LivePCbackup is an online storage service, providing two innovative and powerful features:

* Backup - a very simple, secure and robust online backup solution. Backup keeps a copy of your files safely online, so that if they are lost or damaged you can retrieve them quickly and easily.

* Briefcase - a place to put the files you use most regularly, and access them absolutely anywhere. Briefcase appears as a new drive on your PC, and you can use it just like any other drive, but your Briefcase files are also copied online and you can view or edit them from any web browser. If you install Briefcase on more than one computer, all of the files are the same on every PC, and changes you make on one machine are replicated across all of your other computers.

Backup comes with unlimited storage space and bandwidth, Briefcase with 500gb storage and unlimited bandwidth so you don't have to worry about how much you're storing or backing up.

When you sign up for LivePCbackup you can purchase Backup just by itself, or Backup & Briefcase to get all of LivePCbackup's great features in one package.

LivePCbackup Backup is a very simple (yet powerful) online backup solution. You choose which folders you want to backup, and backup will work in the background to protect the contents of those folders while you work. You can set it up and forget about it.

LivePCbackup Briefcase is our flexible and innovative access-anywhere product, that lets you access your files wherever you go, and see the same files on all of your PCs. Briefcase will change the way that you view files, no longer are they static objects on one computer, but they go with you wherever you go and you never need be without them again.

LivePCbackup provides two different plans: Backup and Backup + Briefcase. Backup is £25 per year. Backup + Briefcase is £60 per year.
There are no refunds so you should purchase the FREE Trial account first to ensure that you are happy with the service before making payment.

Your files are usually stored both on your own computer and online in state-of-the-art data centres. By storing your files in both places you can be sure that you have access to your files and can use them as normal even when you're not online. The online backup storage uses cutting edge, military grade technology to make sure that your data is both safe and highly accessible. The main data center is in London, UK.

Unlimited storage space means that you can backup as much as you want without worrying about it. Many people store hundreds of gigabytes, some store over a terabyte. We don't limit the amount you backup or the amount you store, nor do we limit the amount you upload or download to the servers (the bandwidth). You really can backup as much as you want. The Briefcase is limited to a massive 500gb.

No, there are no limits on how much bandwidth you can use each month. Nor are there limits on the speed of your transfers beyond the natural limits of technology. The data centres have super fast connections. Unlike some other providers we don't punish you for making use of our service by throttling your bandwidth just because you store a lot.

It is very secure. The data centres use military-grade technology to keep your files encrypted and safe. The transfers support SSL between your PC and the servers too, so there's no risk of people intercepting your data while it is uploaded or downloaded. All of the data that is uploaded is backed up redundantly across multiple locations, so it is fully protected against hardware failure or other damage.

Over 60% of users have lost irreplaceable data from their computer. The files you store on your computer, photos, music, videos, emails and documents – are increasingly precious, but they’re so easy to lose. Hard drive failure, fire, theft or even just accidental user error can wipe out highly important content in seconds. Before this you could only back up your data to CDs, DVDs, external drives or even backup tape, but all of this takes effort, you need to remember to do it, and they’re about as susceptible to failure, loss and damage as the PC itself. LivePCbackup gets rid of this problem completely by providing a simple, secure and robust online backup solution. Just install it, select which folders you want to backup and forget about it. There's no need to schedule your backups or leave your PC on overnight – it backs up your files as you work. There’s no limit on how much you back up either, so it's completely hassle free. Briefcase takes this one step further by setting your files free and letting you access them wherever you are. See the same files on every computer you use, you can use them just like any other file on your computer, but if you change them, they will automatically change on all of your other PCs. View and even edit your documents online from any web browser anywhere. Even access your files on the go from your mobile..

The desktop software runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6. The LivePCbackup web portal can be used by all of the major web browsers, including Internet Explorer 7 or later, Firefox 2 or later and Safari 3 or later. Some features on the web portal require recent versions of Java or Flash. The LivePCbackup mobile portal can be used by most mobile web browsers, including Opera, just visit http://m.livedrive.com/ on your phone to get started. There is dedicated support for iPhone, Android and Blackberry users, and a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android is available from the iTunes App Store or Android Market.

