Frequently Asked Questions

How can I create a new scheduled backup?

To create a new scheduled backup,

1. Click the 'Backup' tab and then click 'Create new backup set'.
2. In the 'Backup Set Name' field, enter a name for the new backup job.
3. Select the file(s)/folder(s) to backup.
4. To view the file(s)/folder(s) you have selected for backup, click the 'Selected files/folders list' tab.
5. To remove a selection from the backup list, select the file/folder and click .
6. Click 'Schedule Backup'. The 'Schedule backup parameters' window appears.
7. Select the settings for schedule backup (Hourly, Daily, and Monthly) and click 'Update Schedule'.
8. Select 'Email notification' and enter an email address to receive backup notifications.
9. Click 'Update Schedule'.

Note: You can create a maximum of five backup sets.

How can I change the default location for my backup jobs?

To change the default location of your backup jobs,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App, click the username on the top-right corner, and then click 'Preferences'.
2. Under the 'General' tab, click to change the backup location.
3. Select the new backup location on your account.

Note: For some accounts, sections like backup location and mirror path will not be available.

What is meant by Mirror and Relative Path Backup?

The 'Mirror Path Backup' option replicates the file/directory hierarchy present on the Synology system to your IDrive account. By default, the 'Mirror Path' option is enabled. For example, if you select to backup the file 'bin' from 'root/opt/bin' with mirroring option selected, then IDrive will maintain the same directory structure in your online IDrive account as 'ShanePC/root/opt/bin'.

The 'Relative Path Backup' option will not replicate the directory hierarchy of the file as it exists on your Synology system, but instead it would just backup the file to the selected folder on your IDrive account. For example, if you select to backup the file 'bin' from 'root/opt/bin' with the 'Relative Path' option selected, IDrive will maintain the directory structure in your online IDrive account as 'ShanePC/bin'.

To enable Relative Path backup,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App, click the username on the top-right corner, and then click 'Preferences'.
2. Click the 'General' tab and the 'Backup Location' window appears.
3. Click the drop-down menu and select 'Relative Path'.

Note: For some accounts, sections like backup location and mirror path will not be available.

How can I exclude certain file(s)/folder(s) from being backed up?

You can exclude file(s)/folder(s) from being backed up during manual and scheduled backups in two ways:

1. Exclude files/folders based on full path name
2. Exclude files/folders based on partial name

To exclude files/folders based on full path name,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App, click the username on the top-right corner, and then click 'Preferences'. Select the 'Exclude' tab.

2. Click next to 'Exclude files/folders with full path names'. The 'Add files/folders to your exclude list' window appears.
   

3. Select the files/folders to exclude and click 'Add to exclude list'.

To exclude files/folders based on partial name,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App, click the username on the top-right corner, and then click 'Preferences'.
2. Click the 'Exclude' tab and enter partial names of files/folders in the 'Enter partial names' section and then click .

How to update the contents of backup set for a job?

To update backup set content for a job,

1. Click the 'Backup' tab.
2. From the 'Backup Set Name' drop-down list, select the backup set you want to update.
3. Select the file(s)/folder(s) you want to add.

The selected file(s)/folder(s) will be added to that existing backup set.

How to check the quota usage for my backup jobs?

To check your quota usage,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App and click .
2. The quota is calculated and the percentage of 'Storage used' is displayed.

Why are the files and folders on my system not appearing under the Backup tab?

If you have logged in to the System as a different user other than Admin, you could face this issue. You should go to the '/etc/passwd' file, change '/sbin/nologin' to '/bin/sh' corresponding to your username, and then refresh the application browser.

My backups are failing and the log file shows 'Quota over limit' message. How do I make sure my backup works fine?

If logs are showing 'Quota over limit' message, it means your account has exceeded the storage space limit and you need to upgrade your account to a higher storage plan. Click 'Upgrade' in the IDrive App to upgrade your account.

When I am logging in to my IDrive account for the first time on a new Synology machine, it is asking me to select location/computer for backup. Why?

