How to Recover IDrive Files

IDrive is a well-known service for cloud file storage and streaming, which in itself demonstrates how significant recovery is. It is a winner of multiple rewards and named one of the cheapest services for cloud backups per MB, as the Personal plan starts at a limit of 5 TB. The restrictions go up drastically to suit businesses and reach unlimited servers, computers, and users. That data can also be stored in one central location or spread across multiple servers. We could go on, mentioning VMware backups, streamlined remote access, and a snapshot system, but you probably know all that already. Thus, let’s transition into how to recover IDrive files immediately.

1. Utilize the IDrive Trash feature

We’re starting with the most convenient method, enabling fast reaction time during emergencies. Like most operating system software that handles data in some way, IDrive has implemented a Trash feature. To clarify, all files you delete, individually or in bulk, end up in a special section. They are stored there for 30 days and can be restored before that period expires. If that fits your situation, you can take advantage of the Trash functionality for IDrive like this:

1. Launch your IDrive software for Windows and Mac and log in.
2. Click on Restore on the left-hand side.
3. Click on View Trash within the aforementioned tab.
4. You’ll now see a list of files and can use the slider on the right-hand side to go down. Alternatively, use the search bar if you know the name. Put a checkmark in front of the files you want to retrieve.
5. You now have three options:
   1. Restore: Click the cloud download icon to download the files to your computer at the location specified under “Restore location”. Further, you can right-click on any file on the list and select View Previous Versions before clicking the aforementioned icon.
   2. Move to Original: Clicking the left arrow icon will send the file to the location on your cloud IDrive account it was removed from.
   3. Delete: This will delete the file permanently. Don’t click the trash bin icon.

Note. IDrive reserves the right to restrict the Trash feature to some accounts. If you can’t find it, contact IDrive to learn why.

2. Recover individual files and folders from IDrive to original or custom location

Folders or files don’t necessarily need to be deleted for you to need them back. Maybe the hierarchy of your files changed, or you messed up their organization yourself. Whatever the case may be, you can utilize the IDrive Restore tab to download files to your device this way:

1. Open the IDrive software on Mac or Windows and sign in.
2. In the left sidebar, click on Restore.
3. Make sure you click the circle in front of Restore files from my IDrive account if you’re restoring from the cloud. From a local or custom device, click the circle ahead of the Restore files from Local, Wi-Fi, or Express device option.
4. You’ll now see a list of files. If you have multiple machines synced, you’ll have to click on their names, such as “Mark-PC”, to expand the rundown.
5. Put checkmarks in front of files and folders you want to rescue.
6. Set the correct location under “Restore location” by clicking the three-dot button on the right-hand side.
7. Click the Restore Now button in the bottom right corner. A loading bar stating “Restore is underway…” will appear. Wait for it to reach 100% before checking files.

Note. IDrive also lets you restore files to the location on your machine they were uploaded from. If that makes things easier for you, you merely have to put a checkmark in front of Restore to the original location, to the left of the “Restore Now” button. After reading the terms of use, click the Restore button.

3. IDrive can recover previous versions of your folders and files

We say “versions” intentionally. As you probably know, (it’s the key selling point, after all) IDrive stores the last ten (10) iterations of that folder, including the current one. Further, IDrive claims to store up to 30 versions of any particular file in your account. You’ll recognize this feature by its name, IDrive Backtrack, both on their website and within the application. If that’s what you need, follow these steps to access old versions of IDrive data you want to recover:

1. Do the same as described in steps 1 through 3 above.
2. Now that you see the list of data displayed, right-click on any file or folder.
3. From the menu that pops up, select View previous versions. Depending on the type, you’ll need to:
   1. For a file: A new tab will open on the bottom, stating “Previous versions for: <file path>”. You’ll see up to 30 previous iterations of that file and 3 columns: Version, Size, and Date Modified.
   2. For a folder: The list will expand to include extra options on the right. Select “Most Recent”, “2nd Most Recent”, “3rd Most Recent”, or “More” to go as far as the “10th Most Recent”.
4. All that’s left is to select whether to:
   1. Retrieve files or directories to a custom location by clicking Restore Now
   2. Rescue them to the file path directories or files were acquired from, by checking the box in front of Restore to original location before selecting Restore Now

4. Perform partition or machine restoration from IDrive Disk Clone

Besides the option we’ll demonstrate now, IDrive offers three similar ones. The first two are IDMachineBackup and System State Restore, which store your entire machine and permit recovery from a system crash. They also support snapshots, which save the state of your files and folder on your IDrive account, letting you see the date and time for each. We’ll cover all three separately shortly. For now, we’ll show a commonly utilized feature, IDrive Disk Clone, and ways to recover files or folders through it:

1. Launch the IDrive software.
2. In the sidebar on the left, click on Clone/Computer Backup.
3. Select Disk Clone.
4. Switch to the Restore Drive Image Data tab.
5. Click the three-dot button on step 2 and select it in the “Browse My Computer” window.
   Note. It doesn’t matter whether you downloaded the file to your computer from IDrive or from an external drive such as an external HDD. However, if you encrypted data, you must decrypt it in ways IDrive specified first.
6. Select the drive the .img file will overwrite, then the Restore Now button.
7. See how the procedure went in the View Logs option in the upper right corner.