Ive been using on-line storage for years now and I cant tell you how useful it has been to me. I use it as a simple means of synchronising my files between home and work, this works particularly well for my encrypted password database. I also use it to send large files to people as an alternative to email and simply to backup my more important files which I protect with a password first to make sure that they are secure.
Right now I use two different on-line storage providers. The first one is from Yahoo in a service they call Yahoo Briefcase. Just sign up for an account at Yahoo and you get 30 MB of on-line storage space for free. This service is great but there are a few restrictions that you have to be aware of like the maximum size of file that you can upload to it. If you use Yahoo Briefcase then be sure to read about the restrictions so that you dont get caught out like I did.
The service that I want to tell you about today is “Web-a-File”, you can find their web site at https://www.web-a-file.com
The service is far more comprehensive than Yahoo Briefcase and it gives you 40 MB of free storage space compared to the 30 MB that you get with Yahoo. Now I think that Yahoo is great but Web-a-File is even better.
The Web-a-File web site is very informative so I suggest you go and take a quick look at it now then come back and read the rest of this article.
Web-a-File offers online backup services on a sliding scale of fees. The ultimate service they offer includes 5,000 MB of storage. At the other end of the scale there is a totally free service that will give you a very useful 40 MB of online storage. If you want to upgrade then Web-a-File will even encrypt your data with a password for you which makes it a very secure as well as convenient service.
By the way, I don”t get any commission if you upgrade so you can be sure that this isnt a sales pitch.
So what can Web-a-File do for you?
Well you could use it to backup your CV or your letters folder or anything else that will fit into the 40 MB of storage offered. If you use the free service then I would advise you to password protect any sensitive files first, I use Winzip for this job.
I have been using Web-a-file to keep an online backup of my secure password database and it has proven to be very effective. I use a program called KeyPass to keep all my passwords safe and I love it. KeyPass is a free utility and you can find out how to install and use it on my web site http://howdo-i.com
The great thing about using Web-a-file to keep my password database is that it allows me to synchronise my passwords on my home machine and my PC at work. Before opening my KeyPass database I download it from the Web-a-file storage area. After I”ve modified the database I upload it back to Web-a-file. By doing this no matter which machine I am using, I always have the latest version.
Web-a-file integrates with Windows Explorer and Outlook
You can access your Web-a-file storage area using the very comprehensive facilities on their web site. Once you have registered and logged in you will have full access to 40 MB of free online storage.
In addition to the web based interface you can download and install the Web-a-file client software which makes backing up and restoring files a breeze. When you install the Web-a-file client it integrates itself into your Outlook and Windows Explorer allowing you to easily backup your email messages and other files.
Now I don”t use Outlook so I can”t tell you how well Web-a-file works with it but I have been backing up and restoring my files straight from Windows Explorer for months now and it has proven to be very successful for me. I just right click on a file,
choose Web-a-file from the menu and then the feature I want to use. For me this is almost always either “Backup” or “Restore Selected Item(s)”. It”s just so simple.
Installing Web-a-file
First of all go to https://www.web-a-file.com and register for a free account by first clicking on the “TRY IT NOW” link in the centre of the page.
Click the “SIGN UP” link where it says “Data Vault FREE” and fill in the form to register. After submitting the form by clicking the button at the bottom of the page you will receive an email with your sign up and password details.
When you receive the email you can use the details to access your account by logging in at the home page. When you have had a look around and investigated what you can do there you can download the Web-a-file client application. Before you do that take some time to become familiar with the Web-a-file web site and practice uploading and downloading files from your PC.
On the Web-A-File home page you will see a “Download Now” link half way down the page. Click on it and download the Web-a-file client setup file to your hard disk.
When you have the setup utility on your hard disk, double click on it to install it. The setup utility will most likely be called something like “web-a-file.exe”. Follow the instructions to complete the setup.
Configuring the web-a-file client
At some point during the installation process you will be asked to supply your login details. If you need to enter these details after installation then start the Web-a-file Backup Agent from the Start/Programs/Web-a-file. If the Backup Agent does not appear immediately look for it in you System Tray at the bottom right of your screen and double click to open it. Now click the “Web-a-file Settings” button to reveal the Settings box and enter your User name and Password.
That”s all there is to installing Web-a-file.
Using Web-a-file
Web-a-file has many features, most of which I”m going to let you discover for yourself. I”m going to describe just one (well two really) of those features here. Why just the two? Well theyre the features that I use all the time and probably the only ones you actually need.
The two features I want to describe are backing up and restoring a single file on your hard drive.
Backing up a single file
Using “Start/Programs/Accessories/Windows Explorer” locate the file you want to back up to your Internet storage at Web-a-file. Right click on the file and select “Backup” from the menu. Click the “Start” button to upload the file and wait for the
backup process to complete.
Restoring a single file from the server
Using “Start/Programs/Accessories/Windows Explorer” locate the file you want to restore from your Internet storage at Web-a-file. Right click on the file and select “Restore Selected Item(s)” from the menu. Click the “Start” button to download the file and wait for the restore process to complete. If the file doesnt already exist on your PC then select Restore From Server instead and browse the server for the file you need.
Now isn”t that simple?
I save myself thousands of dollars using free software and Ive written about some of it on my web site at http://howdo-i.com so if you are interested in saving money while using your computer then please surf over and take a look.
