Crashplan Restore

How to restore files from a Crashplan Backup

Use the settings on the Restore tab to restore files.

Item     Description
a:    Restore files for computer – The computer to which you want to restore files. Choose other computers on this account from the list. This UI widget is only present when there is more than one computer for an account.
b:    From backup destination – List of available computers from you can restore. Choose other backup destinations from the list. The list indicates how long ago the latest backup was completed. This UI widget is only present when there was more than one backup destination for the computer whose files are being restored.
c:    Find files to restore by name… – Searches for a particular file name you wish to restore. The results appear in file tree area.
d:    File tree – Navigate to and select files to restore from file tree. Check or uncheck folders as needed to select/deselect files and folders.
    Minus sign – Indicates some but not all the contents of this folder have been selected.
    Checked – Check mark indicates a file or folder is selected. A checked folder means that the entire folder contents will be restored.
    Unchecked – Check mark indicates a file or folder is selected. A checked folder means that the entire folder contents will be restored.
e:    Display deleted files – Displays files that have been deleted.
f:    Files    Total – number of archived files, directories (folders) and space used.
g:    Version choice – You can choose the default “most recent” version of the file you wish to restore or you can request a file from a specific date and time. Remember, the latest versions of the files will be restored unless you specify an earlier version.
h:    Restore location – Location where you want to send restored files. You can send restored files to your desktop or you can restore them to their original location on your computer.
i:    Rename/Replace – Indicates whether or not you want existing files (files that are on your computer right now) to be renamed or replaced (overwritten) when restored.
j:    Restore – Begins restore and displays status of your restore process.

When your files or folders have been restored, the status bar indicates that the restore is complete.

Good Security Habits

Cyber Security Tip ST04-003
Good Security Habits

There are some simple habits you can adopt that, if performed consistently, may dramatically reduce the chances that the information on your computer will be lost or corrupted.

How can you minimize the access other people have to your information?

You may be able to easily identify people who could, legitimately or not, gain physical access to your computer—family members, roommates, co-workers, members of a cleaning crew, and maybe others. Identifying the people who could gain remote access to your computer becomes much more difficult. As long as you have a computer and connect it to a network, you are vulnerable to someone or something else accessing or corrupting your information; however, you can develop habits that make it more difficult.
* Lock your computer when you are away from it. Even if you only step away from your computer for a few minutes, it’s enough time for someone else to destroy or corrupt your information. Locking your computer prevents another person from being able to simply sit down at your computer and access all of your information.
* Disconnect your computer from the Internet when you aren’t using it. The development of technologies such as DSL and cable modems have made it possible for users to be online all the time, but this convenience comes with risks. The likelihood that attackers or viruses scanning the network for available computers will target your computer becomes much higher if your computer is always connected. Depending on what method you use to connect to the Internet, disconnecting may mean disabling a wireless connection, turning off your computer or modem, or disconnecting cables. When you are connected, make sure that you have a firewall enabled (see Understanding Firewalls for more information).
* Evaluate your security settings. Most software, including browsers and email programs, offers a variety of features that you can tailor to meet your needs and requirements. Enabling certain features to increase convenience or functionality may leave you more vulnerable to being attacked. It is important to examine the settings, particularly the security settings, and select options that meet your needs without putting you at increased risk. If you install a patch or a new version of the software, or if you hear of something that might affect your settings, reevaluate your settings to make sure they are still appropriate (see Understanding Patches, Safeguarding Your Data, and Evaluating Your Web Browser’s Security Settings for more information).

What other steps can you take?

Sometimes the threats to your information aren’t from other people but from natural or technological causes. Although there is no way to control or prevent these problems, you can prepare for them and try to minimize the damage.
* Protect your computer against power surges and brief outages. Aside from providing outlets to plug in your computer and all of its peripherals, some power strips protect your computer against power surges. Many power strips now advertise compensation if they do not effectively protect your computer. Power strips alone will not protect you from power outages, but there are products that do offer an uninterruptible power supply when there are power surges or outages. During a lightning storm or construction work that increases the odds of power surges, consider shutting your computer down and unplugging it from all power sources.
* Back up all of your data. Whether or not you take steps to protect yourself, there will always be a possibility that something will happen to destroy your data. You have probably already experienced this at least once— losing one or more files due to an accident, a virus or worm, a natural event, or a problem with your equipment. Regularly backing up your data on a CD or network reduces the stress and other negative consequences that result from losing important information (see Real-World Warnings Keep You Safe Online for more information). Determining how often to back up your data is a personal decision. If you are constantly adding or changing data, you may find weekly backups to be the best alternative; if your content rarely changes, you may decide that your backups do not need to be as frequent. You don’t need to back up software that you own on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM—you can reinstall the software from the original media if necessary. _________________________________________________________________

Authors: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder

Produced 2004 by US-CERT, a government organization.

