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Choose the Right IDrive Restore Method for Your Files

Use IDrive’s website or desktop app to restore backed-up files. Learn how to retrieve older versions, recover items from Trash, and choose a safe destination.
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To restore files from IDrive, sign in on the web or open the IDrive desktop app, select the backed-up computer and the files you need, choose where to put them, and start the restore. Use version controls for an earlier revision, Trash for items deleted from your IDrive account, and Snapshots when you need files from a particular point in time.

Before you restore: choose the account, computer, and destination

Make sure you are signed in to the IDrive account that holds the backup, then select the computer whose files you want. If your account uses a user-selected private encryption key, have it available: IDrive says the key is needed for web restores. Accounts using IDrive’s default key can restore directly through the web interface. See IDrive’s web interface FAQ.

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Decide where the recovered files should go. Restoring to a separate folder or another local destination lets you inspect the backup without replacing the current copy. Choose the original location only if overwriting existing files is acceptable. IDrive warns that restoring to the original location overwrites existing files with the latest available backup version; the Windows application FAQ documents this behavior.

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Restore files from the IDrive website

  1. Sign in to your IDrive account in a browser and open the backed-up computer or Cloud Backup files.

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  2. Browse or search for the file or folder you need, then select it.

  3. Choose the restore or download action. If the interface offers a destination field, set a local folder that has enough free space. Web interface wording can vary, so look for the restore destination rather than relying on a specific button label.

  4. Start the restore or download and check the destination for the recovered file.

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If you are using Remote Manage, IDrive documents this route: open More > Remote Manage, choose the computer, and select Restore. The available destination control may differ by interface version.

Restore with the IDrive desktop application

  1. Open the IDrive application and go to Restore.

  2. Select the online backup source and the backed-up computer, then browse to the files or folders you want.

  3. Choose a restore destination. To preserve a newer local copy, use a different folder or another local destination instead of the original path.

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  4. Select Restore Now and allow the transfer to finish. The Windows FAQ also describes drag-and-drop restoration; labels and layout can vary by operating system and application version.

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Restore an earlier version of one file

When a file was changed or corrupted, select its version or previous-version control in the web interface or the application’s Restore view. Choose the version you want, then download or restore it to a safe destination.

IDrive says current accounts can restore up to 30 previous versions. Accounts created before November 7, 2018 may have up to 10. These are version counts, not a guarantee that a particular number of days or years of history is available; the dates of retained versions determine how far back you can go. Details appear in IDrive’s Snapshots information and Windows FAQ.

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Recover files deleted from your IDrive account

Files deleted from the IDrive account may be recoverable from Trash. In the web interface, open More > Trash, select the relevant computer and files, then choose Put Back to return data to the account, or use the local restore option if it is offered. IDrive says Trash items are automatically deleted after 30 days, so act within that period.

Trash is different from deleting a file only from the original computer. If the file was removed from the computer but a backed-up copy remains, look for it in that computer’s backup rather than assuming it is in account Trash.

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Restore files from a particular point in time with Snapshots

Use Snapshots when you need to select a date and time, rather than retrieve just one earlier revision. In the IDrive application, open Restore > Snapshots, select the available date and time, submit the selection, choose the files or folders, and restore them.

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A Snapshot relies on retained file versions. The oldest timestamp still available sets the earliest point you can recover; selecting a date does not guarantee that every file has a version from that moment.

If you cannot find the file or computer

IDrive cannot restore a file that was never backed up or whose retained copy is no longer available.

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