language

Backblaze FAQ




Top FAQs
More FAQs
   


Installing and Uninstalling

1. I have Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows 2000. Can I use Backblaze?
No. Backblaze supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Intel Macs running OSX 10.4 or higher.


2. Is Backblaze going to offer Linux support?
We would love to do a Linux version of Backblaze. However, we are currently focused on making the best online backup experience for Mac and Windows. The good thing is that the code is cross-platform so when we do release a Linux version it will benefit from all the improvements we've made for the Mac and Windows versions. Right now we don't have any support for public API's for people to upload/download to the Backblaze storage servers.


3. How do I install Backblaze on another computer?
To install another computer under the same account, download the client and run the installer. During the install process, sign into your existing account. Both computers will appear when you sign in to restore.


4. How do I tell if Backblaze is installed?

On Windows:
Backblaze is installed if you see the red Backblaze icon In the system tray.
If you do not see Backblaze icon, it may be hidden. Click the (<) arrow to display hidden icons.
On Mac:
Backblaze will install in the System Preferences.




5. How do I uninstall?
For Windows XP
From the Start menu, select Control Panels > Add/Remove Programs > Backblaze. Click Uninstall. Backblaze will be completely removed from your system. Warning: This will delete all your backed up files from the server.

For Windows Vista and Windows 7
From the Start menu, select Control Panel > Programs and Features > Backblaze. Click Uninstall/Change. Backblaze will be completely removed from your system. Warning: This will delete all your backed up files from the server.

For Mac
The uninstaller is found in /Library/Backblaze/UninstallBackblaze.zip
The /Library folder is the one at the root of the hard drive, not in /User/Library
You can also download the Mac Uninstaller here.
Warning: This will delete all your backed up files from the server.

Lean more about how to Uninstall Backblaze.

6. What version do I have?
In the system tray, click on the Backblaze icon. Select "About" from the menu.



Backing Up

7. Which of my files are being backed up?
Backblaze automatically backs up all of your data, unless they are explicitly excluded. Your music, photos, files in My Documents, on your Desktop, etc. are all backed up! By default the only files that are excluded are the operating system, applications, and unnecessary files such as your trash. Backblaze backs up individual files up to 9,000 MB (9 GB). You can increase this from the 4 GB default in the Backblaze Settings panel.
Click here to read more about what Backblaze is backing up.


8. How long will it take to backup my files?
If your computer is online, on a typical high-speed home Internet connection, you will be able to backup approximately 2 to 4 GB per day. We recommend keeping your computer on at night and have it not go to sleep while Backblaze gets through the initial backup. Your first backup may take a little while, but after that, Backblaze only uploads file changes or new files, so it will be very quick. Click here to test your connection to Backblaze with our network speedtest.


9. How do I know if my files are backed up?
You can open the Backblaze Control Panel to see how many files are scheduled for backup and how many are left to backup. When you add or change files on your computer, the status will be updated to show that new files are scheduled for backup.


10. How much data can I backup to Backblaze?
You can backup as much as you wish. By default, we backup all of your personal files. Realistically, uploading at today’s cable or DSL speeds, it will take a long time to backup more than a few dozen gigabytes.


11. What if I shut off my computer?
No problem. Backblaze will automatically continue where it left off during its backup the next time you’re connected to the Internet and not using your computer.


12. Does Backblaze support external USB and Firewire drives?
Yes. Backblaze will automatically backup any USB or Firewire drive that was attached during install. You may add or remove external drives in the settings panel. Learn more about external drive support.


13. Why do I get a popup saying "NOTE: Your Computer Is Low On Disk Space"?
Backblaze backs up individual files up to 9 GB in size (The 4 GB default can be increased to 9 GB). If your computer's system hard drive has less than 1.5 times the size of the largest file scheduled to be backed up left in free space, Backblaze will not backup that file. To enable these files to be backed up, please free up some space on your computer.


14. Why am I getting the Backblaze alert that wants me to rename a drive letter?
To fix this problem on Windows, you first need to assign a stable drive letter to your external drive. You can do this by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Manage. In the Computer Management window that opens, select Disk Management, right-click on the drive and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths...". Highlight the drive and click the Change.. button. From here you can assign a new drive letter. I recommend choosing a letter that is near the end of the alphabet since Windows automatically assigns letters starting with C to new drives.


15. Why the 4GB file size limit?
Updated: Backblaze now backs up files as large as 9 GB. You can increase the default (4GB) in the Backblaze Settings Panel.


16. Why don't you backup network drives (NAS drives)?
Backblaze can technically backup a network drive, but for business reasons do not allow it. Backing up mounted or network drives can easily be abused. A user could mount the 10 or 20 computers in their home or small business and back them all up to one account for $5/month.
We are evaluating a service that would backup NAS drives for a small per GB fee.


17. Do you backup Mac FileVault, sparse bundles or symbolic links?
Backblaze does backup Mac FileVault files and sparse bundles. Backblaze does not backup symbolic links.


18. How do I install a new OS or move computers and not have Backblaze upload all my files again?
New Feature: You can now transfer a backup state from your old computer or OS to your new one. Start by selecting the Transfer Backup State from the Backblaze Menu Icon and follow the steps. This process will delete any backup progress you have made on your new computer and inherit the backup from you old computer.
To learn more about the process, you can read more here on the Mac or Windows help page.



