Advanced Features

The backup software provides features and functionality you may find useful. Below are instructions how to use these.

Working with Username / Password and Contact Details

Q1: Have you forgotten your Username or Password?
Q2: How do I change my password?
Q3: Have you received the "Invalid/Bad Username Exception" error message?
Q4: How can I update my contact details?

Q1: Have you forgotten your Username or Password?

A: Your Username can be found at the top of every email we send you (i.e your backup confirmation emails).

Your password will contain a combination of letters and numbers and is something you created at the same time as you set up your username when you registered for an account.

If you have forgotten your password you can reset it quickly and automatically via the customer Login area on our website.

Q2: How do I change my password?

A: If you ever wish to change your password you can have the system reset it automatically for you (see point 1 above), or if you have just done this and wish to update it to something more memorable, please follow these instructions:

click on 'Start' (bottom left corner of computer screen)
Click on Programs (or All Programs)
Select the backup software program
Click on "Update my account details" (wait a few seconds for the Account Security box to open)
Click on the Change Password tab (at the bottom of the page)
Put in your current password
Put in your new password and then confirm this again
Click Submit

NOTE:
You must know your current password before you will be able to change it.

New passwords must be at least 6 characters in length, contain a minimum of 1 digit and consist only of alphabetical characters (no underscores, hyphens, exclamation marks etc).

Good examples of passwords would be brian55 or 250973xyz, and incorrect passwords would be bob!_45 or jennysmith

The Username on your account is permanent and cannot be changed.

Q3: Have you received the "Invalid/Bad Username Exception" error message?

A: This is usually due to forgetting to verify your new password (after it has been reset) in the backup software and is easily remedied by following these instructions:

Click on 'Start' (bottom left corner of computer screen)
Click on Programs (or All Programs)
Select your backup software program
Click on Update my account details (wait a few seconds for the Account Security box to open)
Confirm the 'Username' is correct and then delete the asterisks currently in the password field, and TYPE in the new password that was sent to you by email.
Click Submit at the bottom of the page and a small box will now appear saying 'Your settings have been verified'
Click OK

You have now verified your account with your Username and Password and should be able to use the backup software without problems.

NOTE:
If you have the backup software on additional computers, follow the above to update your new password in the backup software on each machine.

Q4: How can I update my contact details?

A: To update your contact details (email address, telephone number etc.), please go to the customer Login area on our website where you can manage and update your account information.

NOTE:
You will need your Username and Password to access the Login area. For more details on Usernames and Passwords please see above.

The 'Backup Cycle'

How many historic versions of your backups are retained on our servers?

On the bottom right of the software there is a box called Backup Cycle with a number in it. Backup Cycles refer to the amount of days a deleted file will remain saved on our servers and by default we retain the last 30 versions of your information. This means when you overwrite a document or get a virus you can easily go back in time and retrieve a clean copy.

To understand this better, imagine you backed up to a new Disk each day. At the end of the month you would have 30 Disks on the shelf allowing you to retrieve information from any of those days.

The backup software does this automatically for you and on day 31, day 1 drops off and the cycle revolves so you always have the last 30 days available to restore from. You can reduce your Backup Cycles down to just 1 so that each backup overwrites the last one or increase it to store up to 10,000 back copies!

Having a backup cycle of 30 should not increase your storage with us, as after the initial backup only new or changed files are uploaded. However when backing up continually growing files such as 'emails' or databases' we strongly recommend that these are backed up by themselves (as separate backup sets) and the Backup Cycle is reduced to 5. This is because databases and emails are single files, which tend to increase in size each time they are backed up.

If you have deleted or moved a folder or file on your computer that was previously backed up, this folder/file will roll-back and drop off our servers when the cycle completes.

If you have removed folders/files from your backup set to reduce your storage levels on our servers, these files will not roll off our servers and storage will not reduce until the Backup Cycle has completed. You can speed this up by reducing the Backup Cycle in the software (and then click SAVE). After you confirm your storage has reduced (via the confirmation email or the customer Login area on our website), you should increase the Backup Cycle back to what it was previously (and click SAVE again) to start to save a fresh batch of cycles on our servers.

