MinervaSafe - Frequently Asked Questions
- MinervaSafe - What is it?
- MinervaSafe - Who is it for?
- What Operating Systems (OS) are supported?
- Can I backup my External Drives too?
- I keep hearing about the "Cloud". Will my files be safe and secure?
- Do I have to remember to back my files up?
- What happens if I delete a file on my computer by mistake?
- Does MinervaSafe affect my broadband usage?
- How do I get started?
- How much does it cost?
- I want more technical information.
MinervaSafe - What is it? (top)
It is a small piece of software you load on your computer. You tell it which folders you want it to protect and MinervaSafe then makes a copy of the files, pictures and documents on secure servers using the Internet. What's more it keeps an eye on those items and if they change it makes another copy.
A big problem that many people face is the loss of e-mails. MinervaSafe can help with this too. If you are using Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird or Eudora then we can help you configure MinervaSafe to work with them.
MinervaSafe - Who is it for? (top)
This service is ideal for protecting precious files in the home such as those priceless family photographs, that family tree that has taken years to compile, your bestselling book or your children’s school project or university thesis.
For sole traders and small businesses it offers the key requirement for an affordable and easily managed Disaster Recovery Plan. MinervaSafe can protect all the essential business information you keep on your computer – such as customer and supplier contact details, sales invoices, proposals and quotations, stock details, accounting and tax information, business plans and forecasts, marketing and sales information and so on.
Can I backup my External Drives too? (top)
Yes but for this you have to purchase an additional annual licence that will allow you to backup an external drive up to 2TB
What Operating Systems (OS) are supported? (top)
- Windows® 2000 - no
- Windows® XP - yes
- Windows® Vista - yes
- Windows® 7 - yes
- Windows® 2000 Server - yes
- Windows® 2003 Server - yes
- Windows® 2008 Server - yes
- Linux - no
- Apple Mac - yes
I keep hearing about the “Cloud”, is that where the files are kept? Are they safe and secure? (top)
Yes they are kept in the “Cloud” they are kept on secure servers which are located in the UK. Your files will be safe with us. Being a UK comany that only sources “Cloud” services from UK providers your data is protected under UK Data Protection Legislation.
Do I have to remember to back my files up? (top)
No. Once it is installed it will constantly monitor changes to files in the background and then at an interval decided by you (the default is an hour) it will upload the changes to your account. Obviously you should check it every now and again to make sure it is still working as you want it to. If you are travelling and regularly work off line the changes you make are stored and MinervaSafe starts to work as soon as you are connected to the Internet again. If you regularly work in locations like libraries, cafes or hotel rooms this is an ideal solution for you. You can work and keep your data safe on the move.
What happens if I delete a file on my computer by mistake? (top)
Not to worry, MinervaSafe keeps copies of deleted files for 30 days. However it's even cleverer than that; it keeps up to 30 revisions. So, if having saved the second chapter of your book or the details of your family tree, you realise that you have overwritten something you wanted to keep, you can recover any of up to the last 30 copies you have saved. What's more you can save these versions to a different location in order to avoid overwriting the most recent one if you wish.
Does MinervaSafe affect my broadband usage? (top)
Yes, MinervaSafe uses your broadband connection to upload to our server. So of course this activity will count towards your broadband use. If you have a capped service then this may take you over your limit, you will need to check this. When MinervaSafe is first installed it will need to upload all the files on the system you are protecting so at first the usage will be higher than later on.
How do I get started? (top)
Sign up now and you could be running MinervaSafe in a matter of hours. Each month it will cost you less than a meal for one in a fast food restaurant or the price of a beer. Is that good value, we think it is?
You can get more details on pricing for this and other products and services at southcot.co.uk/Products.