IDrive allows you to restore your previous computer's backup archive on your new computer. You can select the 'Adopt/Link to an existing location/computer' option for this. After logging in, reconnect to the previous computer's backup archive in case you are replacing an old computer. By adopting the previous computer's backup archive, you can avoid time consuming initial backup of your files.

To adopt your backup archive,

1. Install Synology backup app in your NAS machine and login to Synology Backup App.
2. Click 'Adopt/Link to an existing location/computer' when prompted to select location/computer for backup. A list of locations/computers linked to your account appears.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Select the desired computer/location from the list and click 'Adopt/Link Selected Location' to restore your previous backups.
   
   
   
   
   

In case you do not wish to adopt your previous backups on the new machine, you can click 'Proceed to create new location with this computer name' when prompted to select location/computer for backup.

I am unable to create backup sets. Why?

If you have already created five backup sets you will not be able to create any new backup sets further. In order to add a new backup set, you will have to delete any of the existing sets.

What is meant by "failed verification - update retained" error message in backup logs?

When IDrive transfers your file, it calculates a checksum for all the data it sends, at the client side and the server side. After successful transfer of full file data, client checksum gets compared at the server end to find on wire corruption and if both checksum does not match then this error will be displayed for the respective file. Usually such an issue arises when files get updated from another source while getting backed up.

Can I edit an existing scheduled job?

Yes, you can edit an existing scheduled job.

To edit,

1. Click the 'Scheduler' tab and the list of all existing jobs appear.

2. Click the job you want to edit and the schedule parameters for that job appears.
3. Edit the schedule settings and click 'Update Schedule'.

Can I cancel a scheduled job?

Yes, you can cancel an ongoing job.

To cancel,

1. Click the 'Scheduler' tab and the 'Manage All Scheduled jobs' window appears.
2. Click , corresponding to the job you want to cancel.

Can I view the failed file/folder name and the reason for failure?

Yes, you can view the failed file/folder name and the reason for failure.

To check the reason for failure,

1. Click the 'Log' tab and the 'Logs' window appears.
2. Under 'Details', click against a particular job, which is failed. The 'Detailed log' screen appears.
3. Under the 'Error Report' section, you can view the name of files and folders that have failed during backup and the reason for failure.

How can I delete a job?

To delete an existing job,

1. Click the 'Scheduler' tab and the 'Manage All Scheduled jobs' window appears.
2. Click, corresponding to the job you want to delete.

Can I stop my scheduled job at a particular time?

Yes, you can stop your scheduled job at a particular time using the Cut-off Time option.

To stop your scheduled job,

1. Click the 'Scheduler' tab and then click the job you want to update.
2. The 'Schedule for job' window appears.
3. Enable the 'Cut-off Time' option and set the time you want the job to stop.

How to check if my job is running or not?

To check the status of your job,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App and click the 'Log' tab.
2. Under 'Status' you will see the different states of a job:

• 'In Progress' indicates a particular job is in progress.
• 'Success' indicates all the files were successfully backed up/restored.
• 'Aborted' indicates the backup/restore job was cancelled by user.
• 'Failure' indicates some/majority of files were not backed up/restored.

Click the 'Scheduler' tab to check the status of your scheduled jobs.

Can I check the number of files backed up or restored for a finished job?

Yes, you can check the number of files backed up/restored for a finished job.

To check,

1. Click the 'Log' tab and the 'Logs' window appears.
2. Under 'Details', click for a particular job and the 'View Log Report' screen appears.
3. Under the 'Summary' section, you can view the number of files backed up or restored.
4. Click 'Download Log report' to download the log file.

Why is the CPU load becoming high while running backup/restore?

If you have enabled the 'Upload multiple file chunks simultaneously' option under 'Preferences', backup or restore will consume a little more load than expected, as this option speeds up data transfer by using multiple thread concept. You can disable this option if your machine resource utilizations are higher.

How can I perform manual backup and restore operation?

To perform a manual backup/restore operation,

1. Click the 'Backup'/'Restore' tab and select the files/folders you wish to backup/restore manually.
2. Click next to the backup/restore location to specify a different backup/restore location.
3. Click 'Backup Now'/'Restore Now'.