To Amend the Backup Cycle for any backup set, please follow these instructions:

Open the backup software
Left click on the backup set you wish to amend so it's highlighted
Overwrite the figure currently in your 'Backup Cycle' at the bottom right of the screen and reduce/increase as required
Click SAVE
Repeat for any additional backups that you wish to amend.

IMPORTANT:
We do not advise having a Backup Cycle of 1 as this will overwrite the previous backup each time.

Archiving data

You may use your backup account to archive data offsite so it is always safe.

Create a backup set in the normal way - see our video Demo here.

After you have selected the folders and files you wish to archive, either run the backup manually by clicking 'Backup Now' or allow the backup to run on schedule, automatically.

After the backup has completed and you receive the successful email confirmation, left click on the backup set so it is highlighted and deselect the tick from the 'Set-Active' box (located bottom right of the software) and finally click SAVE (top left).

The backup set will not run again automatically and the data will remain safely archived on our severs for you. You can view/restore this at any time by opening the software and going to the 'restore files' area.

NOTES:
If you run the initial backup manually (i.e. not automatically), please refrain from closing the backup software at this time.

When a backup is set to non-active it will no longer backup automatically however you are still able to back it up manually at any time.

When a backup is non-active the data stored on our servers for this set does still count towards your storage usage.

In the software your backup set/s that are non-active will be represented by the letter 'N' (non-active) instead of a 'Y'.

You can re-activate a backup set at any time by highlighting the set and re-ticking the set-active box (and click SAVE).

Firewalls

In most cases the backup software will work through your firewall without any issues or need for you to do anything, however if you do experience an issue that you feel may be firewall related we recommend that you first check your Client Log to see what error message is appearing.

If you see this error message: "cannot connect to rmi registry 44400, connection refused to host"

This means your firewall is blocking the software from backing up over the Internet.

If a firewall is present it must allow outgoing TCP connections to ports in the range 44400-44408 and 44450.

The backup service (process) may appear as javaw.exe or Java(TM) Platform SE binary and this should be allowed.

Once allowed through your firewall, your backups should run without any issues. If you keep getting this error message please contact your firewall provider for assistance.

Microsoft ISA server and firewall access

ISA servers contain extremely secure firewalls and to allow the backup software to work through it they need three Custom filters setup:-

IP Port = TCP
Direction = Both
Local = All Ports
Remote = Fixed Port
Remote Ports = 44400 - 44408 and also 44450

Restart the 'Automated' Service

The Backup Daemon is the element in the service that allows the Automated Backups to run. It is rare for this to stop but if it does:

Click Start (bottom left of your computer)
If an XP machine select RUN and type 'services.msc' and then click OK. If a Vista or Windows 7 machine click Start and type 'services' in the search box and then click the Enter key on your keyboard.
In the 'Services' window > click your left mouse button on 'Automated Backup Daemon' so it is highlighted (services are alphabaticaly listed and you should find this 4th or 5th from the top of the list).
On the left hand side of the Services window there should be an option to 'Start the service' (other options might include: Stop, Pause, Restart). Select 'Start' or 'Restart' as required.
It is also possible to right click on 'Automated Backup Daemon' and click 'Start' in the menu that appears.

After the Service is Started or Restarted, you should confirm the Status is 'Started' and the Startup Type is 'Automatic'. If the Startup Type is not 'Automatic' you should right click 'Automated Backup Daemon' and select Properties. In the 'Automated Backup Daemon Properties' window select 'Automatic' in the 'Startup type' field and finally click 'Apply' (bottom right)

Set up Network Access/permission

If the data you wish to backup is located on a network, mapped or shared drive/folder the you must follow the instructions below to give the backup software (service) permission to run automatically at the scheduled time. If you don not do this the backups will not run automatically and you may receive the error message "access is denied".

