deleted?

A: Yes, any file can be locked through the web interface so that it will not be deleted by the automatic process.

Q: Can individual users login and manage their own files under my account?

A: That is up to you. The account administrator can allow users to login and view or delete their own files. It is possible to allow users to login and only change their password or individual users can be prevented from logging in at all.

Q: How much storage will I need?

A: This will depend on what you are backing up and how long you wish to keep your backup archives. Typically people will want to keep two full backups stored on-line and all the incremental backups that go with those two full backups. The first step is to define your backup in the Backup4All program, click on the statistics button and then click on the button to calculate the size of the next backup. This will tell you the estimated size of the next backup. Take this number and double it and then add a bit of room for growth This is the amount of space you will require for this backup. If you are performing multiple backups you will have to add up all the totals to calculate the total space required. If you are backing up your database daily and each backup is a Full backup then multiply the size of the backup by the number of backups you want to keep. We recommend that you keep at least 14 days of critical data backups.

Q: How long will it take to backup my files to the server?

A: The time to backup will depend on your connection speed and the size of your backup archive file. A typical DSL connection should allow you to upload between 2MB and 4MB of data per minute. A 100MB backup should take approximately 30 minutes. If you have backup verification enabled the process will take approximately 20% longer to download the file and verify it.