Drives can be configured in many different formats. Most modern drives are configured in a format called NTFS, but some drives use a much older format called FAT32. Although the Desktop Software can be configured to store its cache on a FAT32 drive, it is recommended that you use an NTFS-formatted drive instead if possible. This is because the Desktop Software stores information about your files in a folder on your chosen cache drive, and FAT32 is limited to 15,000 files per folder. This means that if you put a lot of files on your Briefcase, or backup a large number of files with Backup, then the Desktop Software will stop syncing correctly. When installing on your PC, the Desktop Software will try to select an NTFS drive to use by default. If you try to select a FAT32 drive instead, the installer will warn you. Note that this will not affect the folders that you choose to backup with the Backup. If you want to backup files on a drive that's formatted in FAT32 then you will experience no problems at all, as long as your cache is on an NTFS drive.

* 1 GHz Intel or equivalent CPU
* 512 MB of RAM
* Windows XP/Vista/7/Server 2003 or Later
* Broadband Internet Connection
* Internet Explorer 7 or higher/Firefox 2.0 or higher/Google Chrome/Safari
* The latest versions of Java and Flash.

LivePCBackup is a simple and secure online backup solution. It keeps a copy of your files safely online, so that if the files are ever lost or damaged you can restore them quickly and easily. LivePCBackup is very easy to set up, and once it's configured you can just forget about it.

There are many things about LivePCbackup that make it stand out from other backup solutions. Here are just a few of them:
* Extremely easy to set up - our simple step-by-step setup wizard helps you choose which files you want to backup. It literally takes a minute, and once you're done, you don't need to worry about it ever again.
* Backs up your files as you work - you don't need to worry about leaving your computer on overnight, or your backup suddenly starting up at a set time when you're trying to do something else. You certainly don't need to remember to do anything. LivePCbackup just silently backs up your files as you work, so as soon as you change a file it's instantly protected.
* Stored off-site for complete safety, unlike backing up to an external drive, CD or DVD, LivePCbackup copies your files to secure servers in a carrier-grade data centre. This means that if the worst should happen, fire or theft, your data is still securely backed up in a completely different location to your PC.
* Completely unlimited storage space for the Backup plan - you can back up as much as you want with LivePCbackup. You don't need to worry about your CD, DVD or backup tape being full, it will just keep backing up no matter how much you have on your PC. Only the Briefcase is limited and this is to a massive 500gb.
* Restore previous versions of files, sometimes a file is not lost or damaged, it's just been changed in a way you don't want. Maybe someone made alterations to a file and you need to restore it to a previous version. With LivePCbackup you can, it stores the last 30 versions of any file, and you can download the older editions with one click.
* View your backup files online from anywhere, your backups are not compressed into some obscure format or hidden in a dusty filing cabinet, they're live online. Simply log in to your secure web portal and view them from anywhere. You can even play your music, view your Office documents, watch your movies and display your photos right from within your web browser!

To download the Desktop software simply login to your web portal, click on the Account Settings tab and select Software Download. This page will show you how to download and install the latest version, it's very easy and literally takes minutes.

When you first install the Desktop software the welcome wizard will guide you through selecting the folders you want to backup. Once the Backup is installed and running, you can add any folder to the backup list just by right clicking on it and selecting Backup with Livedrive Backup:

Livedrive will then upload the contents of that folder in the background. In future Livedrive will monitor the folder and any files you add or change will be uploaded instantly in the background as you work. Advanced users can easily manage all of the folders you want to backup by opening the Livedrive Settings screen in your Windows Control Panel, clicking on the Services tab and selecting "Select folders and files to backup". From here you can manually add and remove folders to your backup.

The Backup doesn't run to a schedule, it just works in the background and constantly backs up your files as you work. Therefore you don't need to keep your PC on overnight or worry about whether the backup ran at a certain time, your files are protected all of the time.

LivePCbackup does not currently have a scheduled backup option, it constantly protects your files as you work. If you change a file or add a file to the folders that you are protecting, the Backup will instantly upload it without interrupting you.

The files that you've backed up are all available from your secure web portal. Login with your account email address and password, and click on the Backup tab, you'll be able to browse your files just like you can in Windows. You can download files or folders from here with one click, but you can also do so much more, you can watch your movies, view your Office documents, play your music and display your photos right from within your web browser!

If you delete a file on your PC then it is moved to the Recycle Bin in your web portal (even if it isn't in your Recycle Bin in Windows). It stays here for at least 30 days, so you can restore it quickly and easily. To access your Recycle Bin, login to your web portal, click on the Backup tab and see the Recycle Bin in the left hand navigation.

Yes – LivePCbackup Backup keeps up to the last 30 versions of any file. Login to your web portal, click on the Backup tab and navigate to the file. Double click on the file to view it's properties, you'll see a list of historical versions here and can download whichever one you want.