To provide the backup service with Administrator Rights using Windows XP, Vista and Windows7:

First confirm that your computer is password protected - see the notes below
Click Start (bottom left of your computer)
If an XP machine select RUN and type 'services.msc' and then click OK. If a Vista or Windows 7 machine click Start and type 'services' in the search box and click 'Enter' on your keyboard
In the Services window > right click 'Automated Backup Daemon' and select > Properties
Select > Log On tab
Select > This Account
If your Windows Administrator name does not appear automatically, either:

Type your Administrator name or
Click > Browse and select user

Over write the existing password (asterisks) with your Windows password and confirm this.
Click > Apply (bottom right)
A message should appear stating that the Logon name will not take effect until you Start (or Stop and restart) the Service
Click on the General tab and either Start or Restart the Service

NOTES:
Data you wish to backup that is located on a network, mapped or shared drive/folder MUST be selected via the 'Network Neighbourhood' in the backup software.

When backing up a server, ideally you should install the backup software onto the server itself and backup the information directly.

If the above instructions do not work for you, please in the first instance re-start your machine and then try again. Re-starting often clears the system.

Please note that although you will always be able to back up your information using the "Backup Now" button (i.e manually), Scheduled or Automatic backups will only work if you have followed the above instructions.

If you type a password each time you restart your computer then your machine is 'Password Protected' and this will be the password that is required in the Services area as per the above instructions. If your computer is not password protected then you will need to create a password. To set up your administrator password on a Windows computer go to 'Control Panel', select 'User Accounts' and set up a password for the user named 'Administrator'.

File Filtering Editor

You can include or exclude specific files within a backup set.

To setup File Filters please click here to download the documentation and follow the instructions.

Socks Proxy

To set up the backup software to work through SOCKS proxy:

Sign up for a backup account and complete the registration forms.
Ignore the error message that appears when the submit button on the registration form is clicked.
Open the backup software and click on the "Option" tab in the taskbar and select 'proxy options'.

The "proxy options" dialog contains settings for a SOCKS proxy. If the proxy checkbox is ticked, a proxy host must be entered.

Port (default 1080)
User (optional)
Password (optional)

NOTES:
The proxy should support SOCKS v4 or v5.

Only the anonymous and cleartext (rfc1929) authentication methods are supported.

If Java 1.3 is used (seems to happen for backup daemon on Mac), only SOCKS v4 is supported.

If the version of Java on the client is older than 1.5 (this is likely to be the case on an Apple Mac), the application uses a workaround to communicate with the automated backup daemon. This might cause side effects for the "Backup Now" or "Restore" features within the backup software.

Backup Microsoft Exchange and System State

Using the available 'plug-in' you can now backup Microsoft Exchange server 2000, 2003 or 2007. You can also backup your System State and Active Directory.

To backup Microsoft Exchange server using your backup software please click here to download the documentation and follow the instructions.

DISCLAIMER
A KNOWLEDGE OF WORKING WITH MICROSOFT EXCHANGE SERVER IS REQUIRED WHEN USING THIS SERVICE, PARTICULARLY WHEN RESTORING INFORMATION.

PLEASE CONSULT THE MICROSOFT TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION ON EXCHANGE BACKUP AND RESTORE BEFORE USING BACKUP SOFTWARE. WE ARE NOT THE AUTHORS OF MICROSOFT EXCHANGE AND THEREFORE CANNOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO IT.

OUR CUSTOMER AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM WILL ONLY ADVISE ON QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE BACKUP AND RESTORE PROCESS. SHOULD YOU REQUIRE HELP OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKING WITH EXCHANGE, NT BACKUP OR ACTIVE DIRECTORY EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER BACKING UP/RESTORING TO/FROM US PLEASE CONTACT MICROSOFT OR YOUR OWN I.T CONSULTANT.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN IT CONSULTANT, OR THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE SERVICES, CONTACT US AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF A CONSULTANT IN YOUR AREA WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ANY CONSULTANT DETAILS PROVIDED BY US IS IN NO WAY REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR SERVICE AND ANY CONTRACT FORMED BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONSULTANT WILL NOT BE RELATED TO US IN ANY WAY.