You can stop the ongoing backup/restore operation by clicking the 'Stop Backup'/'Stop Restore' button. You can exclude individual files/folders (for e.g. file extension like tmp), which may be part of the backup set, from being backed up to your account. From the 'Select files/folders for Backup' list, click the drop-down arrow against the respective file/folder and click 'Add to Exclude List'.

Note: For certain accounts, users may have to enter the backup location name manually.

Is it possible to change the restore location?

Yes, it is possible to change your restore location.

To change the location,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App, and click the 'Restore' tab.
2. Click and the 'Select your restore location' window appears.
3. Select the new restore location and click 'OK'.

Can I retrieve previous versions of my backed up files?

Yes, currently IDrive retains up to 30 previous versions of all the files (for accounts created prior to 11-07-2018 you can restore up to 10 versions).

To restore previous versions of a file,

1. Click the 'Restore' tab and hover over any file in the list.
2. Click the icon that appears on the right side of the list.
3. Click the 'Version' menu. All available file versions will be displayed.
4. Select any one of the previous versions of the file and click 'Restore'.

Can I search for files/folders on my computer, using the IDrive Synology app?

Yes, you can search the files/folders present in your computer using the IDrive Synology app.

To search,

1. Click 'Search' under the 'Backup' tab. The 'Search' screen appears.
2. Enter the full or partial file/folder name in the 'Search' field.




3. Click 'Search'. A list of files/folders matching the search criteria appears.

You can use the 'Search' feature to exclude individual files/folders (for e.g. file extension like tmp), which may be part of the backup set, from being backed up to your account. Just search for the files and folders, and from the search results that appear, click the drop-down arrow against the respective file/folder and click 'Add to Exclude List'.

Can I search for files/folders in my cloud account, using the IDrive Synology app?

Yes, you can search the files/folders backed up to your IDrive account.

To search,

1. Click the 'Restore' tab, select the 'Restore files from my IDrive Account' radio button, and click 'Search'. The 'Search' screen appears.
2. Enter the full or partial file/folder name in the 'Search' field.




3. Click 'Search'. A list of files/folders backed up to your IDrive account appears.

From the search results, you can share files and folders, rename them, add them to the restore set, and view their details.

Note: For some accounts, certain functions like new folder/rename are not available, and drop-down list to select the bucket will be available.

What is Archive Cleanup?

Archive Cleanup does a one-to-one match of the local data in the backup set selected for cleanup with your account files, and permanently deletes data from your account that no longer exists on your NAS device. This frees up space in your IDrive account.

By default, Archive Cleanup considers 25% of files for deletion. You can also regulate the percentage according to your preference.

Note: Archive/Periodic Cleanup is not supported for relative path. Archive Cleanup menu will not be visible if relative path is selected. Manual/periodic Cleanup cannot be initiated when manual/scheduled backup is in progress.

To start manual archive cleanup,

1. On the 'Backup' tab, select the backup set for which you want to run the cleanup operation.
2. Click 'Archive Cleanup'. The 'Archive Cleanup' window appears.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Select the required percentage for cleanup, and click 'Cleanup Now'.
4. IDrive will scan all the backup set files/folders in your account and will generate a list of items to be deleted from your account. If you want to delete all the files mentioned in the list, click 'Delete'.
5. In case you want to cancel the operation, click .
   
   
   

What is Periodic Cleanup?

Once enabled, Periodic Cleanup automatically deletes files at the frequency set by you for the selected backup set.

You can set the frequency between 5 and 30 days and percentage of files for cleanup between 5% and 25%.

To enable Periodic Cleanup,

1. On the 'Backup' tab, select the backup set for which you want to run the cleanup operation.
2. Click 'Archive Cleanup'. The 'Archive Cleanup' window appears.
3. Check the 'Periodic Cleanup' box.
4. Set the number of days and percentage of data to be considered for cleanup.

How do I install the Synology Backup App on my Synology NAS device?

To install the Synology Backup App on your Synology NAS device,

1. Login to your Synology NAS device as 'admin' or as member of administrator group.

2. Navigate to 'Package Center' > 'All'.
3. Search 'IDrive' in the search box.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Find 'IDrive' App from the listing and click on the thumbnail to go to the details page.
   