No, you can't make any changes to files from the web portal. LivePCbackup Backup is designed to keep an exact copy of what you have on your computer online, so you can't edit it online. If you want to the ability to edit, move, delete or rename files online, try Briefcase, the powerful access anywhere service. Find out about the difference between Backup and Briefcase on our package features page.

No, you can't upload new files to the Backup online. The Backup is a direct copy of the files you have on your computer. If you want the ability to upload files from anywhere and have them appear on your PC, try the Briefcase service. For a comparison between Backup Plan and the Backup + Briefcase Plan, see the package features page.

Yes, the Backup package can be used for all your PCs and laptops.

You can easily delete computers from the Backup. Login to your web portal, and click on the Backup tab. Select the computer you want to delete and click on Remove Computer in the File Management box on the right hand side. The computer will be removed from your Backup list, and all files contained within it will be deleted. Note that once you've deleted a computer from the Backup it cannot be undone, you will not be able to access those files from your account, unless they are reuploaded.
When you delete a computer from your Backup account nothing will happen on your local PC, no local files will be deleted at all.

You can add Briefcase to your account very easily. Just use the Upgrade Form and your plan will be upgraded within 24 hours.

The Briefcase 'L' drive is a place to store files for permanent archiving, sharing with friends and family and editing online. Files are accessible through a web browser, FTP or via windows Explorer.
This means you have 24/7 access to your files from any web connected computer, anywhere in the world.
Any files that you add to your Briefcase on one machine will automatically be synchronised with your other PC's. If you change a file on one PC, the new version will appear on all your other PC's in an instant! This is the best way of ensuring that you always have a copy of your important files, whether you're at home or in the office.

Briefcase gives you the option to do away with clunky external drives or expensive hard drives. Access your files from anywhere, anytime!

* FTP Access
* File sharing
* Facebook, Smugmug and Flickr integration
* Online editing of your documents and pictures
* An integrated music browser and player
* Web playback for video files
* Mobile Access

Files are accessible through a web browser, FTP or via windows Explorer.
This means you have 24/7 access to your files from any web connected computer, anywhere in the world.

Once you've activated your Backup + Briefcase account you will need to install the Desktop software on each PC you wish the Briefcase to occur.

An internet connection with an upload speed of at least 1mbps is recommended for optimal running of the Livedrive Software.

Windows cannot connect to LivePCbackup's back office systems to determine the amount of free and used space. Therefore Livedrive imitates the properties of the cache drive.

This works by caching files locally in a hidden system folder (the cache folder) on the cache drive then uploading the file to online storage. The cache drive is a local drive with the largest free disk space and is selected from a choice of local drives when the software is installed the first time. Generally this is the C drive (volume) for most users.

Launch the Control panel from the shortcut on your desktop:
Select the 'Online files' tab
Configure Livedrive using the options in the 'Automatic file downloading' box.
The 'Automatic file downloading' box allows you to select which files you store both locally & online, and which files remain 'online only'. The 'Exceptions' boxes allow you to configure these settings in detail.
By default, all your files are stored locally and online. To make a file/folder online only, right click on the file or folder and select 'Do not keep a copy on my computer' from the menu.

The default installation of Livedrive will select 'L' as your drive letter. If, for some reason, 'L' is not available an alternative will be selected automatically. To manually change your drive letter:
Select the 'Advanced' tab in the Livedrive Control panel
Select the 'Drive settings' tab
Choose a drive letter from the drop down list
Click 'OK'

LivePCbackup Briefcase can be installed on multiple computers at no extra cost.

The Mac OS client is currently under development. An official release date has not been set at the moment, but more information will be posted on the website when it will be available.

Login to the web portal at www.LivePCbackup.com/login and select the Briefcase tab. Your entire L: is replicated here giving you access to all your files and folders from any web connected browser.

Your personalised web portal has integrated Java and Flash web up loaders. These allow you to upload files and folders to your Briefcase wherever you may be.

Files and folders can be deleted via the web browser. Any files or folders that are deleted in this manner will be placed in the online recycle bin. Files or folders deleted by mistake can be recovered via the recycle bin. Certain file types can be edited using the web plugins.

Livedrive keeps a history of every file on your account, if you need to revert to a previous version of a document, first locate and open the file within your web portal, you will see a version list including the version date and computer that uploaded the file. Once you have located the version you which to rollback to click the 'Revert' link, any computers linked to your account will automatically synchronise the selected version of the file.