19. Backblaze hasn't backed up in a long time and is reporting that it is offline. Why?
If Backblaze has not backed up in a long time and is reporting that it is offline, the most likely reason is that your firewall is blocking Backblaze. You may want to temporarily disable your firewall to see if Backblaze starts to backup again.
There are instructions to temporarily disable popular firewalls on this page.


20. What are the restrictions on a private key?
Backblaze allows you to specify a private encryption key for your backups. If you select this option, you will absolutely need this key to restore your data. If you lose this key, you will lose the data - so please keep it in a safe place. The private encryption key must contain 1-50 characters and no special characters such as tabs, return, delete or any control characters.


21. Why hasn't Backblaze backed up my new files yet?
We designed Backblaze to be lightweight, so it might take 3 hours to reflect new numbers and find your new files. The reason it takes 3 hours is that Backblaze runs VERY SLOWLY on purpose to try to keep the load off your CPU and disk. The unfortunate side effect is that it can take up to 3 hours to detect any new files, or new hard drives, or if a file has changed, or a configuration has changed.



22. Will Backblaze backup my email?
Yes, Backblaze will backup your email if it is locally stored on your computer. Email applications like Outlook, Outlook Express, Apple Mail, Entourage, Thunderbird, Eudora will all have their email backed up.
Even if you are using your email application, Backblaze will back up your email while it is open (in use). Also, Backblaze will only backup the difference to the email database (PST, DBX, Database, etc.) and will NOT re-upload the entire email database.



23. Why is Backblaze better than other online backup companies?
We recommend that everyone use some form of online backup service.
The main differences are:


Restoring Files

24. How can I restore my files?
You have three options to restore your files: web download (free), DVD ($99), or USB hard drive ($189). Click the "Sign In to Restore" at the top and sign in. Click "Restore" and select which files you wish to restore and how you would like them restored.


25. How long will it take me to restore my files?
If you choose the "Web Download" option, it will depend on the speed of your Internet connection. Typical home cable or DSL speeds will let you download approximately 1GB per hour. Using the "DVD" or "USB Hard Drive" options, Backblaze will ship your DVD or USB hard drive via FedEx within 1 - 3 days of your request depending on the size of your restore.


26. What happens if I deleted a file from my computer?
Backblaze will keep that file for 30 days, and you can recover it through all the standard restore methods offered.



Subscription and Billing

27. How can I cancel my account?
With the trial version, sign in to your account and click “Delete” by the computer; then uninstall the product. With the paid version, sign in to your account, and under "Account," click "Cancel Subscription." Recurring payments will be cancelled, and your backed up data will be permanently deleted.


28. If my old computer dies, how do I transfer my license to a new machine?

  1. Sign into the website and immediately download a "restore ZIP" (or several, or a restore USB drive) with *ALL* the data you need to restore from your old PC. Make sure you can unpack this and that it is safe and sound in a *NEW* folder on your new PC (for example, put a folder on your desktop called "MyOldFiles" with all the restore in it).
  2. Download and install a new Backblaze client on the new computer. For now it will say "trial", but we'll fix that in a step below. In the installer use the "Sign In" feature and sign into your existing email address and password with the Backblaze installer.
    NOTE BEFORE CONTINUING: make absolutely sure you have done step #1 because the next step removes all your backup data from the Backblaze datacenter!!
  3. Sign into the website and go to the "Account" page (see this Account screen shot, or look for the "account" link on the far left of the page after you login). Now VERY CAREFULLY select your *OLD* computer from the popup menu and click "Delete Computer". WARNING: this deletes *ALL* your old backups!! (And as a side effect frees up the license associated with that old computer.)
  4. Now go back to the "Overview" web page. Click on the "Use License" button that has now appeared next to the name of your *NEW* machine on the overview web page.




Privacy and Security

29. Will I get spam?
Absolutely not. See our full privacy policy for more information about how we protect your email and data.


30. Is my data safe and secure?
Yes. We are committed to keeping your data secure. Backblaze encrypts all files that are scheduled for backup, then sends those encrypted files over an encrypted connection, and stores them encrypted in our secure data center that has both physical and electronic security. For more information, view our license agreement and privacy policy.


31. Where are my files stored?
Your files are stored in a secure data center that has both physical and electronic security, including 24x7 security guards, biometrics, redundant power supplies, and more. Learn more about where your data is stored on our How it Works page.


32. Can you tell me more about the encryption Backblaze uses?
Our VP of Engineering Tim Nufire wrote a blog posting about Backblaze encryption. You can read it here.



Other

33. What are the programs and processes running as part of the Backblaze system on my computer?
Backblaze has several processes running that are required for various functions of the backup system. These are listed below and are required for proper operation.
bztransmit.exe - encrypts and transmits files (part of the Backblaze Online Backup system)
bzserv.exe - monitors for new and changed files (part of the Backblaze Online Backup system)
bzbui.exe - powers the user interface (part of the Backblaze Online Backup system)
bzfilelist.exe – generates overall drive analysis (part of the Backblaze Online Backup system)
bzdoinstall.exe – manages installation and ongoing patches (part of the Backblaze Online Backup system)
bzbmenu – mac client menu management process


34. Why does my drive have a hidden ".bzvol" folder and a file "bzvol_id.xml" file inside it?
When a user selects a drive for backup, Backblaze creates a hidden folder at the top level of that drive called ".bzvol" and creates a "bzvol_id.xml" file inside of that folder. If you delete the bzvol_id.xml file Backblaze will stop backing up this hard drive and Backblaze will also remove all files from the Backblaze datacenter that were previously backed up from this hard drive.   Read more information about this here.