MyOtherDrive - Frequently Asked Questions

Is this really a free service?

Yes, this is a free service. You get 2GB of free storage! If you would like more online backup and storage space, encryption, faster transfers, then you may want to check our reasonably priced subscriptions.

Can I use my Pro account from more than one computer?

Yes. We have many business and personal backup customers that purchase one account and backup more than one computer to it. Each computer keeps its own settings for schedule, what files to backup, etc.

Why are uploads slower than downloads?

Cable and DSL connections typically have very fast inbound (download) speeds and slow outbound (upload) speeds. Usually, upload is 5% as fast as download speed. This is due to the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) providing connections based on the past way the web was used, often referred to as 'Web 1.0.' In Web 1.0, websites were mainly 'brochure sites' (text with hyperlinks). With these sites most of the traffic was HTML text sent from the web site to your computer, with very little data sent from your computer to the web site (just a small request for another page). Essentially, the ISPs sized their connections to match traffic pattens.

With Web 2.0, many websites like ours, are interactive applications. They can have just as much upload traffic as download traffic. Unfortunately, most ISPs have yet to make their Internet connections 'symmetrical' (same upload and download speed).

You can calculate what your maximum upload speed potential is. Click the link provided to measure your upload and download speeds. Your upload speed might show something like .48Mbps. (Mbps = million bits per seccond). This would mean that you are uploading at a rate of 50,000 bytes per second. To estimate how long a file would take, you can divide the file size by 50,000 (in this case) and see how long it will take in seconds. Check your maximum upload and download speeds at SpeedTest.net.

How do I share files?

We have 3 types of file sharing - Public, Private (Group Based), and Private (Password based) sharing. See collaboration.

Once a folder is shared, what is the link that will view it?

Click the "View Web Folder" or "View Web File" button to see the shared folder or file. Then copy the link from the "Address:" line of the Browser. You can share that to friends via email, for example. If the file or folder was privately shared, then only those friends will be able to use that link.

I am having trouble setting up an online backup. Do you have a trouble shooting guide?

Try our Online Backup Trouble Shooting Guide if you are having problems setting up unattended online backup.

What is Private Sharing?

Many sites let you share photos and files. Very few besides MyOtherDrive ensure that if you privately share a folder or file, only that group of friends you shared it to can actually use the link. If it is forwarded in email to someone else not in the group, they will not be able to view it.

What are Bullet Proof Links or Change-Proof Links?

If you share a file or folder with someone, the link you give them is resilient. If you rename the file or folder, or move it to another folder, the link is still good. The links you share reference exactly the file or folder. So feel free to reorganize your folders, move your files, with no concerns for breaking shared links.

If I share a web folder or file to friend, can they see my private folders?

No, they can only see the folders and files for the groups they belong to, and nothing "in between."

I need more detailed (step-by-step) help. Is there any available?

Yes. Click the Help button on the toolbar once you are logged into the application. You can also click here.

What does a red background mean on some of my thumbnails?

This indicates a problem occurred uploading the file. You will need to delete the file and upload it again.

Can I share encrypted folders?

Yes you can. See the help page for more details.

Will you keep my email address private?

Yes. Your email address will not be sold to or shared with another party, nor in any other way be compromised. We respect your privacy and need for reduced Spam in your inbox.

Can I store more than just photos?

Any file type can be stored on MyOtherDrive.com. Store .exe, .zip, anything. Photos are specially handled so that they may be easily viewed. All file types can be downloaded. This permits sharing business files (office documents) in addition to media files (photos, music, videos).

Who is ByteRocket.com?

ByteRocket.com is the actual corporation that created this site (MyOtherDrive.com). ByteRocket has other sites in the works. All of these sites are intended to make your life easier by letting you keep your data (photos, music, videos, calendar, lists, etc.) on our computers.

What is the advantage of storing my data on MyOtherDrive.com?

Anything you place on MyOtherDrive.com can be shared or linked to. You control whether it is publicly, privately, or community shared. You can backup large portions of your local hard drive and know that your data is kept safely offsite.

The scheduled backup task is not running - Why am I not seeing a result email?

Please click the "Help" button on the 'Backup' window and scroll to the 'Trouble Shooting' section.

I would like to delete my account. How do I do that?

It is not necessary to delete your account, as you can always keep open a free account. However, if you want it completely deleted, please send in a request using the Contact Us page - make sure there are no files in it as we will not delete an account unless it is empty.

How do I change my subscription status.

If you would like to change from one account level to another (up or down), send the request to us using the Contact Us link.

I have a Mac. How do I bring up these 'right click' menus?

Press and hold the special 'mac' or 'apple' key and then click on the item (a thumbnail or folder for example). A menu will come up. You can release the key and select an item from the menu with a click of your mouse.

I'm having trouble running the application on Linux. Any ideas?

In order to run the MyOtherDrive application, you need to have Java version 1.4.2 or newer, from Sun Microsystems, Apple, or JRockit. Any Java version that is 'serialization' compatible with these JVM's should work. For example, IBM's JDK does not work. We have an update coming out soon that will eliminate this issue.

My Automated backup is not working. I have Windows XP Home.

Automated backup requires a Windows program named schtasks.exe to be on your machine. This is a command line utility to create scheduled tasks. Windows XP Home does not ship with this program. We recommend upgrading to Windows XP Professional. Alternatively, you could search for that program on the web, and then install it into your c:\Windows\system32 folder. Make sure you read the license agreement to see if this is permitted.

When I download my files it appears to save. Why are the files not there?

If you are running a protection program like BitDefender, it may be set to not allow web-based programs to write to your computer's disk. In this case, make sure to allow our program to write to your disk. Without that permission, you cannot download files to your hard drive.

Why can't I back up my files from a mapped network drive? (you can backup network drives)

When selecting network drives for backup in the File Chooser, make sure to select them using 'Network,' then by machine name, and then choose the shared drive. If you choose a mapped network drive ("M:", "Z:", etc.) it will not work. This is because when the automated task runs, it runs whether a user is logged in or not, and mapped network drives do not exist until a user is logged in. All mapped drives are created from a network share. There is no limiting of what network drives you can access, just that you have to specify them using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path which is selected starting with the 'Network' branch in the File Chooser window.

Can I mail in my USB drive for the initial backup?

Yes you can! For no fee other than return shipping, you can mail us your external storage (USB drive, NAS, DVDs, etc) and we will back it up to your account for you. Send us a note via Contact Us to get the process started. (3GB minimum).

Can I mail in an empty USB drive for fast recovery?

Yes you can! For no fee other than return shipping, you can mail us your blank USB drive, NAS, USB key, etc. and we will download (restore) all of the data from your account to it and send the drive back to you. Send us a note via Contact Us to get the process started. (3GB minimum).

How do I update my Credit Card information?

First, sign into your account so that you reach the Account Summary page. Next, click the 'Pricing' link at the top (on the menu). Select an account size and payment frequency (you can keep it the same or change it). Click the 'Upgrade' button. Enter your CC info. Our system will cancel your old subscription and create a new one with the new information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)