   
   
   
5. Click 'Install'.
6. When the app starts running, will be visible in the application gallery.
7. Click to launch the app.

How do I install the Synology Backup App on my Synology NAS device if the latest version is not available in the Synology App Center?

To install,

1. Login to your Synology NAS device as 'admin' or as member of administrator group.

2. Download SPK and save the appropriate installer for your Synology device.
3. Navigate to 'Package Center' > 'Settings', and under the 'Trust Level' section, select 'Any Publisher' and click 'OK'.
4. Click the 'Manual Install' button.

5. Click 'Browse' and select 'IDrive SPK'.
6. Click 'Next'. The 'Confirm Settings' dialog box appears.
7. Select the 'Run after installation' option and click 'Apply'. The Synology Backup App will be installed and its status will be 'Running'.
   

   Note: If you do not select the 'Run after installation' option and click 'Apply', then a successful installation pop-up will appear. The IDrive app will be installed and will appear in Package Center with the status as 'Stopped'. Select 'Run' to activate the Synology Backup App and the status will change to 'Running'.

8. When the application starts running, click in the 'Application Gallery' to launch the application.

Note : Manual installation is supported upto DSM 6 on the synology machine. From DSM 7 onwards, IDrive app can only be installed via synology package center.

When I try to install the IDrive App on my NAS device, I am receiving a message saying 'This package does not contain a digital signature'. How to resolve this?

When installing a package, temporarily lower the security level in Settings of Package Center.

To resolve the issue,

1. Navigate to 'Package Center' > 'Settings'. Check the 'Any publisher' option and click 'OK'.
2. Install the IDrive App. Once the app is installed, you may revert the settings in package center.

How to launch and use the Synology Backup App?

To launch the Synology Backup App,

1. Login to the NAS device with your credentials.
2. On the application gallery, click to launch the app. You will be redirected to the 'IDrive Synology Backup' login page.
3. Enter your NAS device credentials and click 'Login'.
4. If you had set up the 2-step verification with your NAS device, select the 'Have 2-step verification?' check box. Enter the 6-digit code.

Note: For DSM version 6.0 or later, if you want to login as a different user other than admin, access the '/etc/passwd' file and change '/sbin/nologin' to '/bin/sh' for the respective user.

5. Enter your IDrive 'Username' and 'Password' and click 'Login'.
6. If you had set a private encryption key for your account, on clicking 'Login', it will redirect to the 'Encryption Key' page. Enter your Encryption Key and click 'Continue'.

The Synology Backup App launches and the following tabs are available:

1. Backup: Enables you to backup data from the Synology device to your IDrive account.
2. Restore: Enables you to restore data from your IDrive account to the Synology device.
3. Scheduler: Allows you to manage your scheduled backup jobs.
4. Log: Enables you to view the status of your backup and restore operations.
5. Express Backup: Enables you to backup data from the Synology device to the IDrive express device.

Will the Synology Backup App work if I am connected to a Proxy Server?

Yes, if your Synology device is connected to the internet through a Proxy Server, you can configure the Proxy Server settings on the Synology Backup App.

To configure proxy settings,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App, click the username on the top-right corner, and then click 'Preferences'.
2. Click the 'Network' tab and the 'Proxy setting' window appears.
3. Select 'Manual' and enter the proxy Server IP/Domain Name and port number.
4. Select 'Proxy Server requires password' option if your proxy server requires password authentication and enter the 'Username' and 'Password' for the proxy server.
5. Select 'Auto Detect' for the IDrive Synology App to automatically detect the Proxy settings.

The application displays an error 'Failed to create directory'. What should I do?

Make sure that you provide read/write permission to the web folder for the http group.

To provide Read/Write permission to 'Web' folder,

1. Navigate to 'Control Pane'l > 'Group' > 'http' > 'Edit' > 'Permission'.
2. Provide 'Read/Write' permission to the folder 'Web' and click 'OK'.

I am unable to launch the application. I am getting a 404 error in the browser. What should I do?

