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Oddly enough, one of the best ways to back up your data to an external hard drive comes from a cloud storage company.

Im referring to iDrive, which offers a free local backup utility inside of its Windows and Mac apps. While iDrive is better-known for offering cheap cloud storage, its local backup tool doesnt require a subscription and is only limited by the amount of space on your storage drives.

Although I personally still prefer Microsoft OneDrive as my cloud storage servicemainly because of its tighter Windows integration and bundling with Microsoft 365iDrives local backup tool is a straightforward and effective way to make copies of your important data onto storage drives that you control.

Heres how to use it:

iDrive requires an account to use its Windows and Mac apps, but you can just use iDrives free tier (with 10 GB of cloud storage) to access the local backup tools. Create your free account first, then use it to log in after installing the iDrive desktop app.

When you first launch the iDrive app, youll be looking at the Backup tab, and the default option will be Backup files to my iDrive account. If any of your folders are listed in this section, right click and select Remove all items so that iDrive doesnt attempt to store your files in the cloud.

Next, click the button for Backup files to Local, Wi-Fi, or Express devices. Directly beneath this button, click the next to Backup location, then choose your external drive from the list. (If you dont have an external drive already, PCWorld has some recommendations.)

Jared Newman / Foundry

Now, its time to choose which computer folders youd like to back up. Near the bottom of the iDrive app, click Change, then check off all the storage drives or folders you want to include. They should now appear under Files / folders for local backup.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Once everythings ready, click Backup Now to make your first backup. This can take minutes, hours, or even days depending on how much data youre storing and the speed of your external drive, so be patient.

Backing up your data only works if you do it on a regular basis. To that end, iDrive also offers a scheduler for making routine backups automatically.

From the Backup tab, click Schedule, then check off the days of the week on which youd like to run the backup, along with the time of day to start. With an always-on desktop PC, youll most likely want to schedule the backup for the middle of the night. Otherwise, set it for a time when your computer is likely to be up and running.

Jared Newman / Foundry

You can also set up email notifications to confirm that the backup succeeded (or failed), or get notifications through the desktop app. If your computers off during the scheduled backup time, iDrive will resume it by default once the computer back on, but you can disable this if you wish. Click Save Changes to begin the schedule.

If youre not using iDrives online backup service, you should also disable scheduled online backups from this menu. Select Default BackupSet from the dropdown list at the top, then uncheck the daily scheduling settings.

One last useful option to note: Under Settings, you can click the Throttle tab and set a limit on CPU use for your backups. That may be helpful if you have a lightweight PC and the backup operation is hindering your work.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Note that iDrive doesnt simply mirror your files onto an external drive. Instead, it creates an encrypted copy of your data, so if you navigate to the backup location in File Explorer, you wont find anything usable. To restore your files to their original, unencrypted form, youll need to use the iDrive apps Restore function.

This is important: If youre restoring data to a different computer than the one that made the backup, you must first head the Backup tab, click Backup files to Local, Wi-Fi, or Express device, then select your external drive under Backup location. Otherwise, you wont be able to find your backup data in the steps below.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Now, head to the Restore tab and select Restore files from Local, Wi-Fi, or Express device. If youre on a new computer, use the Select Device box to choose the computer where you originally created the backup.

Check off the files you want to restore, and at the bottom of the app, choose where you want to restore them. You can either select the original location or choose another destination on any drive connected to your computer.

Jared Newman / Foundry

Finally, click Restore Now to begin the process. As with the original backup, this can take a while if youve stored a lot of data.

As I mentioned earlier, I personally use OneDrive as my main cloud storage service, and have only been using iDrive for local backups.

But if you arent invested in a cloud storage provider already, iDrives online service may be worth considering as an additional backup source. The iDrive Photos tier only costs $10 per year (and $1 for the first year), and in addition to backing up unlimited photos from your phone, it can store up to 1 TB of data from your computer. That should be plenty unless you have a huge photo and video library. (The next step up is $80 per year for 5 TB of cloud storage.) iDrive also provides a Sync folder separate from its main backup service, letting you easily access files across all your devices.

Of course, iDrive isnt the only option for local backups. Companies like EaseUS and Paragon also offer free local backup utilities, and Windows itself has an external drive backup tool built in.

