CrashPlan PRO Backup Service
Code42's CrashPlan software is a user-friendly computer backup program licensed for Northwestern-owned computers for faculty and staff of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
- The software allows for automated, periodic backups of Northwestern data, including local email, documents, and research data.
- Backups are encrypted and stored on Northwestern hosted servers and in the Crashplan Cloud, accessible through any computer with an internet connection using your NetID and password.
- Using CrashPlan, you can back up your data, review your backups, and restore your files without IT intervention or administration.
CrashPlan is installed by default on all new computers. If you have a University owned computer that does not have CrashPlan installed, please contact us to install.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What files does CrashPlan PRO back up?
CrashPlan backs up files from a user's home directory, including the Documents and Desktop folders. File types include documents, emails, and images.
2. What files are NOT backed up?
Certain files such as disk images and music files are excluded by default. Please see the backup exclude list for the full list of excluded files and directories. If you have a business or research reason for a different exclude policy then please contact us to discuss your case.
3. How often does CrashPlan PRO check for new files or changes to back up?
4. Where does CrashPlan PRO send a copy of my files?
5. Can I also have CrashPlan PRO send a copy of my files to other locations, such as to a USB hard disk?
Yes, you can set up additional backup copies for your use:
- Open the CrashPlan application. This can be found in your applications folder or program files.
- Sign in with your NetID and password.
- Click the File menu, and then click Add Backup Set.
- In the File Selection section, click the Change button.
- On the Create Backup Selection menu browse to the folder location to be backed up.
- Click the checkbox next to the desired folder for backup.
- Click Save.
- In the Destinations section click the Change button.
- Click the Add Local Destination button.
- Browse to the desired destination for local backups and click Select Folder.
- Click Save.
- Click Add Set.
6. How long does CrashPlan PRO keep my backed up files?
Files that still reside on your system are stored indefinitely on the backup server. Whenever a file is changed, a new version is captured and backed up every 15 minutes. CrashPlan stores a number of versions of each file, based on the age of the revision:
- A 15-minute snapshot for up to 7 days;
- A daily snapshot for up to 90 days;
- A monthly snapshot for older than 90 days.
Files that you have deleted from your system are kept on the backup system for 90 days.
7. How do I perform a file restore from my computer?
- Open the CrashPlan application. This can be found in your applications folder or program files.
- Sign in with your NetID and password.
- Select the device from which you want to restore files, click the Get Files button.
- By default the most recent versions of the files and directories will be restored. If you prefer an older version, click on "As of Today" to choose a different backup date and time.
- Browse and select the file(s) that you want to restore.
- In the Get Files menu you will be able to select the destination, file name (if file already exists), and the file permissions. When you're ready, click Go.
- Once the status shows the restore being complete exit the CrashPlan PRO application. It will continue running in the background performing backups.
8. Can I perform a restore if I don't have access to my computer?
Yes. You can perform a restore from the web interface. Note that there is a limit of 250MB when restoring files through the web interface.
- Using a web browser go to the CrashPlan backup server.
- Log in using your NetID and password.
- Click on the "My Computers" tab.
- Click on the computer you want to restore data from.
- Click on "Restore files".
- Select the files and directories you want to restore.
- Click "Restore".
- Click on the "Click here to download your restored files" that appears once the restore is completed. If more than one file was restored then the files will be bundled into a zip file.
- Click on "Sign out" to log out of the backup server web page.
9. Will running CrashPlan PRO slow down my computer?
Based on our testing we did not notice much performance impact from running CrashPlan PRO. CrashPlan is configured to use very little CPU time while the user is using the computer. If you have an older computer and feel that you want to tell CrashPlan PRO to use even less CPU time while you are present you can modify the setting.
- Open the CrashPlan Pro application. This can be found in your applications folder or program files.
- Sign in with your NetID and password.
- Click on the Tools menu and select Options.
- In the Usage tab modify the "When the user is present, use up to X percent CPU". By default this is set to 30. Set it to a lower number to have CrashPlan PRO use less CPU time.
- Exit the CrashPlan PRO application. It will continue running in the background performing backups.
10. How long will it take for my initial CrashPlan PRO backup to run?
11. Does CrashPlan PRO work off-campus?
12. How do I know that CrashPlan PRO is working?
By running the CrashPlan program on your computer you can see the last time a backup was performed.
- Open the CrashPlan application. This can be found in your applications folder or program files.
- Sign in with your NetID and password.
- In the home section you will see the device(s) being backed up, click on Details to obtain the most up to date information regaring your device's backup.
- Exit the CrashPlan application. It will continue running in the background performing backups.
13. How do I know if CrashPlan PRO is not able to back up my files?
14. How do I change the email notification settings in CrashPlan PRO?
- Using a web browser go to the CrashPlan backup server.
- Sign in with your NetID and password.
- In your profile page select the device(s) that you want to modify notifications.
- Click the gear menu located on the upper right corner, and select Edit.
- In the Reporting tab you can configure when to receive failed backup notifications. By default CrashPlan only sends a warning if backups have not occurred for 7 business days. You can also activate backup status reports, and further alerts if backups continue to fail.
- Click Save.
- Exit the CrashPlan application. It will continue running in the background performing backups.
15. Who can use CrashPlan PRO?
16. How do I get CrashPlan PRO?
17. How much does CrashPlan PRO cost?
18. Can I use CrashPlan PRO on my home computer?
19. What operating systems does CrashPlan PRO work on?
- Windows 7 or later
- MacOS X 10.10 or later
Please see Crashplan's site for additional details