All your MP3 files will be automatically added to the Livedrive music Browser. You can search by artist, album or song title and even create a playlist!

The web portal allows you to use plugins to edit documents online, any changes you make will be automatically synchronised with any computers linked to your account.
We currently support the following file types:
* Microsoft Word (.doc/ .docx)
* Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt/.pps/.pptx)
* Microsoft Excel (.xls)
* OpenOffice Text Document (.odt, .sxw)
* OpenOffice Presentation Document (.odp, .sxi)
* OpenOffice Spreadsheet (.ods, .sxc)
* Plain text (.txt)
* JPEG Images (.jpg)

Mobile access to your LivePCbackup Account via m.livedrive.com or via the iPhone/iPad/Android app. The app is free from the iTunes App Store/Android Market - just search the App Store for "Livedrive" to download it.

Both FTP and the LivePCbackup software can be used to access files from your PC like a normal hard drive. However, the LivePCbackup software is significantly faster than FTP and includes advanced features such as caching. It's also fully integrated with Livedrive meaning, for example, you can right click on your files to share them. LivePCbackup recommends using the Windows Desktop Sync software instead of FTP.

LivePCbackup uses military grade, AES-256 security to encrypt all communications between a user’s computer and our servers, data stored on your Livedrive is backed up on to multiple storage servers at our data centres ensuring your data is fully protected. Our network is protected by enterprise-grade firewalls ensuring that once your data is on our servers only the people you want to access your data can.

You can share files via the web simply by navigating to the file or folder you wish to share on your web-portal and selecting share. You will have the option of sharing publicly (so that anyone can access your file via a web URL) or privately with a specific individual. When sharing privately you specify the email address of the person you wish to share with and they will receive a private link in their email to download your file.
You can also share files using the LivePCbackup Desktop Software. Simply open your Livedrive by opening My Computer and double clicking on your Livedrive, right click on the file or folder you wish to share and select share from the menu.

To stop sharing a file or folder, right click on it and select the sharing option from the Livedrive menu.

The Livedrive desktop software enables you to change your backup selection, modify settings, adjust bandwidth usage and many other features.

Absolutely. The Livedrive desktop software comes free with any Backup or Backup + Briefcase account.

No, the Livedrive desktop software is the same for both Backup and Briefcase users, but just shows different features depending on the type of account you have. If you your account from a Backup account to a Backup and Briefcase account then the software will automatically display all of the Briefcase features the next time it starts.

To download the latest version of the Livedrive desktop software, simply login to your Livedrive web portal, click on the Account Settings tab and select Software Download. The Software Download page will show you how to download and install the software.

The Livedrive desktop software automatically checks for updates. When a new version is available you will be alerted by the software itself and guided through the simple update procedure.

The desktop software is currently available for Windows and Mac.

Proxies can be configured either when installing the software for the first time, or from the software's control panel. Simply go to your Windows control panel, open up the Livedrive settings window, click on the Advanced tab and select "Proxy".

The Livedrive Desktop Software needs to be able to connect out to the Livedrive servers on ports 50234 and 50235. If the software is having trouble connecting to Livedrive, please ask your network administrator to open those ports.

The Livedrive Restore makes it easy to download and restore large files and folders that you've backed up with Livedrive Backup. Please note that Livedrive Restore is available as a separate download for Windows, but is built in to the latest version of the Mac Desktop software.
To use Livedrive Restore on your Mac, just click on the Livedrive icon near your clock and select 'Restore From Backup'.
You can download the restore software for Window XP / Vista / Windows 7, Version 1.4 here

To use the Restore Client:
- Choose the computer you want to restore files from by clicking on a computer name in the bottom left hand section of the window
- Select a folder to restore from by clicking on one of the Folders in the middle left hand section of the window
- You may need to click on "Default View" --> "Show Deleted Items" if you are trying to view files and folders that have been deleted (less than 30 days ago)
- Once a folder has been selected, click the "Restore" button in the top left of the window
- You can choose where you wish to restore files to

The Livedrive Mobile App is a great way to access your files from your iPhone, iPad or Android. It is a free download from the Apple iTunes App store or the Android Market. The app lets you browse your Backup and Briefcase files on the move, wherever you are, and view your documents, play your music or watch your videos - all streamed over 3G or Wi-Fi.

The Mobile App is currently available for iPad, iPhone and Android, but you can also access all of your files from the mobile web portal - just log in at http://m.livedrive.com from any smartphone.