But iDrives software is more flexible than the built-in Windows option, and it doesnt have some of the limits that EaseUS and Paragon place on their free versions. (Both of them, for instance, require a paid upgrade to get status notifications for your backups, and EaseUS even limits backup speeds for free users.) iDrive also offers free disk cloning tools that other companies charge for.

iDrive may be more generous with its local backup tools, perhaps because its business model revolves around selling cloud storage rather than packaged software. Still, you can use it to keep encrypted copies of your data without ever having to pay for it.

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iDrive quietly made a great local backup tool, and it's free - PCWorld

Pipedrive has four tiers of pricing plans: Essential, Advanced, Professional and Enterprise.

Pipedrive CRM starts at $14.90 per month per user, payable annually. More feature-rich subscriptions are also available for $24.90, $49.90 and $99 per month per user, payable annually.

Generally, Pipedrive is a reasonably priced CRM solution, although you will have to pay extra for some regular features. Heres a more comprehensive description of the various plans:

Pipedrives Essential plan is a great choice for small businesses. This plan provides basic CRM tools and platform integrations.

Users are able to customize pipeline phases and fields. Data can be imported, exported and merged (duplicate data). It also includes the basics such as lead tracking and deals management, as well as sales reports, mobile apps and email integration.

Features include:

A few more key integrations are included in this plan, including contact and calendar sync with Google and Microsoft, a Chrome extension for Gmail, access to the Pipedrive Developers Corner, an online help center, 24/7 live chat support, an apps marketplace with over 250 integrations and support for 19 languages.

Security is basic (two-factor authentication and AES-256 encryption are included), and users have access to a sales assistant AI to help improve sales performance. The Essential plan is a very good option for small businesses but the main catch is that there are limits on how many users, deals, contacts and products can be added.

When invoiced annually, the Essential plan costs $14.90 per user per month ($178.80 per user per year) while it costs $19.90 per user per month when billed monthly.

Pipedrives Advanced plan significantly increases the number of features that assist enterprises in tracking communications. It increases automation and expands communication tools.

Features include:

This plan includes two-way enterprise email sync, customizable email templates, merge fields, email open and click tracking and email scheduling. There are extra automation features such as smart contact data, which automatically fills each leads profile with information from their online behavior, and communication features such as a meeting scheduler and video call scheduling.

Pipedrives Advanced plan is a cost-effective alternative for companies that require a streamlined lead-nurturing procedure, particularly via email. When billed annually, Pipedrives Advanced plan costs $24.90 per user per month ($298.80 per user per year), and $34.90 per user per month when billed monthly.

The Pipedrive Professional plan comes with enhanced reporting, automation and team management tools. It also incorporates Google Workspace and document tracking, so you know when clients have reviewed what you send to them.

Features include:

Professional is an excellent choice for large, growing teams that need to make use of every automation option at their disposal in order to accelerate revenue growth.

When billed annually, Pipedrives Professional package costs $49.90 per user per month ($598.80 per user per year), or $59.90 per user per month if billed monthly.

Pipedrives Enterprise plan comes with unrestricted and unlimited access to most Pipedrive tools. This is also the only package that includes both 24/7 phone and chat support.

Features include:

Pipedrives Enterprise subscription is $99 per user per month invoiced annually ($1,188 per user per year) and $119 per user per month when billed monthly.

Read the rest here:
Pipedrive Pricing And Plans Guide 2022 Forbes Advisor - Forbes

If your search with native tools isnt fruitful, there programs available from software developers you can use to help you recover files that may have been deleted.

Windows File Recovery is available for free in the Microsoft Store and can be downloaded easily. There are two search modes: Regular and Extensive. Launching this program will open the Command Prompt, and an Administrator will need to allow it access to the hard drive.

Source: PC World

Make sure you get familiar with the source and destination locations that Windows File Recovery is referring to. Using the proper mode is also important; the Regular search mode can find recently deleted files, and Extensive search mode looks for files that were deleted a long time ago, or were corrupted.

With its robust free version, wide array of compatibility and plenty of options for upgrading, Stellar Data Recovery topped our list of the best data recovery software. This program is highly rated by users and allows you to recover up to 1 GB of data without spending a dime. Options for both home and business use are available.

A solid track record spanning nearly twenty years proves that EaseUS is a reliable name in the data recovery industry. It offers support for both Mac and PC users, and can even recover files on mobile devices. The free version can recover up to 2 GB of deleted data, and allows you to preview the files before restoration so that you can ensure you recover the right information.

