How to set up automated online hard drive backups with Mozy

Posted by Joe on June 6th, 2008

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We highly recommend the Mozy online backup service for several reasons. It is economically priced at just $4.95 per month for unlimited file storage, offers PC and Mac compatibility and allows you to access your securely stored files from any computer in the world. Plus, it is extremely easy to configure the Mozy service to process automated hard drive backups on your home or office computer.

Since not everyone may be as familiar with the process of setting up online backups with Mozy, we have put together a simple thirteen step walkthrough of the process. You can use this guide as reference while your are configuring your Mozy account or simply review it beforehand to get comfortable with the process of setting up your Mozy account.

Make sure you click here to sign up for a Mozy account before you get started.

Step 1: Registration

Registering for Mozy is as simple as providing your name, email address, a password of six or more characters and the type of account you want to create. It is a good idea to write down your password since you will need it later on to access your Mozy account. Your Mozy username will be the email address you enter on this screen. Consumers should choose MozyHome Unlimited while businesses should select MozyPro, which is for office use. For the purposes of this guide we will select the consumer MozyHome Unlimited option.

Step 2: Computers and Billing

At this point must choose the number of computers you would like to be able to backup and the frequency you would like to be billed. Each computer you plan on backing up with the Mozy service will cost you $4.95 per month but you can prepay to receive a slight discount. Mozy offers three separate billing options. You can either pre-pay for one or two years of service, which include one and three months of free online backup service respectively, or select monthly billing which will charge your credit card $4.95 per month. We recommend selecting one of the prepaid billing plans because there is a slight cost savings and it eliminates the need to worry about the monthly charges. For the purpose of this guide we will be selecting a monthly billing option on one computer. If you have a promotional code you can also enter it on this screen for additional savings. It is not required to move forward, so if you don’t have a Mozy promotional code, don’t worry.

Step 3: Purchasing Mozy

It is time to pay for your newly created MozyHome Unlimited online backup account. Before your process your credit card payment you should confirm that the number of computers, billing options and charges match up with what you selected in the previous step. Mozy accepts all major credit and debit cards, so it is a quick and easy process to pay for your new online backup service.

Step 4: Mac or PC Mozy Download

In this step you will select the type of computer you are going to be backing up with the Mozy online backup service. Mozy works with both Mac OSX and Windows based PCs. Select the appropriate type of software based off of your needs and the download will begin. For the purpose of this guide we will be downloading the Mozy software to a Windows PC. This step also allows you to enter the referral code of anyone who may have referred you to the Mozy service. If you don’t have a referral code (and you won’t if you came from NextAdvisor.com) don’t worry. You can skip that portion of this step.

Step 5: Getting Started with Mozy on Your PC

Now that you have downloaded the Mozy software for your computer you can begin configuring the automated backups. Once you begin the process of configuring your Mozy online backups by clicking ‘Next’ on the first screen, you will be asked to read and accept the Mozy license agreement. Like most license agreements this spells out the basic terms and conditions you must agree to follow as a Mozy subscriber. It is pretty straightforward in nature but we encourage you to at least scan the agreement to make sure you understand the terms.

Step 6: Select Mozy Download Destination Directory

Now it is time to download the Mozy software on your PC. The first step is to decide where you would like to have the Mozy software stored on your computer. By default the Mozy online backup software will be saved in the program files of your computer’s hard drive. Advanced users may want to save the Mozy files somewhere else, but most users can simply click ‘Next’ to continue the configuration process. Clicking on the ‘Next’ button will initiate the download of the Mozy software on your computer.

Step 7: Complete Mozy Software installation and Begin Configuring Online Backups

Once the Mozy software installation you will be presented with a screen that allows you to begin configuring your automated hard drive backups using the Mozy online backup service. Check the box marked “Launch MozyHome Configuration Wizard” and click ‘Finish’ to complete installation and move on to the configuration process.

Step 8: Login to Configure Automated Online Backups

Enter your username and password to login to your MozyHome Unlimited account. Your username is your email address and your password is the one you created in step one. Click the ‘Next’ button to move on to the next step.

Step 9: Establish Your Encryption Settings

User managed encryption is an advanced feature of Mozy. Advanced users may want to utilize a personal encryption key but most users should simply opt to utilize Mozy’s default 448-bit key. Don’t know the difference between an encryption key and a house key? Don’t worry. We recommend using Mozy’s default encryption settings so simply click the ‘Next’ button to move on to the next step.

Step 10: Select Which Files to Backup

Now it is time to choose which files you would like to securely backup online using your new MozyHome Unlimited account. Simply select or deselect the files that you do or do not want to include with your automated backups. Since Mozy offers unlimited storage for just $4.95 per month we suggest that you backup all of your files for the optimal level of protection. If you choose to backup only some files we recommend items such as important financial records and documents, digital pictures and music files, all of which may not be easily replaced. Again, there is no limit on how much data you can store with your new Mozy account so we think most consumers should simply choose to backup all their files.

Step 11: Test Your Upload Speed

Your Internet connections upload speed determines how quickly information can be processed from your computer to Mozy’s servers where it will be securely stored. The faster your upload speed, the faster your files can be backed-up. Mozy’s bandwidth test will determine your upload speed and the amount of data that can be transferred during a 24 hour period. This is really only important for your very first backup which will require uploading all the files you selected in the previous step. All future backups will only need to transfer the files that have been added or changed since the last backup which typically only takes minutes to complete.

Step 12: Selecting Backup Speed

Now it is time to determine how quickly Mozy will process your automated file backups. Mozy allows you to select how fast you would like these backup to run by sliding an arrow to along a spectrum. There is a direct relationship between how fast the backups run and their impact on the speed of your computer. The faster the online backup process runs the slower your computer will run. Mozy recommends selecting about 3/4 speed since they say that at this level your backups will run quickly but the impact on your computer will be minimal. Ultimately, it depends on your habits. If you will be processing backups in the background while you work at your computer then you may want to select slower backups. However, if you have periods of downtime during the day or plan on processing your backups while you are not using your computer at all, then choose quicker backups. This setting can be changed at any time, so if you aren’t sure of your needs simply keep the default 3/4 speed backup setting in place. This step will also provide you an estimate of how long your initial backup may take.

Step 13: Start Your First Backup

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Mozy online backup automated backup setup process. We recommend that you process your initial backup with with new MozyHome unlimited account immediately to ensure full protection of your files.

As you can see, setting up automated backups with Mozy is a simple and painless process. Plus, you can now rest easy that your important files are safe and secure. To learn more about Mozy or other online backup services read our online backup service comparison and reviews.

Editor’s Note: Contributing Editor Josh Steffen provided research for this guide.

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