Creating a Restore:
To start, you will need to sign in to the Backblaze website with your registered email address and password.
Selecting the Backup:
Once logged in, you will be brought to the account Overview page. On this page, all of the computers registered for backup under your account are shown with some basic information about each. Select which backup from which you wish to restore data by using the appropriate "Restore" button.
Selecting the Type of Restore:
Backblaze offers three different ways in which you can receive your restore data: downloadable zip file, Save Files to B2, or USB hard drive. The downloadable zip restore option will create a zip file of the files you request that is made available for download for 7 days. Zip restores do not have any additional cost and are a great option for individual files or small sets of data. Depending on the speed of your internet connection to the Backblaze data center, downloadable restores may not always be the best option for restoring very large amounts of data. Zip restores are limited to 500 GB per request and a maximum of 20 active requests can be submitted under a single account at any given time.
The Save Files to B2 option allows you to move a zip restore to our B2 Cloud Storage service for permanent storage. The Save Files to B2 option will quote your estimated storage cost, to find out more about the costs of B2 see the B2 pricing page here. The maximum size of a Save Files to B2 restore is 10TB. You can learn more here.
USB hard drive restores are built with the data you request and then shipped to an address of your choosing. We ship via FedEx with signature required where available. FedEx does not deliver to PO Boxes. All USB restores are prepared and shipped from the U.S., even if your data is stored in a non-U.S. data center.
USB hard drive restores cost $189 and can contain up to 8 TB max (7,000,000 MB of data). This includes the cost of shipping.
Note: If you are ordering a Mac restore drive that you plan on using and accessing through a Windows computer, please follow this guide to ensure the drive is formatted correctly for Windows.
Selecting Files for Restore:
Using the left hand file viewer, navigate to the location of the files you wish to restore. You can use the disclosure triangles to see subfolders. Clicking on a folder name will display the folder's files in the right hand file viewer. If you are attempting to restore files that have been deleted or are otherwise missing or files from a failed or disconnected secondary or external hard drive, you may need to change the timeframe parameters.
Put checkmarks next to disks, files or folders you'd like to recover. Once you have selected the files and folders you wish to restore, select the "Continue with Restore" button above or below the file viewer. Backblaze will then build the restore via the option you select (zip or usb drive). You'll receive an automated email notifying you when the zip restore has been built and is ready for download or when the usb restore drive ships.
If you are using the downloadable zip option, and the restore is over 2 GB, we highly recommend using the Backblaze Downloader for better speed and reliability. We have a guide on using the Backblaze Downloader for Mac OS X here, or for Windows here.
Please note: You can now apply filters to your view on the "View/Restore Files" page
You now have the option of applying the following filters to your file view on the "View/Restore Files" page. The options are:
1. Show hidden Files: This will display data normally hidden from the default view
2. Files Backed Up in the Last Week: This will display only files backed up in the last week
3. Files Accumulated in Forever Version History: Please note, if your back is set to any other version history besides Forever Version history, this option will not appear for you.
( you can find out more about our Extended Version History options here )
What to do after you have created your restore:
If you have selected a .zip (download) restore:
Once you have created a restore, our restore servers will begin preparing the files you requested. When the restore is ready to be downloaded, you will receive an email notification. Then you can go to https://secure.backblaze.com/user_signin.htm to login in to your account, and select 'My Restores'.
This will show you all of your restores available for download.
We would recommend selecting 'Use Downloader' for all restores over 1 GB, which will download the Backblaze Downloader.
Once the zip restore has been downloaded to your computer, you will need to unzip the folder to access the restored files. If you are on a Windows computer, you can use the unzipper built into the Backblaze Downloader. If you are on a Mac, you can use the unzipper built into the OS.
*Note - For best results on large restores, we recommend breaking up your restore into multiple chunks as shown here.
If you have selected a USB Hard Drive Restore:
You will want to follow the packaged instructions that come bundled with your drive, detailing how to install the appropriate unlocking software, and inputting the unlock code from your "My Restores" page. The steps for how to unlock your Encrypted drive can be found in this guide.
In both instances, either downloading a .zip, or accessing your encrypted drive, you would then drag and drop the files from the restore to the appropriate areas of your computer.
Please note: all restore drives are formatted to the operating system of the computer the restore was created from.
Articles in this section
- How to Create a Restore from Your Backblaze Backup
- How to use the restore app
- Apple Address Book Restore Guide
- How to Check the Status of your Restore Drive
- Downloading a Restore
- How do I find the Unlock Code/Encryption Key for my Snapshot drive?
- How to move files from your Restore to your Local Hard Drive.
- I have Extended Version History, how can I find my files?
- How to Order a Restore Drive
- How do I delete files from my Restore Drive?