What You Should Know When You Restore Files from Carbonite

October 11, 2009 · Filed Under Data Recovery · Comment 

If you’re interested in using online backup solutions and are concerned of the technical difficulties you might encounter, you would be happy to know that it’s really quite simple to restore files from Carbonite. Most of us think that tinkering with our computer hardware needs a lot of technical wisdom. It’s also like that when using a new software or program. With Carbonite backup however, doing data backup and recovering the data when the need arises involves processes that are very easy to follow even for novice computer users.

If you are ever faced with the task of restoring your files after reformatting your hard drive or after a computer crash, the first thing you would need to do is download the Carbonite software again. As soon as you do this, the setup wizard will ask you to choose from two options – restore your files later or restore your files now. If you choose to retrieve them right there and then, you will then be asked if you prefer the files downloaded to their original locations, or choose specific files for specific users. Most users would choose option one but even the more advanced option is not that difficult to follow.

However, if you only want to restore a single file or an older version of a file, you have options there as well. Since Carbonite is listed under My Computer as a virtual drive, you can open it and navigate it just like any other drive. Once you have opened it, you simply have to find the file you want to restore. Click Restore to send it back to its original location or click Restore To if you want to send it somewhere else. You also have to choice to retrieve previous versions of files by clicking the Restore Previous Version option. Carbonite will save older versions for up to three months.

Carbonite however, also has its weak points. One of its major drawbacks is the delay you may encounter when you restore large file sizes. Restoring a few hundred megabytes of data for instance, may be completed only after hours or even days of waiting. Even if you want to have a document restored very quickly though, you would need to stretch your patience a bit. The important thing is, you have a reliable backup in place should you experience a major data loss. Carbonite’s servers may be slow when restoring large volumes, but then again, faster servers would have meant more expensive fees.

Carbonite is not a flawless service, but it is an extremely attractive one. They offer what other companies charge ten times the amount for. You also get an ease of use that is hard to match with many other online backup services. When you put all these things together, you get a great service which appeals to a large group of people.

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