Terms of use

Backing up Mail preferences and messages

Your Mail accounts, rules, signatures, and Smart Mailboxes preference settings can easily be backed up. Tip: All Mail-related preference files should be backed up or restored as a group.

* To back up:

Note: These steps back up Mail preferences, but do not back up Mail messages (emails), although you can do that with the .Mac Backup utility. See below if you want to manually back up Mail messages (mailboxes).
1. Create a uniquely-named folder on your desktop (or other favorite location). For example, you might call it “Mail Prefs Backups May_15_2005” (adding a date is a good idea).
2. Quit Mail if it’s running.
3. In the Finder choose Home from the Go menu.
4. Open the Library folder.
5. Open the Preferences folder.
6. Copy the “com.apple.mail.plist” file to the folder you made in step 1 by Option-dragging the file. Don’t remove the original file from its current location (this file contains your Mail accounts information).
7. Close the Preferences folder.
8. Open the Mail folder.
9. Copy the “MessageRules.plist” file to the folder you made in step 1 by Option-dragging the file (this file contains your Mail rules).
10. Copy the “SmartMailboxes.plist” file to the folder you made in step 1 by Option-dragging the file (you guessed it, this file contains Smart Mailboxes information).
11. Finally, copy the Signatures folder to the folder you made in step 1 by Option-dragging the folder. (Your custom signatures, if you use them, are stored here.)
* To restore:

Move all copies of the files and folders from your uniquely-named folder to the original locations from which they came, as listed above.

To manually back up Mail messages (emails)

You might wish to manually back up all your Mail messages from time-to-time. To back up entire mailboxes (where Mail stores messages), such as your Inbox, follow these steps:

1. Quit Mail if it’s open.
2. From the Finder’s Go menu, choose Home.
3. Open the Library folder.
4. Copy the folder “Mail” to your backup location, such as a different volume or burnable disc. Important: Do not remove the Mail folder from ~/Library. If you’re backing up to the same volume, hold the Option key as you drag the folder to make a copy instead of moving it (a “+” cursor appears).

Backing up Keychain Data

Keychains store all of your password and personal information on your computer. The keychain is secure and powerful when used properly, and with a minor amount of customization, can be extremely secure (that will be covered in a later post, however).

Keychains are located in your ~/Library/Keychains/ folder. To get to this file in the Finder, choose Home from the Go menu. Open the Library folder, then open the Keychains folder.

Tip: Before you back up your keychains, use Keychain First Aid to repair any issues.

* To back up: Make copies of your keychain files in a different location by Option-dragging each file to a desired location. Do not remove the originals. You can also use the Finder to create an archive as described in the Safari Bookmarks section, above.

* To restore:
1. In the Finder, from the Go menu, choose Utilities.
2. Open Keychain Access.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Keychain List. A dialog appears, listing all keychain files.
4. Deselect the keychains that you wish to restore, then click OK.
5. Quit Keychain Access.
6. Move your keychain back up files back to ~/Library/Keychains/.
7. Open Keychain Access again.
8. From the Edit menu, choose Keychain List.
9. Select the keychains that you wish to use, then click OK.

Thanks for the tip, Apple!

Backing up iCal

To back (and restore) up your iCal calendars, follow the following steps:

* To back up: Open iCal, then choose Back up Database from the File menu. In the resulting dialog, choose where you want to save the backup file (the current date also gets added to the name) and click Save.

* To restore: Open iCal. From the File menu, choose Revert to Database Backup. In the resulting dialog, locate your backup file (it ends with a .icbu extension), select it, and click Open.

Thanks for the tip, Apple!