One more file recovery service that can work for free is Disk Drill for Windows. It can recover files under 500 MB for free. The service also has a Recovery Vault that will protect your files in case of emergency. Once it is installed, it can easily search and restore your files to a disk drive.

Follow this link:
How To Recover Deleted Files On Your PC: Four Things To Try - Forbes

Gearbox Softwares looter-shooter Borderlands 3 is free to download on the Epic Games Store for the next week.

The latest instalment in the beloved series is available from today (May 20) until May 26 via the Epic Games Store. First teased as a mystery game on the free game schedule, many suspected it would be a major title which Epic has confirmed with the free AAA shooter.

Released in 2019, Borderlands 3 is the fourth addition to the series and the first direct sequel in seven years. The game currently holds an 81 per cent rating on Metacritic, meaning its well worth picking up for Borderlands fans who havent had a chance to play it just yet.

Following Borderlands: The Pre Sequel, which took place on Pandoras moon,Borderlands 3is a return to the mainlineBorderlandsstory. Players can choose from one of four classes to battle across Pandora in search of loot, and while the story is missing the devilish wit of Handsome Jack, the player will have their hands full fighting the dastardly Calypso twins.

Borderlands 3. Credit: 2K Games

Until June 16, Epic Games is also hosting the annual Epic Mega Sale. Each of the on-sale games has its own discount, but users can also use a coupon to reduce the price of one game by another 25 per cent.

Some of the sales highlights include Far Cry 6 (50 per cent off), Ghostwire: Tokyo (34 per cent off), Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (29 per cent off) and Tiny Tinas Wonderlands (20 per cent off). During the duration of the sale, Epic will also be releasing a mystery game for free every week.

In other news, CD Projekt Red has announced that the next-gen version of The Witcher 3is set to release at the end of the year.

Link:
'Borderlands 3' is free on PC this week via the Epic Games Store - NME

At Meta's first Conversations keynote yesterday, the company announced the WhatsApp Cloud API, aimed at improving the customer service experience for businesses of all sizes.

Meta already has the WhatsApp Business API, the first revenue-generating enterprise product for the otherwise free messaging app, where companies pay WhatsApp on a per-message basis and can use the platform to direct customer communications to other lines like SMS, email, other apps, and more.

It's basically another online presence where enterprises can set up shop to make it easier for customers to get in touch. But the WhatsApp Business API is on-premises and would normally need a solutions provider like Twilio to facilitate back-end integration.

WhatsApp counts big names like Vodafone, Coppel, Sears Mexico, BMW, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Iberia Airlines, Itau Brazil, iFood, and Bank Mandiri among its thousands of enterprise clientele.

The WhatsApp Cloud API is essentially a cloud-based version hosted by Meta and primarily aimed at small businesses, reducing the integration time from weeks to minutes, the company said. Like the Business API, the Cloud API is also free to use.

Opening Conversations, a set of announcements concerning Meta's growing portfolio of messaging properties, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: "The best business experiences meet people where they are. Already more than 1 billion users connect with a business account across our messaging services every week. They're reaching out for help, to find products and services, and to buy anything from big-ticket items to everyday goods. And today, I am excited to announce that we're opening WhatsApp to any business of any size around the world with WhatsApp Cloud API."

As well as getting businesses set up on the platform faster, Meta said the Cloud API would do away with the server expenses previously needed and offer customers new features as they come online.

For those who don't want to use the API, there is also the WhatsApp Business App, launched in 2018, which provides additional functionality like automated quick replies, greeting messages, FAQs, and so on. Meta said that a Premium service with new features such as the ability to manage chats across multiple devices was incoming, with availability and pricing to be revealed at a later date.

Facebook (as was) snapped up WhatsApp in 2014 for a staggering $22 billion, considering that it is a free mobile application without ads that allows users to send unlimited messages to contacts without going through the mobile network or sustaining data fees.

Back then, the service had 450 million users and was losing millions of dollars. It now has more than 2 billion users. This explosive growth is obviously ripe for monetization and the opening up of WhatsApp as a tool for businesses of any size is a sign of how Meta intends to cash in.

Read more from the original source:
Meta to squeeze money from WhatsApp with Cloud API for businesses - The Register