To get the Livedrive Mobile App, just search for "Livedrive" in the iTunes App Store/Android Market. The app is free - all you need to use it is your LivePCbackup account. Once it's downloaded just open it and it will ask you for your email address and password to get started.

The Livedrive Mobile App is packed with useful features. The top features include:
* Browse your backups, Briefcase or files that others have shared with you.
* View Office, iWorks, RTF or PDF documents anywhere
* View photos and create slideshows
* Stream all of your music, and browse it by Album, Artist, Genre or Year - even if the music isn't in iTunes!
* Stream your videos - whatever format they're in. There's no need to convert them to an iTunes compatible format first.
* Upload photos and videos straight from your iPhone to your LivePCbackup account.

When you access a file on the mobile app - unless it's a video or music file that streams straight from Livedrive - it is cached locally on your device. This means that when you next want to access it you don't have to wait for it to download. Once your cache is full, older files that you haven't used recently will "roll over" and be removed from the cache. If you need more space on your device and want to reduce the cache size, go to Settings and change the Cache Size option - the smaller it is, the less space it will use on your device, but the more likely it is that Livedrive will have to download files when you view them.

You can have complete control over the balance between speed and quality of video playback. For example, if you find that videos are pausing or buffering for too long then you might want to reduce playback quality. To do this just go to Settings and select Video Bandwidth. There are different settings for both Wi-Fi and 3G, so that you can set preferences for these independently.

The app supports a wide range of document, photo, video and music formats - which are growing all of the time. Currently the most common formats accepted are:
* Documents: DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PDF, RTF, TXT, HTML, Pages, Keynote, Numbers.
* Video: MP4, M4V, MOV, WMV, AVI, MKV, ASF, DIVX, MPEG, OGM, XVID, FLV, VOB.
* Photos: JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP.
* Music: MP3, M4A.

When a user privately shares a file with someone who does not have a Livedrive account, Livedrive creates a free account called a "sharing account". The recipient is automatically emailed their username and password for this account, and can log in to securely see all of the files that have been shared with them. Sharing accounts are completely free and are not time limited - the user can log in and see the files shared with them for as long as they want.
Sharing accounts have very limited functionality – sharing users cannot upload new files to Livedrive, install the Livedrive desktop software or edit files online. Sharing users can upgrade their accounts very easily - just go here to sign up.

No - your sharing account is completely free and you can use it for as long as you want to access the files shared with you. However if you want to take advantage of our excellent simple, secure backups or access-anywhere features you will need to purchase a full paid account. It's very easy - just go here to sign up.

Yes - there are no limits to where you can use your LivePCBackup account, and both Briefcase and Backup have some fantastic features for business users.

Yes! LivePCbackup is fantastic for mobile workers! If you set up a LivePCbackup Backup & Briefcase account and install Livedrive Briefcase on all of your employee's PCs, then they'll all be able to see the same L: drive wherever they are. And because Livedrive Briefcase stores files locally as well as online, your team won't have to be online to use or access the files - any changes they make will just be synchronized when they reconnect later.

Absolutely - just install Livedrive Backup on your server and you can choose any folders to backup.

We accept payment by Paypal Checkout (for credit or debit card payments a Paypal account is not required), Paypal Subscription, Google Checkout and Bank Transfer.

If you are considering cancelling your account because you have a problem with it please contact support@livepcbackup.com as we would be only too glad to help to resolve the issue. If you still wish to cancel please advise us by email from the contact email address that you provided on signup (for security reasons). On cancellation your account will be closed permanently and irreparably. Please make sure that you have downloaded any data from your account before cancelling it, as once the account is closed you will not be able to retrieve any files you've stored.
No full or partial refunds will be given.

LivePCBackup provide 24 hour email support - just email your question to our support team and they'll get back to you within 24 hours. Our support e-mail address is support@livepcbackup.com. You can also find lots of useful information on this page, our FAQs!

The Livedrive Control Panel has a built in repair tool that detects, and then fixes any problems that may occur. To run the repair tool launch the Livedrive Control Panel from the shortcut on your desktop. Select the Advanced tab and then the Maintenance tab. Now click Run.
The repair tool usually takes around 15 minutes to complete and the machine must be left idle whilst it completes the tool completes the repair.
If your issues persist please send an email to support@livepcbackup.com with detailed information about your issue.

If you think you’ve found a problem with the Livedrive desktop software, please report it from the software itself. Go to your Windows control panel, double click on the Livedrive icon and then select "Report Problem" from the Livedrive Account tab.

You can see the Livedrive service status, including any planned maintenance, at any time by visiting the - Status page