Restore or Download Files with the Backup Software for Windows

You can restore or download files using the McAfee Online Backup backup software installed on your computer. With the Restore tab on the Settings window, you can:

restore a single file.
restore many files.
restore an older version of a file.
recover a file you had recently deleted.
recover all your files.
search for a file when you know part of the name of the file, including the type.
browse for a file when you know where on your computer it was when it was backed up.
overwrite files existing on your computer with the versions you are restoring.
keep a version already on your computer as well as download an older version.
recover files to a new computer from one you replaced (requires both computers to have the same platform). For more information, see Replacing a Computer.

Unless you specify a different destination folder, your files are automatically restored to the folders they were in originally at the time they were backed up, beginning with the drive letter and creating all necessary folders.

If you have chosen to use Local Backup, and if that local backup drive is connected, files are restored from that drive instead of over the Internet. Any files which cannot be restored from the local backup for some reason are downloaded from the McAfee cloud.

Important: You cannot restore files until after the first backup is complete or while your computer is backing up.

Figure 1. Restore Tab

Choose one of the following actions to open the Settings window:
- (Windows 8) On the Start screen, click the McAfee Online Backup Settings tile.
- (Windows 7 or earlier) Right-click the McAfee Online Backup icon in the notification area, then select Settings > More Settings. For more information, see Open the Backup Software on Windows through the Notification Area.
If prompted to do so, provide your log in credentials.
Click the Restore tab.
Choose any of the following options:
- To browse or search for the most recent version of files or folders, click Search Latest Version.
- To browse or search as of a specific date and time, click Search by Date, then in the top right corner of the Restore tab, choose the date and time.
  Note: Do this if you have installed the McAfee Online Backup backup software on a replacement computer and need files as of the last backup occasion on the old computer. You might also do this if you need versions of files from before they were corrupted or from before your computer was affected by a virus or malware.
- To search for files or folders, type the appropriate characters in the Search for box, and then click Search.
- To browse in the folder structure or in backup sets, in the left pane, click the drive, folder, or backup set from which to restore files.
  Tip: Observe the appearance of the check boxes as you select and deselect drives, folders or backup sets to know whether they include all, some, or none of their contents. A marked box with a white background means all contents are included. A marked box with a gray background means some of the contents are included. An unmarked box means no contents are included.
- To select specific files from any drive, folder, or backup set, select those files in the right pane when the appropriate folder is selected in the left pane.
- To instead use your Web browser to restore files, click Access your files online, in the lower left corner. If prompted, enter your user ID and password.
Note: All files deleted or deselected from backing up within your grace period are available to be selected.

When you have selected all the necessary folders and files, choose one of the following options:

Choose a specific folder where the selected files will be saved

Click Browse. Browse to the destination folder, creating a new folder if necessary, then click OK. In Destination Folder, see the full path of the folder where all the selected files will be saved.

Inside the destination folder, the files are saved into the complete folder structure they were in when they were backed up. If you choose the destination well, such as a separate drive or partition or a new folder at the top level of your drive, this can make it easier to later move your restored files to more useful locations, such as into your Documents folder. If you choose poorly, it can mean that your restored files will be many folders deep, and it may be more difficult for you to find them.

Save the selected files into the original folder structure

Ensure that Destination Folder is blank.

The files will be saved into the complete folder structure they were in when they were backed up. This is most useful when restoring to the original computer, or if the folder structure of a replacement computer is identical to the folder structure for the backed up files, including your user profile name on the replacement computer.

Choose one of the following options:
- Overwrite existing files: If the computer has any of the selected files already in the destination folder, overwrite them with the versions from the cloud. This is useful to discard current versions of files in favor of older versions.
- Rename copy if original file exists: If the computer has any of the selected files already in the destination folder, keep them as they are and also add the restored files with (#) added to the file name. For example, if you do this twice you will have three copies of the same file with names like original.doc, original (1).doc, and original (2).doc. This is useful if you need both your current version and an older version of the same file so you can compare them.
If none of the selected files already exist in the destination folder, it does not matter which of these options is selected.
Click Restore Files.

The Status window opens, showing the progress of files being restored.

Figure 2. Status Window