To resolve the issue,

1. Login to the Synology machine via SSH as 'admin'.
2. Run the 'sudo su' command and enter the admin password.
3. Run the find command 'find /usr/local/ -name IDrive.conf'
4. Find command will display the results like the following example:
   • /usr/local/etc/httpd/sites-enabled-user/IDrive.conf
   • /usr/local/etc/php/fpm.d/IDrive.conf
5. Remove the listed items by running the 'remove' command (rm) as below:
   • rm /usr/local/etc/httpd/sites-enabled-user/IDrive.conf
   • rm /usr/local/etc/php/fpm.d/IDrive.conf
6. Make sure that you have removed all the IDrive.conf files.
7. Restart the 'Web Station' package.

I am not able to upgrade the Synology DSM version. Why is that?

Press 'Cancel' and follow the below steps:

1. Logout from the IDrive application from the browser, if you are already logged in.
2. Stop the IDrive app from Package Center and update the DSM version.




3. Once the DSM is updated, follow the pre-requisites steps.
4. Start the IDrive app.

Can I login to another IDrive account while already logged in to the Synology app?

Yes, you can switch from one IDrive account to another.

To switch accounts,

1. Click the IDrive username on the top-right corner, and then click Logout.
2. Enter the other account credentials and click Login.

How can I use the SSL certificate with the IDrive app to secure my connection via https?

To use the SSL certificate for DSM 6.0 or later,

1. Navigate to Control Panel -> DSM Settings -> Certificate.
2. Click 'Add'.
3. Select 'Add a new certificate’ and click 'Next'.
4. Select 'Import certificate' and click 'Next'.
5. Import a certificate issued by a certificate authority, the private key paired with the certificate, and the intermediate certificate (optional).
6. Click 'OK'.
7. The certificate name (domain name) will be listed under the 'Certificate' section. Click 'Configure' to configure the added certificate.
8. Select 'System default' as the imported certificate for the service.
9. In case you created a virtual host for external access, select imported certificate for the service 'Virtual Host name' and click 'OK'.
10. Click 'OK'.

Refer the DiskStation Manager for more details.

To use the SSL certificate for DSM 5.2,

1. Navigate to Control Panel -> Security -> Certificate.
2. Click the 'Import certificate' button and import a certificate issued by a certificate authority, the private key paired with the certificate, and the intermediate certificate (optional).
3. Click 'Apply'.

To use the SSL certificate for DSM 4.3,

1. Navigate to Control Panel -> DSM Settings -> Certificate.
2. Click 'Import certificate' button and import a certificate issued by a certificate authority, the private key paired with the certificate, and the intermediate certificate (optional).
3. Click 'OK'.

How do I send error reports to IDrive support?

To send error reports to IDrive support,

1. Login to the Synology Backup App.
2. Click the username on the top-right corner, and click 'Send Error Report'.
3. Fill in the required fields and click 'Send'.

What is QuickConnect? Can I access the IDrive Synology app via QuickConnect?

QuickConnect allows users to connect to their Synology NAS device via the Internet, without the hassle of setting up port forwarding rules. QuickConnect works with Synology-developed packages, such as Audio Station, Video Station, Download Station, Surveillance Station, Photo Station, File Station, Note Station, CMS, Cloud Station, and mobile applications. However, QuickConnect cannot access other web-based services by design. If you need to access web-based services, you need to connect through IP/DDNS.

IDrive Synology application is a web-based service and therefore it cannot work with QuickConnect.

My data backed up to the express device is not visible under 'Restore files from my local device' section in the 'Restore' tab. What should I do?

Files backed up to your Express device appear under the 'Restore files from my local device' section in the 'Restore' tab. If you are unable to view data backed up to your Express device, then you can run 'Re-index' operation. This will re-generate the file/folder list with all the backed up data.

Note: When Re-index operation is in progress then you will not be able to perform local restore/express backup.

Will I be able to backup data to the Express device without internet connectivity?

Express backup does not require an active internet connection. If you are already logged in to the IDrive application then you can run backup even when your machine is not connected to the internet.

Note: For logging in to the IDrive application an active internet connection is required.