ZipCloud Storage Service Review – File Storage To Multiple Devices Made Easy

ZipCloud offers a generous amount of storage space to their customers at a very reasonable price, making them a good fit for individuals looking to back up their entire computer with ease. Those with large files and multiple devices may want to look elsewhere, however.

 

In the arena of cloud-based backup services, ZipCloud, MyPCBackup and JustCloud are all distributed by the same company, which means they have a lot of experience getting their online backup and sync software just right. ZipCloud is located in the United States but owned by a UK company, Just Develop It (JDI), which does just that – it develops feature-rich, online solutions to help consumers back up their important computer files, sync their folders, and easily restore files and folders as necessary.

And that’s what you get with ZipCloud – a nicely developed, mid-range, easy-to-use online solution for storing and restoring all your files. Because it has the same features as JustCloud, we won’t go over those again but direct you to the JustCloud review page.

Let’s look at a specific application of ZipCloud – the file restore function – and see how smoothly it works. But first, a bit of background on the ease of the installation process.

Just like other Just Develop It products, ZipCloud is incredibly easy to install. Download the application and installation starts automatically. A shortcut to your online account and sync folders is placed on your desktop. After installation, a popup window appears and asks for your account details (email address and password).

NOTE: if you have previously installed other JustCloud products, such as MyPCBackup, and have not removed them completely, you will have difficulties accessing your ZipCloud account. Before installation, remove other online backup services first.

Your first backup occurs automatically, after a setup screen appears to allow you to opt for the pre-selected folders or manual selection of which files you wish to move to the online server. Of course, with only 15 MB of storage in the free trial plan, you won’t be able to store much data but the process for backing up some of the files in “My Documents” went quickly – but that’s probably because we went with the default file size of 2 MB (which is also the maximum size for a free trial account). Bigger files (which you can select by moving the slider to 1 GB) will, of course, take longer to upload to the cloud.

A nice feature of ZipCloud is the ability to restore your files in one of three easy methods:

• Access your online account and use the file browser function to find the files you wish to restore. Click on the file and it downloads to your computer.
• To restore lots of files, access your desktop application and click on the “Restore” button so you can select several files at once.
• You can also restore files to your mobile device by going to your online account using your device’s browser or mobile app and viewing your files. You can upload files such as pictures, videos and music to your mobile device.

NOTE: There is currently no option for downloading entire folders of files. That would be a nice touch and perhaps one that ZipCloud will add soon.

We tried restoring files using the desktop application and found it to be a smooth, easy and quick process. All we had to do is check off the boxes next to the files we wanted to restore, then indicate the location on our hard drive where we wanted those files to be downloaded. Two files totaling nearly 1 MB took about 2 secondsto restore to the Desktop.

Next, we tried a file restore using the online account option. The first step is to login, then go to “View My Backed Up Files”. Find the file you wish to restore and hover over it to see the options associated with it: “Download”, “Versions”, “Share” and “Delete”. Simply click “Download” and then specify the location where you wish the file to be restored. This worked just fine, but it was quicker and easier to use the desktop app. Then again, if you are frequently away from your computer, the online account method of restoration makes a lot of sense.

Lastly, we tried accessing our account via smartphone. You either go to https://mobilemy.zipcloud.com/login in your browser or download the ZipCloud app from your App Store. There you will find all your backed up files so you can easily click on each and download it to your mobile device. Download speed, of course, will depend on the speed and capacity of your cell phone or other mobile device. We used a 3G Samsung to restore one file and it certainly wasn’t lightening fast, but that wasn’t the fault of ZipCloud.

If you do a lot of work on your computer and are concerned about file integrity, you may want to select the hourly backup option so you never have to fear the loss of any file updates. This option is only available with a paid account so you won’t be able to test it out with your free trial account.

If you take a look in your “View Files” folder and don’t see all the files you are expecting, check out your ZipCloud settings via the desktop app. Files with certain file extensions are preset not to automatically be backed up to the online server and that may be the problem.

When working on a particularly important document, you may wish to drag and drop it into the Sync Folder shortcut on your desktop. That ensures the file will be uploaded automatically to your online ZipCloud storage and synced with all your devices.

There’s only one option for contacting ZipCloud Support and that’s via email. However, when we used that option, we were contacted within hours. We sent a support email regarding the issue with ZipCloud not finding our account due to a previous installation of MyPCBackup and they responded quickly and with explicit instructions. Overall, it was a good experience.

Where are your files stored? Although the parent company of ZipCloud is located in the UK, surprisingly, the cloud storage facility is located in the American state of Virginia and utilizes S3 Amazon servers for the best reliability and security.

And here’s a really nifty feature you’ll find on ZipCloud – it saves your computer’s IP address and physical home location so in case of theft, you can easily bring up the information necessary to provide to the authorities:

It would be nice if you could give all the options available with a paid account a try simply by installing the free trial, which lasts 14 days. If you opt for an upgrade, the purchased plan comes with a money back guarantee if you decide you don’t like it within 30 days so you’ve really got nothing to lose.

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