WE RECOMMENDS YOU TEST YOUR BACKUPS REGULARLY (AT LEAST EVERY 6 MONTHS) AND RESTORE THEM ONTO A SEPARATE EXCHANGE SERVER TO ENSURE YOU CAN RECOVER YOUR CRITICAL DATA IN THE EVENT OF A CATASTROPHE.

RESTORING EXCHANGE CAN BE A COMPLICATED PROCESS.

Backup SQL server

To backup Microsoft SQL Server please click here to download the documentation and follow the instructions.

DISCLAIMER
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ADVICE PROVIDED IS BASED ON MICROSOFT'S TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION. WE ARE NOT THE AUTHORS OF THESE PROGRAMS AND DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THESE PRODUCTS. OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM WILL ONLY DEAL WITH QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE BACKUP AND RESTORE PROCESS.

FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE ON BACKING UP THESE FILES PLEASE REFER TO THE HELP FILES WITHIN THE APPLICATION.

Backup Registry Settings

DISCLAIMER
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ADVICE PROVIDED IS BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF BACKING UP WINDOWS REGISTRY SETTINGS USING THE MICROSOFT APPLICATION REGEDIT.EXE. WE ARE NOT THE AUTHORS OF THESE PROGRAMS AND DO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THESE PRODUCTS. OUR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TEAM WILL ONLY DEAL WITH QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE BACKUP AND RESTORE PROCESS.

FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE ON BACKING UP THESE FILES PLEASE REFER TO THE HELP FILES WITHIN THE APPLICATION.

To backup the Windows Registry settings.

From the Start menu in the Windows taskbar Select and Click > Run
In the "open" field type in > regedit
A new window will open titled "Registry Editor"
Click on the "File" button in the menubar and Select > Export ...
A new window will open titled "Export Registry File"
At the bottom of this window options are available to select either "All" which is the default setting and allows you to select the entire registry file or "Selected branch" which allows you to select the specific part of the registry file you wish to export/backup.
For the purposes of this document we will assume you wish to export/backup the entire file. Therefore ensure that there is a dot in the circle next to the "All" setting.
In the "File name" field type in the name you wish to give this file e.g. "My registry file" (Please note that all Registry setting files will be saved with the name you select and the extension ".reg")
Select where you wish to save the file so for example, if you are backing up your My Documents folder within one of your backup sets then save the file there so that you ensure it is backed up.
Click '...' button to display 'Add User' dialog and select user from list. Click > Add and then Click > OK
Click > Save
the Registry Editor window may go blank whilst the registry setting are being saved to the file in the location you have just selected
The Registry file will now be saved to your computer, in the folder you selected, and is saved in a format that can easily be backed up by Depositit.

IMPORTANT
Please note that you will need to follow this process to produce the .reg file every time you are aware that changes have made to your Registry settings.

The .reg file (this is the file extension of registry files) is a static document and only exports/saves the Registry settings available at the time you carry you out the export instructions.

We in no way accepts any responsibility for Registry settings and strongly recommend that you take professional advice when tampering with or editing any of these settings.

For example a .reg file can be restored simply by double-clicking on it, so in order to prevent this being done accidentally it is good practice to change the file extension to something else, such as .txt

To restore the Windows Registry settings

You must first restore the file following the instructions on how to restore data. Once the file has been restored:
Open the Registry Editor application as outlined above
Click on the "File" button in the menubar and Select > Import ...
A new window will open titled "Import Registry File"
Locate the ".reg" file that you wish to import following the instructions within the Registry Editor application to conclude

IMPORTANT
We in no way accept any responsibility for Registry settings and strongly recommends that you take professional advice when tampering with or editing any of these settings.